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Commercial flooring options – delving into the detail

September, 2018

Selecting the right flooring for a space can help create an ideal environment for both visitors and employees. We delve into some of the more detailed considerations.

When it comes to the workplace, functionality is as necessary as aesthetic appeal. Cost, ease of maintenance, speed of installation are all obvious concerns, in this article we look to provide more detail around some of these important considerations .

Luxury Vinyl Tile considerations

A vinyl tile floor is often installed in commercial settings where high traffic is a constant, or where a clean or static-free environment is desired. It is also true that vinyl flooring has more depth and texture today than it did a generation ago, so it can give you a real hardwood look, but with greater environmental, cost and maintenance benefits.

Look for a wear rating Class 33 as a minimum – heavy wear commercial (note Class 34 is for very heavy wear, and should be considered for multi-purpose halls and department stores). For a general industrial environment, where there is possible vehicle traffic and workers standing rather than sitting, Class 42 is what you should look for. Both the Duraflor AXIS range and Momenta range meet this criteria, as well as providing attractive designs.

A good surface treatment is also a consideration, you might see PU or PUR included in a specification. PU is a lighter weight of polyurethane; PU ranges are likely to require a polish/sealer in the future to protect them and keep them looking like new, especially in commercial applications. With PUR the polyurethane has been reinforced by applying a higher-weight, top-quality polyurethane that has been UV-cured. A PUR floor should provide a polish/sealer-free maintenance regime for the life of the floor.

At an average of 2mm thick, LVT is significantly quieter to walk on compared to tiles, wood and laminate. As the thickness of the vinyl increases the sound becomes subdued. High traffic areas would require a thicker tile to guarantee sound and wear prevention.

Commercial Carpets Tile considerations

Carpet Tiles are also known to be a good noise insulator, which is one reason why they prominently feature in the list of the most popular commercial flooring options recommended for call centres.

Depending on the designs chosen, they can add luxury, pops of colour and provide effective zoning in floor schemes – enabling designers to me much more creative with textures and colour. In the same way as LVT has advantages over natural alternatives, carpet tiles have advantages over broadloom carpet, being easier to replace, resulting in less waste etc. This is especially true when the design chosen is random lay, but the soil hiding properties of the design may also be a key consideration for heavy traffic areas.

Again it is important to look for a Class 33 heavy contract tile. It is worth noting the more structure the yarn has, the higher likelihood of better floor performance. Antron in a detailed document about yarn construction, state it is a commonly accepted industry practice to recommend 100% loop pile styles for heavy traffic installations. That isn’t to say that cut pile is not suitable for widespread commercial use, but cut pile carpet tiles are more ideally suited for boardrooms and meeting rooms, in addition to general office environments, as they will provide a softer more luxurious feel.

How Duraflor can help

Many of our clients look to combine LVT, Carpet Tiles and Sheet Vinyl, depending on the different usage areas in a building, and their budget and flooring requirements of their client. Duraflor are able to advise on which products are most suitable for each application and provide a comprehensive selection of popular designs across each flooring category.

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