As Britain begins to return to the office, many facilities managers are looking to refresh working environments. One area that must be considered is flooring.
With so many different types of flooring to choose from, deciding which to install can be very difficult. In this blog, our commercial carpet tile company is going to settle the debate once and for all, and decide which is better – carpet tiles or hard flooring. Let the battle commence!
Round 1: Cost
If you’re going for a laminate or vinyl floor, on average you can expect to pay around the same as you would for carpet tiles. However, hardwood flooring pushes the cost up significantly to around £60 per square metre, so it’s best avoided if budgets are tight or you have a large space.
Round 2: Appearance
There’s no doubting that hardwood flooring is worth the extra investment when we consider the aesthetic. Depending on the colour, it can provide a bright, summery interior or add that professional touch. However, laminate and vinyl don’t offer quite the same high-quality spec – nor do they offer the customizability of carpet tiles.
If branding is a key motivator for you, carpet tiles are definitely the best option – allowing you to experiment with colours that match your company designs and values. Carpet tiles can also be laid in different patterns, to create unique patterns, designs and borders and allow for huge flexibility.
Round 3: Installation
In theory, anybody can have a go at installing flooring themselves – particularly with laminate and vinyl flooring. But carpet tiles and hardwood flooring present a much harder challenge, so you should expect to budget for a professional installer. Get it wrong and you may risk paying twice! The good news is that well-installed flooring can last for decades, so it’s well worth the investment.
Round 4: Maintenance
This is arguably the most important factor when it comes to picking the best flooring for your workplace. While hard flooring may seem like the simple option with its wipe-clean surface, this is a common misconception!
In fact, due to the harsh chemicals needed, hardwood flooring can cost up to 65% more to clean than carpet tiles – something which may be overlooked in the long term. A simple vacuum (and household cleaning products for those emergencies) make carpet tile maintenance far simpler – and cheaper to clean.
The Final Decision
Whilst these factors should guide your purchasing decision, you also shouldn’t overlook features such as noise reduction or flexibility. Softer carpet tile surfaces provide better acoustics, ideal for busy environments. Likewise, they are far easier to remove if you are scaling up or downsizing your working space.
Of course, hard surfaces can provide a cost-effective alternative, particularly if you’re going with vinyl or laminate. But for a flexible solution that offers easy maintenance, strong branding and a friendly cost, you can’t go wrong with carpet tiles.
Want to learn more about our design-led carpet tiles? Get in touch with our expert sales team to place an order. Call us on 01709 916808 or email [email protected].
