Outside of humidity and moisture, what most damages floors is the regular wear and tear in high-traffic areas. Nothing will wear down a spot on hardwood flooring quicker, or cause carpeting to snag faster, than hundreds of footsteps on the same spot, over and over again, day in, day out. Luckily, there are some flooring materials better suited to handle this than others.
What to Know About High Volume Business Floors
Hardwood Flooring Is the Hardiest
At the top of the list is hardwood flooring. Hardwood flooring is arguably the sturdiest flooring material on the market, especially when you install a tougher species of wood, such as oak. Pretty much all types of hardwood floorings are finished with a special topcoat that adds an additional layer of protection from moisture and humidity; your floor’s biggest enemy. If you’re especially concerned about the floors wearing through, make sure all of the furniture, or anything else heavy, has pads on the legs and any other sharp corners that could scratch the floor. If scratches or issues have already occurred, the next best thing for you to do is to resurface the flooring.
Commercial Carpeting Is King for a Reason
There are two ways most businesses deal with wear and tear on their flooring: either try to stop it from happening, by finding a durable flooring type that can handle the regular stress of repeated foot traffic, or buy something that’s cheap and easy to install, like commercial carpeting, but can still take plenty of foot traffic. There’s a reason you find commercial carpeting in just about every major office in Nashville, after all. Commercial carpeting is arguably the most cost-effective flooring material on the market, because it’s all about function over form. That might sound like a backhanded compliment, but the truth is commercial carpeting is very, very good at what it does. It’s incredibly easy to maintain, since there aren’t long fabric threads for dirt particles to get trapped in; it has some sound dampening and absorbing properties, so it keeps the ambient sound in the office down; and it’s softer than hardwood flooring, meaning walking on it won’t take its toll on your body. The best part is that if it is damaged beyond repair, it’s so cheap that replacing it won’t break your budget.
Linoleum Flooring Is a Cost Effective Favorite
What if your business isn’t an office? What if it’s a kitchen, or some other kind of place with lots of other requirements beyond “It needs to be cheap and easily replaceable”? In these cases, the best bet is linoleum flooring. Although it isn’t as hardy as hardwood flooring, or as cost-effective as commercial carpeting, linoleum flooring is both hardy and relatively inexpensive. It’s part of the reason linoleum is found so many places, due to the versatility of the material. If you’re not sure what life is going to throw at your business, or you need to be prepared for water, moisture, dirt, mud and more, then linoleum flooring is the best option for you.
If your business has a high volume of people going through it, it’s a great idea to install something hardy, like hardwood flooring; something cost-effective and easy to install like commercial carpeting, or a bit of both, like linoleum. Either way, be sure to give the professionals here at Ozburn-Hessey a call!
