commercial flooring

---

There are two major safety flooring brands:

Altro are the original inventors of safety flooring. Altro safety floors are designed for areas where aesthetics, slip resistance and durability are all a priority.

Polysafe is the safety flooring of Polyfloor. It has managed to establish itself as one of the most popular safety flooring brands in the world. Consistently optimal performance and attractive design has led to the brand becoming widely used in the flooring industry.

Safety flooring can of course be used anywhere, but it tends to mostly be used in commercial premises.

Why? The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 (Regulation 12) requires floors to be “suitable, in good condition and free from obstructions.”  Floors that are not suitable, in good condition and free from obstruction can result in slips, trips and falls – the most common workplace injuries.

Moreover, workplace injuries are also not only a major inconvenience to employees, but employers too. Employees could be sued large sums of money for workplace injuries.

Having safety flooring installed is one of the most sensible changes a workplace could make to reassure safety.

Safety flooring is most commonly used in:

Veterinary practices, kennels, and animal rescue shelters are likely dealing with scared animals, some may not even be house trained. Flooring in these places must be able to withstand liquids while being quick and easy to clean in order to maintain a hygienic environment.

The floors of pubs and clubs can quickly become swimming pools, with intoxicated customers spilling entire drinks or accidentally smashing glasses. Staff behind the bar are also at risk too, as they’re busy pouring drinks all night in poor lighting.

There is a risk of accident throughout sports facilities, like gyms, swimming pools and changing rooms. These are humid environments, meaning that floors will quickly become slippery from sweat, showers or spilled water.

Commercial kitchens are fast-paced environments. It’s almost guaranteed that liquids, foods and grease will easily find their way on to the floor. Flooring in commercial kitchens must be able to withstand these spills to ensure kitchen staff are protected.

By now you may be wondering what exactly makes safety flooring ‘safe’. There are a few great features which makes it safer than standard flooring.

It only takes a small spill of water for flooring to become dangerous. But safety flooring has been designed to reduce slipping, making it particularly useful in the likes of bars, clubs, commercial kitchens and public toilets. It works by incorporating aggregates into a wear layer. When these aggregates are enough in number and quality, they can penetrate the wet film to provide contact with shoes.

Unlike standard flooring, safety flooring doesn’t absorb any spillages, meaning it can prevent build-up of bacteria, dust and debris. Some Altro products have Easyclean Technology which keeps the flooring looking good and saves time and money when cleaning. This feature makes it perfect for inside health facilities where hygiene is vital.

Safety flooring is also designed to last and survive the harshest of spillages, such as chemicals. It’s hardwearing, with an extremely high impact resistance, so it will survive premises with high foot-traffic too.

Carpet is an easy way to add warmth, texture and tone to any commercial or living space. How you choose to install the carpet is dependent on your space, budget and style.

The most traditional method of fitting carpet is called ‘broadloom carpeting.’ In this, carpet is cut from large sheets and installed from wall-to-wall. It’s effective but it’s not necessarily appropriate for every area.

Carpet tiles, or ‘carpet squares’ as they’re sometimes known, are simply individual tiles of carpeting that can be slotted together. Usually, carpet tiles are structured with a layer of pile fibres, tufted into a primary backing which is then reinforced by a second layer.

Developed in the mid-twentieth century, carpet tiles were designed to provide an accessible, self-serve flooring option that homeowners could easily install themselves.

In addition to the convenience of carpet tiles, there are limitless combinations of fun designs available, making them perfect for simply adding vibrancy to a space.

While domestic trends have continued to favour broadloom carpet, with laminate, vinyl and hardwood flooring also growing in popularity, as an option in the home, carpet tiles have continued to grow in popularity in a different, more commercial market.

Offices, school classrooms and many industrial spaces usually opt for carpet tiles due to their durability, easy maintenance and efficiency.

The most common size of carpet tile is 50 x 50cm, however, they are available in other formats & dimensions too.

It is not just squares that the tiles can be sold in either – there are more niche, odd shapes to fit certain rooms or to create a certain effect. They will, however, be a little more expensive to purchase and some require a bit more skill & planning to install, though the professional installer should have no difficulty managing this.

When carpet tiles were a roaring success within the home, particularly in the sixties and seventies, the design and colour were a main reason why. Recent development in technologies allows for carpet tile colour and designs to be more exuberant than ever. 

In the first instance of fitting carpet tiles, there is comparably very little waste since you order the tiles to fit the space – unlike broadloom, where this is not an option due to the wall-to-wall installation. This is a benefit in the long run too; should you need areas of the carpet tiles to be replaced, there is no need to replace the entire flooring. 

Additionally, carpet tiles are reusable in many cases. While they may no longer meet your requirements, in terms of colour, design or quality of appearance, they will likely find a use somewhere else. It is not uncommon for carpet tiles to become refurbished and used in social or entry-level housing.