Maybe you and your company are looking to move to a new and improved office. Maybe you just want a fresh new look for the office to give your employees a change and a boost in productivity. Whatever your reasons, our team at Stansbie Flooring are professional experts when it comes to commercial flooring and we’re here to help you choose the right flooring for your office. We’ll take you through the pros and cons of each option and leave you confident that your new floor choice will wow the company.
The floor of your workspace is one of the most important aspects of your office. You spend the day walking on it and even when seated, your feet should be comfortable with it. It’s not only a matter of comfort either. A stylish look for your office will make your employees feel proud and your floor has a great contribution to this. So you want to choose something that looks good, that matches the overall architecture of your office, and that is also comfortable for everyone’s feet. But perhaps even more importantly, you want a floor that is safe and durable. Smooth and high quality flooring can prevent office accidents which would be far from ideal for the company.
There are many different flooring options available to offices so it’s important to have a good think before making a decision. One key factor to consider would be the cost to install the flooring against your own budget. Costs can also include long-term maintenance and keeping the floor clean as well so definitely look at the prices. Make sure you take advantage of the free quote system from your flooring contractor.
It goes without saying but safety should be one of your highest priorities. A good-quality floor should be slip-resistant in order to create a safe environment for your employees. You should also choose an antistatic option if your office has a lot of electronic devices.
Another thing you might want to consider is comfort. A smooth and comfortable floor is proven to boost productivity in the workplace. But you might also want to match your floor’s comfort against the general architectural style of the office – it’s no good having a nice carpet that just doesn’t go with the wallpaper. Choosing the wrong or uncomplimentary design can just end up being a distraction. Consider colour, pattern and material against your brand image.
Noise might also be an important factor to consider, especially if you’re choosing a hard flooring option like wood. Nobody works well in a noisy office and noisy footsteps can be seriously disruptive. There are flooring options that are better at absorbing noise to provide a quieter and more calming office environment.
Finally, you might also want to consider the impact on the environment. This is especially important if your company has green values. Choosing a sustainable flooring solution which can be installed with minimal carbon emissions can contribute towards saving the planet and towards your brand’s reputation for environmental concern.
A classic choice is carpet, tried and tested to create a homely and friendly office environment. Carpet is one of the optimal choices for comfort, making the most of soft materials like wool or polyester. And carpet can be personalised to match your office design. It’s a highly versatile option available in just about any colour and in a hugely diverse range of different patterns. There will be a carpet choice ideal for any architectural style of office.
But that’s not all carpet has to offer. It’s also a great option for noise reduction. No matter how loud someone’s shoes are, you’ll never hear them coming on the soft surface. It’s also warm and great at insulation, making it a lovely winter choice.
However, you might want to consider how difficult carpet can be to clean. Regular hoovering isn’t just inconvenient but it’s bad for the environment with regular electricity usage. You may also need to use special chemicals and solvents to remove stains which can be costly.
Laminate is a great cost-effective and environmentally friendly choice. It can resemble natural floor materials but it’s laminate instead. You can get laminate flooring in a variety of different styles and patterns to imitate pine, oak, stone and more. You’ll have your choice for customisation. It also comes with so many functional benefits such as durability and easy maintenance. From the easy installation process to convenient maintenance requiring effortless cleaning, a laminate floor is one of the easiest floors to look after.
However, as it is a cheaper option, it doesn’t have very good insulation properties and won’t do much to keep you warm in the winter. It is also prone to moisture damage so it’s not ideal for bad weather conditions.
Vinyl flooring is on the rise and for many good reasons. Made from synthetic materials, vinyl can come in a variety of different styles from tiles to planks to sheets and like laminate, it can be designed to resemble natural flooring materials like wood and stone.
Vinyl is renowned for its exceptional durability and slip resistance, providing a soft, cushioning surface to walk on because of its elasticity. They’re also very easy to clean – no special solvents required. Simply mop or sweep up and you’re done. However, vinyl is known to fade over time due to exposure to sunlight. This can eventually lead to an unattractive floor in the future.
Wood is known for its elegance and timeless look. It’s a great option for sleek, modern offices and is available in a range of different materials – plywood, pine and oak are some of the more popular options that can come in different tones and colours. Wood is a very stable flooring choice and is resistant to moisture.
Wood is great for your brand image and for making a large office look professional and modern. However, because of the more complex installation process and durability of using high-quality natural materials, it can be one of the more costly options. Depending on the wood, it can require special cleaning solvents which can cost over time.
Like wood, stone is a classy and elegant flooring choice, available in luxury materials like marble and granite. Stone is one of the most durable options, providing a sturdy surface to walk on. As to be expected, stone is one of the more expensive options like wood, which means it’s not ideal for larger offices because of the high cost of installation. It can also be prone to scratches.
Finally, we have the classic ceramic floor. Ceramic is timeless and will never go out of fashion. Resistant to wear-and-tear, as well as requiring minimal maintenance, ceramic is a great choice for communal areas like the reception or the meeting room. However, like stone, ceramic is a cold material, meaning that it won’t bring much warmth to the office and isn’t ideal in the winter. It’s also not the most comfortable because it’s so hard but that brings the benefits of making this sturdy floor resistant, safe and easy to clean.
Whatever flooring choice you go for will certainly depend on the needs and style of your office. Consider all these things and you’ll be certain to choose the perfect flooring option for your office. Stansbie Flooring is here to provide advice and guidance whenever you need it.
