• PRODUCTIVITY

How commercial flooring can impact productivity

September, 2019

The flooring considerations that can impact productivity

Employees will spend the vast majority of their working day in the office, or their respective commercial environment, and it’s essential to ensure that these working hours are spent as productively and efficiently as possible. Your choice of commercial flooring can have a big impact on this, so when choosing the flooring that is right for you, take a look some of the flooring considerations that can impact productivity

1. Noise

High levels of background noise will impact an employee’s ability to focus and concentrate. This will result in decreased cognitive ability, and lower performance standards. This problem increases in open offices, where the lack of walls will reduce the total surface area, meaning less sound energy is absorbed.

However, choosing the correct office flooring can help to reduce this loud background noise. Commercial carpets and carpet tiling are extremely effective at soaking up sound, as the fibres in the tiles have a large surface area. This allows the sound energy to be absorbed into the material, rather than being reflected back out into the office. The thicker and denser the carpet, the more noise that will be absorbed, so it’s well worth considering this as an option in offices and open commercial areas.

We previously wrote a detailed article about the effect of noise on health and productivity.

2. Ease of cleaning

No employee wants to work in an area with a dirty floor, and studies have shown that the higher the level of cleanliness a commercial area has, the higher the productivity of the workers in the space. As such, if you choose a flooring such as vinyl sheets or vinyl tiles, these can be cleaned extremely easily and effectively. Not only will the cleanliness help to improve productivity, but the ease of cleaning will also encourage anyone who makes a mess to quickly clean it up.

Vinyl flooring works especially well in areas that are prone to mess and spills, such as commercial kitchens and breakout areas.

3. Colours and design

Mood, and thus productivity, can be impacted by the colours and design of your office, and this includes the flooring too. Dark and drab areas are likely to induce feelings of depression, whereas bright colours are more likely to help improve motivation and encourage feelings of happiness. A modern and inviting design will also improve the mood of any visitors, which can be great for making a potential client happy or encouraging an interviewee. We have written a detailed article on colour which you may find of interest, also this infographic might inspire you further.

There are many different ways of improving office productivity. Taking note of some of the flooring considerations that impact productivity is just one way you can ensure you create a happy and productive environment in the office.

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