Choose the best flooring for your office: Bamboo for style and eco-friendliness, Hardwood for durability, Laminate for cost-efficiency, Vinyl for softness, or Concrete for minimalist durability.
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If you are in the process of redecorating your office, the type of flooring you decide to use might appear to be minor compared to the other decor. However, this is a huge misconception, as you must choose a suitable material for the type of office you are running.
You can use several materials for the flooring in an office, so the decision might appear to be a little daunting at first. To help you, here is a guide on the best options for your office flooring that should help to get you started.
Bamboo is often considered the most stylish choice, and therefore one of the best options for your office flooring. As well as being aesthetically pleasing,
Bamboo also has many functional advantages that make it stand out from other materials. Its water resistance is straightforward to clean and maintain, as dust and dirt can be removed using a vacuum or sweeping brush, or using Bona Pro Hardwood Floor Cleaner & Bona Pro Hardwood Floor Mop for a deeper clean.
Bamboo is also one of the best options for your office flooring as the installation and pricing is similar to hardwood flooring, so going for the classier option is not met with these kinds of drawbacks.
Moreover, one of the most positive aspects of using Bamboo flooring is that it is made from a natural material, which is very important in the construction industry today. As the world becomes steadily more polluted with plastics and other human-made materials, Bamboo is a renewable, biodegradable option.
It can be found in abundance and only takes 3-5 years to reach maturity. In comparison, trees can take upwards of 20 years, so are clearly more difficult to replace, so are perhaps not the best options for your office flooring.
However, despite these advantages, there are also some negative aspects of bamboo flooring that you should be aware of. Although certain types of bamboo flooring can be very durable, it is quite easily scratched, so might not be the best options for your office flooring is you wish to use it in a large and busy office space such as furniture, and high heels might ruin the finish. Due to the carbonisation process used to colour the wood, bamboo flooring will also be weaker the darker its colour.
Despite this, if the surface does become a little damaged, bamboo can also be refinished by sanding down and reapplying a fresh finish to give it a new look. Therefore, Bamboo is one of the best options for your office flooring as it can have a very long life so long if it is maintained well, in a non-humid and dry environment, so in this sense, it is very cost-effective. However, despite bamboo being natural and renewable, some other concerns make the use of bamboo environmentally ambiguous.
The manufacturing process, for example, can lead to the emission of volatile organic chemicals, and there are also concerns that forests are being cut down to make space for bamboo fields because of their high demand. There are clearly many pros and cons of using bamboo in terms of the environment, so it is up to you to base your decision on these factors’ weight.
The advantages and disadvantages of using hard-wood flooring are very similar to that of bamboo, making them one of the best options for your office flooring, although there are a few exceptions. Although bamboo can be pretty durable, certain types of hard-wood are even more so, but can also be scratched and cracked in the same way.
He variety of different species of trees that can be used to make wooden flooring also means that you can have more choice in the pattern and colour, without compromising the wood’s strength. While there is a major drawback in the fact that it takes so long for a tree to reach maturity, trees are also much bigger than bamboo plants, so many more can be made from one plant.
Once again, you will have to weigh up the environmental pros and cons of using hardwood flooring. Although this is a natural, biodegradable plant, many drawbacks might overshadow this.
If your looking to redo your flooring relatively cheaply, then Laminate flooring is one of the best options for your office flooring. It is very versatile as it can be made to look like anything from hard-wood to stone, but without many of the drawbacks of these material types. It is also put together using clicking installation, so a relatively inexperienced person should be able to do it themselves without much trouble.
Laminate flooring is also one of the best options for your office flooring because it is incredibly durable and easy to clean, so is an excellent material to use in a busy, heavy-traffic office, and also doesn’t have any of the hygiene concerns to do with mould that can sometimes be associated with natural material.
However, because laminate flooring is not natural, the use of this material is environmentally questionable. Though it has the appearance of hardwood, laminate flooring can often seem fake as it does not feel or sound like the real thing. Sound insulation can also be a problem with this material. To reduce this effect, be sure to install a thick underlay not to become a problem later.
As well as this, perhaps the biggest negative associated with laminate flooring is that it cannot be refinished. If a part of the flooring is damaged, it must be replaced, and over time the top layer of the material often wears away, meaning that the entire floor will need to be replaced.
In comparison to hardwood and bamboo, laminate flooring, therefore, has a relatively short life-span. Therefore, it appears justified to state that there are many pros and cons associated with laminate flooring, so it is up to you to weigh them up and decide if you think it is one of your office flooring’s best options.
Vinyl flooring is another human-made material that has all the relative concerns. However, it also has several positive aspects that have proclaimed it to be one of the most sorts after materials for a high-traffic office space.
The surface of vinyl flooring is incredibly soft compared to some of the other materials mentioned because it is backed by a thin layer of either felt or foam, so if something such as a glass is dropped, it is not likely to break.
However, if something sharp is dropped, it may damage the surface of the vinyl. This material can come in various colours and designs, including ones, make to look like natural material such as wood or stone.
It also wears very well, as it is incredibly durable, with many manufactures ensuring that it will come later between 15-20 years. Like the others, it is also straightforward to clean, and will usually not require any other maintenance after its installation other than hoovering or sweeping.
However, there are some major cons to using vinyl flooring. This is largely because it can emit polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and volatile organic compounds (VOC), especially when it is new. However, it is important to note that since 2010, many manufacturers have started using less PVC in their vinyl flooring products.
As mentioned before, a sharp edge can gouge the surface of the vinyl. This becomes a particular problem for moving furniture, so it is important to install furniture pads on the feet of all feet.
Carpet tiles are another durable invention that is perfect for the office. Although they are not the best for a very high-trafficked office, if some of the tiles become damaged, each tile can be individually replaced rather than having to do the entire floor.
This means that they are very cost-effective and be maintained very easily. However, one disadvantage of this is that the new tiles can often make the others look worn out and shabby, so it is best not to use this material in a space where you will be entertaining clients. Carpet tiles are also straightforward to install, so you will save a huge amount by not hiring a professional.
Finally, it has become an increasing trend to ‘scrap’ traditional flooring and use the actual concrete that the building is made of for the flooring. This minimalist style is certainly the most durable, and will not be damaged by high heels or dropped objects.
Unlike common perception, concrete can also be made to be very patterned and colourful, as shown in the pictures above. It is also effortless to maintain, requiring a fresh seal or wax every 3-9 months depending on the office’s traffic volume.
Other than this, a normal cleaning agent can be used for dust and spills. Concrete is also environmentally friendly, so is light on your carbon footprint as well as your wallet.
GSD London Ltd
Company Number: 10543768
VAT Number: 261280131
Head Office
40 Bowling Green Lane,
EC1R0NE, United Kingdom
