Choosing the Right Flooring for Your Workplace

You might not notice the flooring in your workplace in a day to day basis – but one thing is for sure, if it was uncomfortable, impractical or shabby, you certainly would! If your flooring in your place of business has seen better days and is becoming a liability, it may be time to replace it. but what are your options? Here, we look at some of the considerations you should bear in mind when choosing new floor coverings.

Assessing Your Needs

The first place to start is to be aware of the type of business you operate and what demands that places on the floor. Flooring for schools, for instance, is likely to have very different requirements from industrial flooring in a factory or warehouse. But the principles remain the same: whatever your business type, the flooring must be easy to maintain and keep clean. It must be safe for the conditions in which it is situated – in other words, it doesn’t put employees or members of the public at risk as they go about their day to day activities. And for most working environments, it needs to look aesthetically pleasing, creating a good ambience for visitors and staff comfort alike.

What Are the Options?

• Wood flooring can be an expensive option, but is visually stunning. As well as being durable, it is also environmentally friendly and low on maintenance. While great for offices, though, it is not as practical in any area in which liquid spills are a frequent occurrence. This can stain the surface. Nor is it good in highly humid conditions, so not suitable for some factories or workshops, for instance. And it isn’t a practical option where certain levels of hygiene must be maintained, as it doesn’t respond well to strong chemical cleaning agents. It can also be noisy under footfall, so might not be appropriate for places where sound might be an issue.

• Vinyl flooring or vinyl flooring tiles have become increasingly popular in offices and other business workplaces. It’s more affordable than wooden options, and is really easy to keep clean. More than that, it’s spill resistant and can help muffle noise. It works particularly well in high-traffic areas, such as retail outlets. It’s not quite as classy as wooden flooring, but can be much more practical. And there are now environmentally friendly options available.

• Carpet is welcoming and absorbs sound superbly, so is a good choice for offices where staff may need quiet areas to work or hold meetings. Visually attractive, commercial carpeting is also hard wearing, often comes with stain resistance built in and can cope with heavy footfall. But it can be less easy to keep clean than vinyl or wooden floors. Carpet tiles are a good compromise, as individual tiles can be replaced if they get dirty.

Take Advice from Professionals

These are just a few of the options available. There are also specialist types of safety flooring for wet rooms and commercial kitchens, for instance. Before you take the plunge and invest in new flooring for business premises, it’s always worth consulting an expert in flooring, like Smithfield Carpets, to make sure you’re selecting something that’s appropriate for your own, unique working environment. And if you’re giving your whole office – or home living room – a makeover, we even supply curtains and blinds too!