There are many things that need to be taken into consideration when you lay flooring in your commercial or retail space, not least of which being the maintenance of that flooring.
Many places will consider cost as a major factor, but this is where it can be a bit tricky. When choosing a new flooring, the cost should be looked at in terms of overall value, not just the immediate outlay.
We all know that replacing your flooring can be expensive, but if you have to do it again after just a couple of years, it can really put a strain on your financial commitment. You really want to consider the long-term value of the floor over the initial outlay.
In an area of high traffic, heavy machinery or moving equipment such as fork-lift trucks, you need a floor that is going to withstand the test of time. You don’t want a floor that will be damaged shortly after having it laid. So with that in mind, we have put together a list of 5 low-maintenance flooring options that will provide long-term durability with lifetime cost efficiency.
Interlocking Floor Tiles
The R-Tile is a high quality commercial and retail interlocking floor tile. It is an excellent alternative to traditional nonslip floors such as carpet or sheet vinyl.
The anti-slip properties of the R-Tile make them ideal safe flooring solutions for anywhere where there is high footfall traffic. Our floor tiles are CE accredited and have been successfully installed in many of Europe’s leading commercial and retail premises.
R-Tile’s interlocking solution is perfect for covering uneven, damp or dusty subfloors with little or no preparation required. This makes the R-Tile an ideal solution for commercial spaces.
Our interlocking tiles take all the positive aspects of carpet, wood and vinyl while eliminating the drawbacks. We have engineered a surface that has a guaranteed 15 year plus life cycle. Our PU coating also ensures that the tiles are protected from chemical damage and scratched surfaces.
With our interlocking floor tiles being available in a variety of thicknesses, colour and finishes, there is something to suit all commercial and retail spaces. Not only that, but we also have the facility to create branded tiles to give your workspace the extra wow factor.
Cleaning the floors couldn’t be easier, a quick sweep and mop is all that is needed as the protective coating means no polishing is required. These warm and easy to install tiles are ready to use immediately with no waiting for them to ‘dry’ or ‘settle’.
So for a low life-cycle cost, easy to install, environmentally sustainable and fire retardant solution, Interlocking R-Tiles are the perfect solution to your flooring needs.
2. Quarry Tile
Quarry tiles are extremely durable, but they do offer very little in design versatility. Quarry tiles are only available in earthy hues of red, grey and tan meaning that you won’t be able to customise to your specific brand colours.
The other disadvantage of the quarry tile is that they are also only available in standard sizes and thickness. But, for any area where it is just about function rather than aesthetics, the quarry tile could be the perfect solution as they are very durable and unlikely to wear out.
These tiles benefit from being very low maintenance, requiring only a sweep and mop to keep clean. You will need to use a degreaser if using the quarry tiles in a commercial kitchen area to avoid any hazardous slips and falls. But, quarry tiles have been used in commercial kitchen’s for decades and still remain a good option where durability and resistance to wear and tear are a priority.
A word of caution though, if installing quarry tiles to your commercial kitchen space, you need to make sure that you have them installed correctly. Use epoxy grout and thin set adhesives to ensure they are fully sealed against spillages.
3. Luxury Vinyl Tiles
Luxury vinyl tiles, LVT, took the industry by storm when they first appeared on the scene as for the first time a durable surface gave you a wide choice of design.
However, LVT are not designed for commercial kitchens or high-impact commercial areas as they just don’t stand up under that kind of pressure. They are fine for offices, schools and hospitals as they can withstand heavy footfall traffic and cope with the types of spillages that may occur in these environments.
LVT has the advantage of being able to mimic styles such as stone or wood flooring without the larger price tag, which makes them appealing to certain industries such as restaurants. Again LVT is a low maintenance option requiring only sweeping and mopping on a regular basis to keep it looking good. It also has a protective layer that traditional vinyl doesn’t have.
4. Epoxy Flooring
Epoxy flooring systems consist of a thermosetting resin that is added to an underlying concrete layer. This can give fantastic durability if installed correctly. But it does take a long time to properly set and there are certain conditions in which this flooring cannot be laid, one of which being a cold environment.
Once the epoxy coatings are applied, they should be chemical and abrasion resistant for many years and they do have the advantage of being aesthetically pleasing. However, if epoxy flooring isn’t applied on a properly treated concrete surface, you are likely to get premature cracking and peeling.
The epoxy flooring can be used in all commercial areas, from air hangers to restaurants as it does have high impact durability coupled with great aesthetics. Epoxy flooring also benefits from being one of the more sanitary flooring options, so is great for laboratories too.
Maintenance wise, once again very simple, sweep daily and perform a deep clean every few months. You should also spot clean when needed. All in all, epoxy systems are extremely low-maintenance.
5. Polished Concrete
Polished concrete is a relatively cheap and easy to install system. It is highly durable and easy to maintain. Similar to Epoxy flooring, all polished concrete requires is a daily sweep and the occasional deep clean while ensuring that any necessary spot cleaning is taken care of too.
The concrete substrate needs to be treated with a chemical to increase the hardness. Then it is polished with a grinder and a sealant is applied. The advantage of this sealant is not just the protection it gives to the flooring, but also the choice of finish and colour.
Polished concrete is extremely durable and can withstand chemical spills, heavy traffic and oil stains. Installing polished concrete may come at a greater initial outlay cost than some alternatives, but the lifetime of the floor make it a good investment.
While this list is not exhaustive, we hope that you have an idea about the type of flooring that would suit your commercial or retail space. If you would like to talk to one of our specialists about your flooring needs, please do contact one of our friendly staff today on 0808 109 4189 or email us at [email protected].
