Choosing office flooring has a lot more to it than selecting a nice type of flooring and calling it a day. This post explores the 8 key things you should consider when choosing your office flooring.
Office flooring is hugely important to completing your office and the company’s physical image. Office flooring should first and foremost impress clients whilst giving employees a workspace they can be proud of.
1) Look
As with homes, flooring is the final brush stroke on the tapestry that is your new office. Whatever look you are going for; sleek, vibrant, traditional etc, you need to think hard about what it is you are trying to achieve and how your flooring fits into this. Remember to consider how your choice of flooring will impact on the rest of the room at the initial planning stage. Avoid leaving flooring as an afterthought as flooring truly completes a room.
2) Traffic
Consider how much traffic is going through an area. This will influence the type of flooring you choose. For example, your lobby and reception area is bound to have a lot of people going through. In this case, a strong luxury vinyl tile or heavy duty linoleum would be suitable.
On the flip side, your conference room will have fewer people walking about inside. In this case, a good luxury carpet or stylish carpet tiles would be suitable here, although LVT would still look very luxurious.
Tip: make sure that your kitchen area has some sort of safety/non-slip flooring. Even in office kitchens accidents can happen and solid non-slip flooring is an essential investment.
3) Durability and Maintenance
A flashy new luxury carpet for your conference room that fits in with your current office image might seem like an excellent idea. However, what happens when a client spills a cup of coffee on your carpet? Would you be replacing all that expensive carpet?
There are two excellent solutions to finding durable flooring. The first is to simply install hard flooring like luxury vinyl tiles. The second is to install carpet tiles.
What are Carpet Tiles?
Carpet tiles are what the name suggests – square sections of carpet that are glued in place.
If you are currently in an office, look down at the floor. Chances are you can spot seams in-between sections of your carpet. Look closer and you will find these are organised into squares or tiles.
If someone spills coffee on your carpet or if a section of your carpet gets worn you can simply remove the worn tile and replace it with a new one. This avoids having to change a whole carpet for a small stain or scuff. Granted, with solid flooring you could simply mop up the spilt coffee, but some people do prefer carpet.
4) Cost
Cost is important when designing your office space. There is a big movement towards creating zen in the workplace through design, but at the end of the day, an officer is there to facilitate hard work and not to look good. Granted, you want your office to look the part when clients visit but it is always important to keep a project on budget.
However, remember to factor in the cost of non-durable or hard to maintain flooring. A cheap carpet might save you in the short term but the likelihood is you will be replacing it within a couple of years.
5) Your Business
Consider your business itself. Do you host clients? If so, it might be beneficial to invest in high-end flooring. Is your office part of a factory? If so, you might want to avoid carpets as they can get ruined very quickly with dirty work boots coming in and out.
7) Safety
Safety flooring is crucial in offices. In areas where water may be spilled such as the toilet or kitchen, non-slip flooring is a must! Even some busy corridors in your office may require anti-slip flooring.
8) Types of Office Flooring
There are a few types of office flooring that are suitable for most businesses. What type you choose will depend on cost, room, traffic and your business needs.
LVT
LVT or luxury vinyl tiles are simply stunning. Available in the sleek, modern ranges offered by Amtico or the traditional, natural looking tiles available through Karndean there is something to suit every design.
Looks aren’t everything. Luxury vinyl tiles have excellent soundproofing qualities. Indeed, LVT has better acoustics that hardwood, linoleum and some of the thinner carpet tiles.
The only real downside to LVT is the price. LVT can be expensive. However, luxury vinyl tiles are extremely durable and easy to clean and maintain. Taking this into account makes the price modest when compared to cheaper carpets that need constant replacing.
Carpet Tiles
Carpet tiles are an extremely popular choice of office flooring. Easily replaced with a strong commercial look to them carpet tiles are commonplace in offices across the UK.
These tiled carpets come in a wide variety of colours and styles.
Safety Flooring
Safety flooring is a must for busy corridors, kitchens and toilets. Anti-slip flooring can help make your office a safer place and is extremely durable.
Commercial Office Flooring Glasgow
Allfloors Glasgow have over 30 years helping businesses around Glasgow find commercial office flooring that suits their specific business needs. For advice, measurement, supply and installation. Get in touch today or visit our commercial flooring page.
