The Best Commercial Flooring Type For You

Whether you are just redesigning or creating your dream working space from scratch, you will face many decisions that will make the difference between a well- or poorly-designed office. One of the most important of those choices is flooring. 

When it comes to choosing flooring for your office, it is important to consider all aspects of each material—including durability, cleanliness, maintenance, price, and more. To make your next flooring choice a little easier, CIC is breaking down the most popular options with their pros and cons, in order to help you find the best fit for your next project.

1. Laminate Wood Flooring

A very popular choice for many offices due to its classic appearance, though there are some minor drawbacks depending on your project.

• Pros:
  • Appearance: Resembling solid wood, laminate is a more durable choice with the same look and feel of solid wood flooring.
  • Price: A more cost-friendly option when compared to solid wood, making it an obvious choice for those on a budget.
• Cons:
  • Acoustics: Laminate offers one of the poorest acoustic profiles. This can be a very noisy choice for a busy office compared to other hard surface flooring options.
  • Maintenance: Having a wood core, laminate wood flooring can be sensitive to moisture and it is prone to warping and buckling if wet. This can make it difficult to clean as moisture can cause damage to the sub-flooring—making it less than ideal for larger spaces.

2. Engineered Hardwood Flooring

A solid alternative to Laminate wood flooring, though more delicate and expensive.

• Pros: 
  • Less Worry With Moisture: Having a higher resistance to warping and buckling, engineered hardwood flooring is less susceptible to water damage meaning less worry when it comes to cleaning.
  • Appearance: As the top layer of engineered hardwood is real solid wood, it provides a classic and sophisticated look.

• Cons: 
  • Damage: With the top layer of engineered hardwood being uncoated, this type of flooring is very susceptible to damage. Anything from heels scuffing to moving furniture can dent or scratch engineered hardwood.
  • High Price: Compared to other flooring options, engineered hardwood is the most expensive option. Another consideration before buying is the necessary upkeep. If constantly replacing damage, the materials needed to keep this flooring at its optimal state can become costly over the years.

3. Solid Wood Flooring 

The most aesthetic of the wood flooring options, but requires attentive maintenance.

• Pros:
  • Appearance: This is no impersonator—solid wood flooring is the top option for the aesthetic of wood flooring.
  • Luxury: As solid wood flooring is the look many other hard wood flooring options are attempting to achieve, it can be considered the luxurious option in appearance and performance.
• Cons:
  • Price: Being considered a “luxury” product, solid wood comes at a higher price than other options. This type of hardwood is ideal for smaller spaces that will make it easier and more cost effective to maintain.
  • High-Maintenance: As this is easily damaged, this flooring requires meticulous upkeep to keep the flooring in its prime. Special maintenance only adds to the costs involved.

4. Vinyl Composite Tile (VCT) 

A popular choice by our clients across all industries.

• Pros: 
  • Durability: Requested by many due to its durability factor, this tile is a long-lasting commercial flooring option as seen in many hospitals and medical offices.
  • Price: VCT is also one of the most affordable flooring options. This flooring can be seen in many large offices that are high-traffic areas for this reason.
• Cons:
  • Maintenance: Being one of the more durable flooring options, VCT requires more intensive maintenance as the surface must be kept up through regular waxing and polishing.
  • Appearance: VCT may not be the most aesthetically pleasing of flooring options, but durability and aesthetics are often a give-and-take scenario.

5. Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT)

Another beloved flooring option by many of our clients looking for extra style.

• Pros:
  • Appearance: The ever-changing appearance of LVT is one of the main reasons why many spaces feature this flooring. Designs can replicate the look of wood, but overall the design possibilities with LVT are far more flexible than with other flooring options.
  • Durability: Like VCT, LVT is a more durable flooring option than wood or carpet. Unlike VCT however, LVT has a clear protective wear layer, removing the need for extensive maintenance.
• Cons:
  • Wear Layer Consistency: For many LVT options, the wear layer is not created equally, causing the durability of the flooring to come into question. Purchasing the LVT from a reliable source is crucial. Luckily for CIC clients, we provide only the highest quality products to our clients.

6. Broadloom Carpet

As seen in many office spaces, this is a safe and versatile option.

• Pros:
  • Acoustics: Better than any hard wood, broadloom carpeting allows for sound absorption, which is great for larger, shared open office spaces. 
  • Appearance: Available in a multitude of  intricate designs, broadloom can be seen as a more luxurious option in comparison to tile. Along with its appearance, many offices desire it for comfort—which depends heavily on the carpet vendor. 
• Cons:
  • Waste: Ordering carpet is unlike ordering tile, where individual pieces are utilized. Instead, rolls of carpet must be cut and tailored to the room, which can be wasteful as cut shapes may not be reusable in other spaces.

7. Modular Carpet Tiles

More flexible than broadloom carpet, though limited in terms of applications.

• Pros:
  • Flexibility: The design possibilities with Modular Carpet Tiles are endless, with a broad range of colors and designs and the capability for custom designs—a CIC specialty. Along with design flexibility, the individual tiles make for a less wasted material, and the possibility for different designs throughout one space.
  • Acoustics & Comfort: For many open and shared office spaces, acoustics are a big factor. Modular carpet tiles offer great acoustic absorption and comfort with cushioning in each tile. This is ideal for offices with workers that are on their feet frequently. 
• Cons:
  • Design Limitations: For a meticulous design, modular carpet tiles may not be the best option, as each tile may not be created the same size. This can create a mis-matched look, and the seams may be visible as well depending on installation. 

Choosing the Right Flooring For Your Office Project

An abundance of flooring options means there are many choices for office design and renovation, but it is important to weigh the pros and cons of each to ensure the flooring you choose will be the best option—and won’t cost you more in the long run. 

Our in-house design team at CIC can help make this decision painless as we work directly with each client to address their specific needs and concerns. With our exclusive list of vendors, we can secure top-quality products for our clients, handle all product ordering to help make the process completely seamless. Contact our team to see how we can help you design your dream office space today!