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Choosing the best flooring for a business

January, 2020

The importance of choosing the best flooring for a business

Whether you are building a brand new office space, renovating an existing space, or simply looking for a new aesthetic, choosing the best flooring for a business from both an appearance and usage perspective is an essential part of the equation. Considerations can include the need to design a business that is welcoming to visitors and great to work in, whilst also being practical and resistant to everyday use.

Whilst vinyl may be more suited against frequent spillages than carpet, it may not always be the best flooring for a call centre for example, where acoustics is a major priority – in this case carpet tiles might be a better alternative. We previously covered how sound impacts on productivity in another one of our Practical Design articles. Carpet can reduce the sound of walking by 25 to 34 decibels (whereas laminate flooring for example reduces surface sounds by only 1 to 6 decibels). Worth mentioning however, using underlayment with Vinyl Tiles, significantly reduces sound transmission between floors.

The use of vinyl is very common in office kitchens and in relaxation and eating areas, as these have high footfall and tend to face the most spillages. Vinyl flooring allows spillages to be easily mopped up and is often resistant to long-term staining. It is important to check the wear rating and also top coating to ensure the vinyl is scuff and scratch resistance. For speedier installation, looselay LVT (such as Axis) is the perfect solution. It offers both style and ease of installation, and can be easily moved around if future plans require some flexibility.

In order to comply with employer standards, bathroom facilities must be available to all members of staff, and within this, there are certain factors that come into play when choosing the correct flooring. The floor must be hygienic and easy to clean due to the nature of use. In this case a Safety Flooring is usually the best option from a cost, safety and hygiene perspective. Attractive Wood & Stone effect is possible just as much with sheet vinyl as Luxury Vinyl Tiles – take a look at our Cienna range for inspiration.

Also, whilst there are many practical aspects to consider, the style of the flooring is also important, as this is the image of the business. Not just from a visitor perspective but also from how the company engages with its employees. That employee engagement reaches further into office design in itself, whether that includes ideas around resimmercial space, which might lean towards heavy pile carpets or Activity Based Workspaces that might need a mix of floor coverings, choosing flooring to suit a design concept is an essential element of overall success.

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