If you have a new office building being readied for your firm, this may be a time of great excitement for some, who will look forward to moving into fresh, new premises that will, they hope, be a major upgrade on the workplace they currently use.
However, that does depend on a range of different factors. Having lots of space, air conditioning for hot days, good kitchen facilities and a pleasant decor will all matter, but so too will a good, practical floor that looks aesthetically pleasing and stays in good condition for many years.
In some instances, a company may move into an office that has the flooring in place, especially if you are renting it. But if it is your own, then you need to make all the flooring decisions yourself. Faced with bare concrete that has only just set, or an old floor that needs to be replaced before your staff move in, you need to choose wisely.
What Kind Of Flooring Is Suitable?
Our recommendation is to choose carpet tiles or vinyl, as they are the most suitable, but give laminate a miss.
Laminate is a very good material for homes and it looks very attractive, but it is not ideal for offices. It is a noisier surface to walk on than carpet, which is not good for helping people concentrate at work. It is also quite prone to scratches, which is not ideal in a crowded office or for having heavy office furnishings placed on it.
Carpet, on the other hand, is a wonderful choice. It adds comfort underfoot, can reduce noise, resists gouging from having anything heavy placed on it (carpet dents can be easily removed), as well as providing lots of colour. You can also choose between an executive look with a neat, uniform design or something bright and cheerful to raise the mood.
Great Carpets For Offices
We have some outstanding carpet tile products that can meet these aims, made with recycled or recyclable materials, which is a great way to start if you aim to make your office as eco-friendly as possible.
For instance, the Amtico Express Anchor Tinker is a prime example of the kind of carpet that can work very well in an office corridor or as a main thoroughfare. It has a simple grey patterned look and comes in tiles measuring 609.6 x 609.6 mm.
Among its key features is a 23,33 wear classification, intensive use caster chair rating, 25dB of acoustic noise reduction and a ten year warranty. These are just the kind of qualities you should look for in an office carpet, as it means it is hard-wearing, handles having a wheeled chair moving over it, keeps footfall noise down and is guaranteed for a decade.
Other products in our range offer similar qualities. For instance, the Balsan Pilote 3D Tramontane carpet tiles, which measure 500 x 500 mm, come with a wear classification of 33, 26dB of noise reduction and a 15-year warranty. The Tramontane pattern comes in a choice of colours, enabling you to add some style and brighten the office up.
We have several Balsan carpets that would suit an office and the same is true of Burmatex. The Burmatex range includes the Balance Ratio carpets, which measure 500 x 500 mm and come with various colour tile options.
These tiles have one of the highest wear classifications: class 33 (heavy commercial use). They also come with a continuous use castor chair rating and 23dB of acoustic noise reduction.
Other Carpet Options
Other makers we stock include Gradus, with notable products including the Brickworks Carpet Tiles. These are designed with novel features to create some striking and contemporary floor spaces, such as having a yellow line on a grey background that flanks walls or curves around a pillar.
Once again, these come with excellent office-friendly qualities, like a wear rating of 33 (heavy commercial), 25dB of noise reduction and a ten year warranty, including ten years for anti-static.
These are all fine examples of carpets in our range, but we have many more to choose from, all very well suited to the needs of a modern office.
Where You Might Use Vinyl
If you don’t want wall-to-wall carpet, vinyl is a practical option, and we have some attractive products that come in wood plank effects. You should certainly look at this for your kitchen area because of its resistance to stains and water. It can also be good for reception areas.
While not having the comfort of carpet underfoot, its practical qualities can be used very effectively in parts of the office. Indeed, it may be that you can make great use of a combination of carpet as your main floor of choice, but vinyl in the above-mentioned areas around the periphery.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to get in touch with the CVT Direct team via our Contact Us page or give us a ring on 0345 121 1234.
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