How commercial flooring can impact productivity

Freedom Storm the perfect choice for a productive office

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.

4 ways to use flooring to make your office space flow better

Vinyl flooring helping the flow of an office

Use flooring to maximise the flow of your office space.

Whether your office space is large or small, it will always make a better impression on your employees and clients if it feels open, airy, and spacious. Below are 4 ways you can maximise the flow of your office space.

Within the first seven seconds, a prospective client or employee will have formed a solid first impression of your business. Employees who feel inspired by the spaces in which they work tend to be happier and more productive. This doesn’t mean your office space has to be large, but it does need to flow. It should feel open, airy and spacious; a positive space in which to work. A huge part of this is the flooring, something which many businesses don’t consider when fitting out their new spaces. Here are 4 simple ways to help your office space flow better, whatever the square footage.

1. Consider diagonal flooring

The way a floor is installed can really affect the flow of a space. If using carpet tiles or vinyl, consider asking your fitter to install them diagonally. This creates an illusion of space and openness, with the eye being drawn to the widest part of the pattern, closest to the entrance. The improved floor definition can actually help to make that all-important first impression when clients enter your business premises.

2. Darker and lighter colour tones

Lighter flooring gives the illusion of more space in any room, especially when paired with white walls and plenty of natural light. However, darker flooring with light walls can create a more dramatic, modern look. Darker floors can make a room seem smaller and sometimes that is exactly what you want to achieve. It is important to consider this when you have a large over powering space. We cover this in more detail in one of Practical Design blogs.

Another consideration, is keeping the same pattern in either luxury vinyl tiles or carpet tiles. However using contrasting shades to highlight feature areas and give direction. You don’t have to stick to rigid linear shapes to make this work to dramatic effect – another advantage of both vinyl and carpet tiles.

3. Consistent flooring

Consistency is key to helping your office space flow. Choosing the same flooring throughout your space will help to draw people through it, and create an overall impression of unity, especially in smaller areas such as meeting rooms. If you need to change flooring material, such as in bathrooms or kitchens, choose complementary colours or patterns so the visual impression stays intact. We also recommend both our Freedom Collection and Natural Terrain Collections as we use the same colour bank across multiple designs to give you a very smooth transition into different rooms. This is all done while maintaining consistency of colour. See our Carpet Tile Ranges for more detail.

4. Keep your flooring visible

Once you’ve spent all that time choosing the right flooring, make sure you can see as much of it as possible! Every office space needs a plethora of storage space, whether this is for files, stationery supplies or reference books. An excellent way to help your space flow better is to install shelving on the walls, rather than taking up floor space with filing cabinets. These tend to divide the space and make it feel more like a series of small spaces, rather than one open and airy workspace.

Why commercial flooring choices matter

Momenta vinyl tiles with added colour - ideal commercial flooring choices

Help in making the right commercial flooring choices

This article looks at the reasons why you need to carefully consider your commercial flooring choices and different aspects which should be thought about to improve its overall effectiveness.

The floor of your commercial area needs to look great for so many different reasons. The right choice can help to create a good first impression for new clients, can increase employee productivity, and help to define the office space. Depending on the footfall of your office, you also need to make choices about the durability and sustainability of your floor, so commercial carpet tiles, vinyl flooring, and entrance matting should all be key considerations.

But just as much as the flooring of your commercial area matters, did you know that the design of the flooring is just as important? Performance, morale, mood, efficiency and even sense of personal wellbeing can all be impacted by office design, so it’s essential to get this right. By using flooring to create an area which naturally encourages productivity and teamwork will present a high return on investment, and your business should see these results in their figures.

Colour and shapes

One of the most simple ways of using flooring to impact the design of the office is by varying colour in different areas. If different areas of your office are suited to different tasks, then a change in the flooring colour will help to define each area and allow workers to switch to their new task with greater ease. Commercial carpet tiles are a great way to achieve this effect, as different colours can easily be installed together without extra work.

By researching the psychology of colour and shapes, you can ensure that the colour choices made will help boost the utility of each area. Research has shown that humans inherently link different colours with different moods, and this is something employers can take advantage of. Consider light blue for break-rooms, green for creative spaces and purple for collaborative areas.

Patterns

Patterns can be another great way to use commercial flooring designs to help to improve your office’s image and boost productivity. Creative environments always benefit from the unexpected. A break from traditional monochrome and standard shapes will help to increase the creative flow in employees because they can take inspiration from the space around them.

Equally, meeting rooms should promote the opposite effect and remove potential distractions such as bright colours and unusual patterns. However, this doesn’t mean you should just use dull colours! An extremely effective method is to use slightly varying hues of the same design in your flooring.

Each commercial space is different, and it’s important to consider how commercial flooring can be fully utilised for your company. When introduced properly, you will see quick results, so why not speak to a specialist today?

Cleaning Vinyl Flooring – tips and tricks

A guide to cleaning vinyl flooring

A key benefit of vinyl flooring is its ease of maintenance, but the benefits of this can only be felt if the floor is cleaned properly! Here are a few tips and tricks to cleaning vinyl flooring, so it looks fresh and as good as the day it was purchased.

1. Use entrance matting

If you can reduce the amount of dirt and dust that is being brought onto your vinyl floor, then you reduce the amount you have to clean later. Commercial entrance matting is an obvious solution, ensuring that any loose particles are removed from shoes before being tracked into the office. This ensures all stones and other materials are quickly removed, and that nothing will scratch or damage the vinyl surface.

2. Regular cleaning

If you remove dirt and dust that builds up on a daily basis, then you can ensure that it won’t get ground into the material through constant foot traffic. Daily dust mopping or using a soft broom to collect all the foreign materials will allow your vinyl to last longer, and presents an efficient way of keeping your vinyl flooring looking new for as long as possible.

3. Use low-impact techniques

Rather than automatically using heavy-duty cleaners which blast dirt away with force, it’s best to consider low-impact techniques to ensure the longevity of your vinyl floor.

Daily dust mopping is highly recommended to remove dirt. It may also be necessary to clean the tile by using a damp mop or auto scrubber. If cleaning with a damp mop, you should use a neutral pH cleaner. If using an auto scrubber, the Red 3M pad is recommended.

4. Use protective feet on your office furniture

Heavy office furniture, including desks and chairs which have to hold weights such as computers and people, may damage or dent your vinyl flooring. This is especially true of furniture that stays in the same place. These dents can be prevented by fitting all of your office furniture with specially designed floor protectors. Often inexpensive, they can really help your vinyl flooring to last longer.

5. If discolouration occurs

It i s important to wipe immediately with a paper towel or cloth. If spots have already dried, they might be removed using a plastic scraper. The area should then be washed with diluted cleaning agent using a damp cloth or sponge.

If obstinate spots remain remove with a firm nylon sponge. Should the spot still remain, moisten a cloth with clear odourless mineral spirits and rub with circular movements over the whole area. Always test in an inconspicuous area to check for compatibility of the mineral spirits and flooring

6. General notes

Always clean your vinyl floor regularly, and ensure that the cleaning equipment you use is also clean. Clean up any spills immediately, and when using cleaning products, never mix products from different manufacturers, as they may not be compatible. One final tip for you – always follow the manufacturers’ recommendations!

For more details take a look at our cleaning and maintenance guides for LVT and Safety Flooring.

Why vinyl flooring for commercial spaces

Different pattern of vinyl tiles on floor advantages of vinyl for commercial spaces

The advantage of vinyl flooring in commercial spaces

This article looks at vinyl flooring, considers all of its advantages and shows how effective it could be when used as your commercial flooring solution.

When installed correctly, vinyl floors look amazing. Designed to replicate a large number of different styles, you can get the aesthetic appeal of something luxurious at a fraction of the price.

Vinyl flooring can be used to mimic wood, natural stone and tiles, all in a variety of colours and patterns, all while allowing durability and easy maintenance – something which appeals to a large number of commercial users. For more detail on different types of commercial flooring see our blog on the subject.

Some of the main benefits of vinyl flooring are:

1. Choice of design and type

Designs and manufacture have come a long way since vinyl first appeared on the scene. Vinyl flooring comes primarily in three sizes. Vinyl sheeting is a modern variation of old linoleum, and allows for texture in your flooring, with ease of installation. The fact sheet vinyl can be installed in just one or two solid unbroken pieces means it is a better barrier to moisture, which is why in areas where moisture is a regular occurrence it is often chosen over planks and tiles.

Vinyl tiles enable you to make a pattern on your floor area, or create a more natural look. Vinyl planks mimic hardwood planks and come in a range of lengths and widths – small herringbone pieces for example enable you to recreate a traditional floor style that is still very much on trend.

2. Durability and sustainability

Vinyl flooring is extremely durable. There are a number of coating options you can choose to help increase scuff and mark protection, but vinyl is usually resistant enough in areas of normal foot traffic. We recommend looking at the specification and ensuring that it is Class 33 for commercial use (EN649/33). We also recommend that it has a minimum R10 Slip Rating.

One extra advantage of vinyl tiles and planks is the ability to change certain areas of the floor without needing to replace the whole area, so is a great option for busy offices and a cost saving option in the long run. For even speedier installation and ability to change flooring, looselay (such as Axis) is the perfect solution. Another advantage is that vinyl has become a more sustainable option, usually containing a high proportion of recycled material.

4. Ease of maintenance and installation

One key advantage of vinyl over its fabric counterparts is its ease of cleaning. Vinyl resists liquid, so any spillages or drops can quickly be mopped up, and they won’t sink into the material and leave a stain. Dust and dirt can easily be cleaned from vinyl flooring too, which makes it ideal for areas which need to maintain high hygiene standards. For more details on how easy it is to maintain vinyl flooring read our article on the subject.

Carpet Tiles – back to black or shades of grey

Black carpet tiles increasing in popularity and grey remains on trend

In this article, we consider why carpet tiles are perfect solutions for office flooring, and the advantages they offer. We also take a look at colour choices. We consider why black carpet tiles might be becoming increasingly prevalent on office floors and what makes grey still the most popular colour.

Carpet tiles were invented around 60 years ago and were initially created as a cheap and hard-wearing alternative to traditional carpets. Along with their longevity, they are also extremely easy to transport and install, making them the ideal commercial choice. Carpet tiles have no need for underlay, so they can be laid straight down and are perfect for raised access flooring. Standard sizing means reduced waste from cutting to size (making them also a more sustainable option), and the tiling structure means that worn-out areas can easily be replaced without removing the whole carpet.

So while many offices find choosing the type of flooring easy, with carpet tiles offering an almost perfect solution, one challenge is deciding what colour to use. Tiles come in a whole range of colours and patterns, and since your floor colour will define your office space, it’s important to get this right. Manufacturers are always introducing new colours and designs, yet there is and always will be strong favourites, and the reasons for this are evident.

It is probably no surprise that grey is acknowledged as very much on trend for 2019 and will no doubt be for some time, but black carpet tiles are also still proving a real winner over the many different colour options available. In fact Progression Black Ice is by far one of Duraflor’s most popular choices.

1. Hiding stains

If you work in an office with a large amount of foot traffic, or where things may be spilt, then black is a great colour to hide this. Obviously, we would still recommend getting your carpet tiles cleaned as often as needed, but a dark colour helps to hide stains in between cleaning. Offices that receive large amounts of external guests always appreciate this, as nothing puts a potential client off as much as a dirty office.

2. Colour versatility

Black is an excellent colour as it matches with many other colours. With black carpet tiles, you don’t need to worry about the colour of your walls, ceiling or even office furniture, as they will all look great with black flooring. For office spaces that are often changed, or if you are considering repainting the walls in the future, then black allows you the flexibility to do this without needing to change the carpet tiles too. The other advantage is that black carpet tiles can be used in conjunction with brighter colour, we especially find that customers look to choose their company brand colours for standout.

As with grey, there are also shades of black and often a subtle pattern with a black tile gives a high level of sophistication. We see that with our Natural Terrain Collection subtle designs in Escarpment, Plateau and Tundra Ranges being created to an even more dramatic effect when the summit is chosen as a colour option. We also know the combinations of black work especially well when using different shapes to create contrast, as seen with our Hexxtile range and Plank offer – especially Progression Plank.

3. Formality

As well as offering versatility, black flooring also lends your office a sense of professionalism and formality that more vibrant colours couldn’t offer. This does depend on the type of work you do, and the brand image you want to portray, but black will allow you to be formal where necessary – if you want to add colours you can always add splashes of colour to the floor with carefully chosen feature tiles.

How we can help

Our team of experts have years of experience in the business and are always happy to help.

Making carpet tiles work harder

Ideas on how to make carpet tiles work harder

We consider ways companies can make carpet tiles work harder and create additional benefits beyond those associated with a good floor covering.

Despite the potential for brilliant versatility and depth of impact, carpeting is an often tragically overlooked component of interior design. At most, it will be used as merely a complement to larger pieces, such as furniture or signage.

But the potential for achieving great designs with carpet tiles are nearly limitless, providing a little imagination is employed. From using carpet choices to reflect the themes of your company’s brand to using them to highlight the different uses of your office space, we consider how carpet tiles can be used to lift an office out of the mundane, and help it stand out from the competition.

1: Mapping out space

One of the simplest ways carpeting can be used to bring life into your office space is by incorporating it into the space’s layout and features. Most offices are built in a very similar way; reception areas featuring waiting rooms with tables and chairs, side doors or diverging paths that lead through into open areas for desks and workspaces, and far walls are occupied by individual offices or conference rooms.

Bring flair to this layout by placing carpet tiles as a means of floor definition; Hexxtile’s hexagonal flooring tiles, with its wide variety of distinctive colours, can be used to draw the eye to chairs at the centre of a waiting room. Brighter, more vividly coloured tiles, such as the 2529 Hexxtile Jet Engine, underneath and in the immediate area of focal furnishings, like a sofa, could be contrasted by darker tiles at the perimeter, like the 2524 Hexxtile Night Sky. Their geometric design, with its harsh angles, would serve to highlight this further.

Designated collaborative workspaces can be marked more clearly through the use of flooring effects which also allow their characteristics to be more clearly defined; the Freedom Bark pattern, with its delicate tweed aesthetic, could be used to great effect when highlighting an area designated for creative thinking, where co-workers can meet and brainstorm ideas.

Carpet tiles can used as a way-finding device in a business, naturally leading employees to different areas and making them more inviting.

Having different pile weights and structure of tiles helps create different environments within a single office environment, this can include a more ‘resimercial‘ area for relaxing or informal meetings.

2: Push the brand

Companies rise and fall based on the strength of their marketing campaigns. Customers need to have the brand firmly etched in their mind from the moment they walk through the door, so touches of it should be seen everywhere they look. The colour, size and shape of commercial carpet tiling can be chosen to suit key elements of a brand’s theme.

One approach, we have previously suggested to interior designers is that when designing flooring for a client, you imagine yourself as a client taking a visitor on a tour of the business. The brand cues should be strategically placed where they would impact the most on the tour.

4 ways carpet tiles can embrace the art deco revival

Art deco – making a come back

Popularised between the years of 1924 and 1940, art deco is an art movement that utilises bold colours and design. It features geometric patterns and draws influences from cubism. Room renovation and art often inspire each other, and as of late art deco has been making its way into many offices and commercial buildings. Here are some of the ways that the versatility of carpet tiles can be used to mimic art deco.

Geometric patterns

One of the most distinctive features of art deco is its vibrant geometric shapes. Although hexagon tiles have been coming into fashion lately for their unusual honeycomb tessellation, they’re also perfect for replicating the simplicity of art deco. Our Hexxtile range is the perfect combination of playfulness and simplicity. Try alternating bright colours that sit opposite each other on the colour wheel for a bright contrasting effect sure to grab the eyes of anyone that walks by. Check out the works of Sonia Delaunay, who pioneered the use of geometric shapes in fashion, for more inspiration.

Varying line thicknesses

Art deco was so popular in its heyday that it even inspired its own Gatsby-esque font. You’ll probably recognise it. Try replicating this font by varying the line thicknesses in linear carpet tiles. Unless you’re aiming for a very striking effect, we would recommend that you stick to same or similar shades of colour throughout laying. Alternatively, take a look at the new Magnitude range for more linear inspiration.

Colour choices

As we’ve previously mentioned, colour plays a large part in showing off that distinctive art deco style. One of the most famous art deco establishers is Jean Dunand, who was renowned for his use of black, red and yellow. This translates well into carpet design for bright casual spaces. If you’re wanting to design an office space that’s contemporary and promotes an upbeat mood, then vibrant colours are perfect Alternatively, try layering with cooler shades of blue and green when designing for more productivity-centred rooms. If you’re interested in more of how colours can change a room’s mood, check out this blog post by us.

Touch of glamour

Underpinning art deco is the fine nuance of glamour and modernisation. With the prominence of abstraction in interior design recently, it’s the perfect time to utilise the subtlety of decadent colours. These are usually more muted colours such as tan colours and creams; an excellent example of this is the 1930 cover of Vogue by Harriet Meserole. Like blues and greens, clean colours such as whites and creams elicit a feeling of calmness in office spaces, making them perfect colour combinations to unconsciously promote work rate. To bring such glamour to life on floors, we recommend a motif design of squares or other simple shapes in slightly varying tone differences for a truly luxurious touch of the 1930s. See the Freedom Pavement carpet tiles for a sample of how simplicity can be divine in interior design.

How to be more creative with carpet tiles

Ways to be creative

If you are looking for ways to be more creative with carpet tiles, look no further! From zoning areas to shape choices, we explore the best ways to use carpet tiles.

When designing an office space, particularly an office floor, it can be easy to become too focused on the practicality of the space and let creative elements of the design slip. Many designers favour carpet tiles for offices due to their flexibility and practicality but there is a creative side that is worth remembering. Below we explore some fun and practical ways to be more creative with carpet tiles…

1. Design flexibility

In many ways, carpet tiles offer a much larger degree of flexibility when compared to wall-to-wall carpet. Because the carpet is modular, it means that different colours and designs can be laid side by side. Advances in production levels result in an ever wider range of colours, shades and designs. Individual carpet tiles that can be used to create endless unique combinations. You can create a uniform design with a single product, or combining different collections, colourways or textures to add variety and diversity. With modular flooring you have the flexibility to bring a vision for a floor to life.

2. Innovative zoning

Open-plan offices are increasing in popularity as businesses are ditching their walls in favour of open-space collaborative areas. Carpet tiles can be creatively used in open-plan offices to separate certain areas without the use of walls. For example, carpet tiles in blue can be used in break areas and grey tiles used in collaborative work zones to signify certain office areas without affecting the open-plan design of an office.

3. Create different ambiences

Traditional carpet offers numerous ambient and aesthetic benefits; they are warm underfoot, they absorb sound – which can be incredibly handy in busy office environments. All of these benefits are also available with carpet tiles, but there are added advantages of choosing different pile weights and textures as even in an open plan office you can create a more resimercial area for staff to relax.

4. Vary your shape choices

When you think of carpet tiles, you will most likely think of square or plank tiles. While there are many benefits to using square tiles, such as the ideas of stability they inspire, many designers fail to consider hexagon tiles for a more creative flooring approach. Hexagons exist in nature, in beehives, for example, making them a dynamic and harmonious flooring option. Plus, hexagons can be cut to fit any room, making this ideal for offices of all sizes.

If you are looking for carpet tiles of exceptional quality, look no further than Duraflor. Interested to know more about how to use our carpet tiles creatively? Simply get in touch today and we can help you create innovative office flooring for your next design project.

Dark or light flooring?

Choosing between dark and light flooring

These days floors come in all kinds of colours, but the challenge always comes back to deciding on whether to choose something light or dark flooring. With mixed messages on which is easier to keep clean and which will match the decor better, here are a few tips that can help you make the right decision for your office:

Showing the dirt

Both carpet and vinyl are easy to maintain, so showing dirt isn’t so much of a problem, but it can be one of the considerations when determining the tone of the flooring.

If you’re opting for carpet tiles, then lighter colours will show stains more easily than darker ones. This is because most stains will be caused by mud from shoes or food and drink, which are dark such as coffee. However, if you’re opting for vinyl floors, the opposite is true. It’s easy to wipe up mud and spills from light floors, but darker vinyl will show things like dust very clearly, making it important to sweep or vacuum more regularly. The best way to avoid dirt and stains showing regardless of the material, however, is to choose a dark or light coloured floor that has multiple shades or patterns in it.

The illusion of space

Lighter flooring gives the illusion of more space in any room, especially when paired with white walls and plenty of natural light. However, darker flooring with light walls can create a more dramatic, modern look. It’s also easy to use carpet tiles to mark out certain zones of the office in a darker shade to really draw the eye. Darks overall create more drama in rooms with lots of light. Dark walls and floors will make a room seem smaller and that might actually be something you look to achieve, for example to create a more intimate environment to relax in, or not make an open plan office seem too vast.

Easier to scratch

Typically, darker floors are more prone to showing scratches, though this is much less of a concern with vinyl than it would be with hardwood floors. However, if you or your client does work in an industry where scratches are common, it may be a good idea to go for a lighter coloured floor.

Creating an appropriate look

Of course, you also have the option of going for a bold, distinctive colour like red or yellow. But, in addition to tone it is worth considering colour psychology and the importance of light to stimulate creativity, productivity and wellbeing.

It is also worth considering the ambience you want to create. Lighter hardwood effect floors for an example, can create a sunnier, more cheerful atmosphere. Dark floors exude classic elegance, and seem more aligned with nature and are perceived as warmer than lighter wood floors. Dark flooring can create the visual impression of the earth beneath your feet, which can encourage feelings of emotional security, and make a room feel more inviting.

Get in touch

Here at Duraflor, we have a whole range of commercial flooring solutions to suit you. Whether you’re looking for lighter or darker colours or just need a little help, we are more than happy to advise.

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