When it comes to flooring, commercial buildings have a lot of competing facets to deal with. The floor needs to not only look aesthetically pleasing, complementing the rest of the décor, but it also needs to withstand far more foot traffic than the average residential floor will. For that reason, commercial flooring is in a class all its own; tough enough to hold up to years of hard use, yet attractive and stylish at the same time. And while commercial buildings once had only one or two choices of flooring to consider, in 2017, the field is wide open with a range of stylish and durable offerings, perfect for any of today’s modern buildings. These top five trends will have you rethinking the concept of what commercial flooring can be.
For that reason, commercial flooring is in a class all its own; tough enough to hold up to years of hard use, yet attractive and stylish at the same time. And while commercial buildings once had only one or two choices of flooring to consider, in 2017, the field is wide open with a range of stylish and durable offerings, perfect for any of today’s modern buildings. These top five trends will have you rethinking the concept of what commercial flooring can be.
Digitally Printed Porcelain Tile
For contemporary spaces where tile is desired, digitally printed porcelain tile is perfect for the job. Porcelain tile is created out of compressed clay dust that has been fired to extreme temperatures, rendering it both non-porous and incredibly hard and durable. Used in a commercial area, it won’t require any care or maintenance during its lifetime. New digitally-printed porcelain tiles are able to recreate the look of nearly any material to match your building’s décor. They can mimic the look of marble, cloth, slate, or metal and can be found in sizes up to 36-inches square so you can get a sleek, clean look with relatively few grout lines.
New digitally-printed porcelain tiles are able to recreate the look of nearly any material to match your building’s décor. They can mimic the look of marble, cloth, slate, or metal and can be found in sizes up to 36-inches square so you can get a sleek, clean look with relatively few grout lines.
Engineered Wood Flooring
For many establishments, there’s nothing quite like the look and feel of real wood. And while traditional hardwood flooring requires too much care for commercial areas, engineered wood flooring fits the bill perfectly.
Made of several layers of wood, each with its grain running in a different direction to increase stability, engineered hardwoods can go where traditional solid hardwoods cannot, including below grade or in slightly damp areas. Engineered hardwoods have a solid wood veneer on top and come in a range of different species, colors, and finishes, so you can create a look that matches your building’s style, while ensuring that your flooring lasts as long as your business does.
Polished Concrete
Polished concrete isn’t new, but its popularity is on a dramatic rise this year. Perfect for converted spaces that have existing concrete floors, polished concrete is durable, low maintenance and fairly inexpensive. The concrete can be stained or even patterned prior to polishing to give it a range of different looks, and can complement most contemporary spaces with ease.
The chemical densifier used to create the polish and reduce the roughness of the concrete ensures a lasting finish that doesn’t need wax or frequent polishing the way that some older floors do. This makes a great floor for high traffic areas as the maintenance is relatively low.
Vinyl Composite
Not suited to every area, vinyl composite tiles are ideal for retail spaces as well as some offices where people spend a lot of time on their feet. Vinyl is resilient under foot, which makes it a more comfortable choice for walking on. It’s also quieter under foot than porcelain or concrete, making it a good choice of loud areas or high-ceilinged spaces that echo.
Like new porcelain tiles, vinyl composites can be digitally printed to create a range of different looks, styles, and patterns; this is not the same vinyl that was once used on kitchen floors. Today’s vinyl composite tiles are tough, durable, and stylish as well as comfortable and resilient.
Just be sure to look for commercial grade composites, which are tougher and longer lasting than those typically installed in homes.
Carpet Tile
For many years, loop carpeting was one of the most common sites inside an office building. Usually gray or another dull, uniform color, this short carpeting was meant to disguise stains and help absorb sound.
Wall-to-wall office carpeting has become a thing of the past, however, with carpet tiles taking their place in a wide range of colors and patterns. Carpet tiles offer the same benefits to office spaces as traditional carpeting; they’re resilient underfoot and they help absorb sounds within the office. The comparison stops there, however. Carpet tiles are not only incredibly durable and stylish, letting you mix and match different colors and patterns for a unique look, they’re also easy to replace if a tile or two become soiled, so people are more likely to place them in areas where they may not have gone before, offering offices and other commercial spaces a whole new look and feel.
Get an On-Trend Floor in 2017
You’ll notice that most of these trends in commercial flooring are not only durable and long lasting, but attractive and stylish as well. Commercial space designers are changing the way that people view these kinds of buildings, and this fresh approach extends to the flooring, too. Consider any of these trendy materials for your commercial space to get the best flooring available this year.
