Carpet Tile Large Open Plan Offices Installation 

Carpet tiles being modular are one of the most effective office flooring solutions available, as the modular format lends itself to a quicker installation and allows office plans to be easily adapted for future requirements, to aid the ever-evolving workspace. What’s more, the design of carpet tiles is constantly changing too, reflecting interior trends. 

Another benefit of carpet tiles being modular, is that you are not limited to one colour choice of flooring with effective use of colour tones, you can denote working space from communal space and walking areas from seating areas. 

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In the example pictures shown, Durham Flooring designed and created a fluid colour scheme in Forbo Cloudscape carpet tiles that not only sectioned areas from walking to working by using different colours but all used the clients corporate colour in the main body of the installation. Great care went into the planning of which colour to use in each area and a mood board was created to show how the flooring would look once completed. This was an important element to check for a balance design that was appropriate to scale. For example small offices were given  a 25cm boarder and open plan, larger areas a 50cm border. A darker colour was chosen for the high traffic areas to minimise visible dirt and staining from showing through. Then a third colour a light grey colour was incorporated for edging the rooms and walkways which gave the illusion of the open plan space being less vast. A softer blue was used in the working areas to give more ambience and help make a more creative working space. 

7 Steps to help you achieve the perfect office floor space. 

1. Choose the right flooring contractor, picking a floor contractor that is willing to help you throughout the whole process and work with you to find the best flooring solution for your project at Durham Flooring we have hundreds of office flooring projects where this has been the case and can be fully back up with references. 
2. Assess your current space, look at which areas have the most foot fall aswell as which areas get soiled the most. Which area you would like to be a feature point. Are there area you would like to denote as walkways. Do you need vinyl or safety flooring in any kitchenette areas that are easy to mop after spillage. 
3. Look at your corporate colours, are there any particular colours you would like included in the floor design. Take into account fixtures and furnishings, picking colours that compliment and contrast rather than match is usually most aesthetically pleasing. 
4. Now that the above information has been considered, create a mood board with the help of your flooring contractor so you can see how the design will look once completed.
5. Budgeting, have a good idea in mind of the budget put aside for your flooring project so your flooring contractor can find products for you to choose from that fit the budget and feel required. 
6. Programming works – office spaces are usually busy places filled with equipment and people. Discuss with your flooring contractor which sections could be done on which days, this doesn’t always mean it has to be out of hours as fitting carpet tiles is usually quite a quiet process. If you are able to have your offices fitted in normal working hours this usually results in the fitting charge being less than if fitted out of hours. 
7. Once your new office flooring and carpet tiles has been installed, it is best to know how to maintain them correctly. Generally regular vacuuming and spot cleaning a spillage will suffice. However to be sure, every carpet tile  manufacturer has its own set of cleaning and maintenance guidelines so be sure to ask your flooring contractor for a copy.    

If you have an office flooring project coming up and would like help, please contact Durham Flooring and we will be happy to help. 

With the rise of new build bespoke student accommodation hubs and apartments, Durham flooring has gained a lot of fit out experience completing fit outs for new student accommodation. This time of year also offers a chance for existing student landlords to carry out maintenance and renovation work to their student rental properties.

With most student leasing contracts ending on 1st July and starting again beginning of September many landlords will now carry out works to bring the accommodation into a fully functioning environment ready for the new students arriving.

Communal Spaces

Corridors, lounges and kitchens take a lot of wear and tear. Kitchens and lounges tend to be the central focus of activity in student houses and halls, with most socialising taking place in these spaces. Practical and hard-wearing flooring will be required for these surfaces.

The kitchen will need durable anti-slip flooring such as safety flooring or an LVT (Luxury vinyl tile). The lounge is best suited to a heavy-duty carpet, or carpet tile for ease of installation and replacement. It will also need to be anti-static and stain resistant. Carpet tile offers the added benefit of a few become stained or damaged they can be easily replaced further down the line.

Laundry rooms again should be fitted with a safety flooring which ideally should be coved and capped to perimeters to ensure ease of cleaning and to help protect against water spillages.

Gyms can be fitted with either a carpet tile or an impervious type of flooring. Forbo Flotex is popular for this domain offering softness underfoot, impervious qualities, minimum pile height and easy to maintain.

Entrances

Entrances from outside take a lot of regular footfall and so a tough matwell containing entrance matting or barrier matting is the ideal solution here. Not only are these areas busy but they are also exposed to dirt and moisture from the outside. Carpets with a deep ribbed surface known as barrier matting will help to minimise the amount of dirt and wetness by trapping fibres and moisture in the ridges. This will save and prolong the life of the other floorcoverings within the building.

Bedrooms and Self-contained Apartments

As the quality of student accommodation continues to rise, so do expectations for quality furnishings and fittings and flooring is no exception. Carpet tiles in the bedroom area with a high grade LVT to the kitchenette area, provides a homely yet practical floor space.

Durham Flooring are happy to provide samples and advice to main contractors, architects and landlords alike with regard to flooring for student accommodation. Get in touch today!

There can be no shortcuts when it comes to selecting the right contractor to supply and fit commercial flooring for your facility. Whether you’re looking for specialist safety flooring for a factory floor or a sumptuous carpet for your reception area, you’ll have a number of considerations. These cover everything from compliance with health and safety legislation to visual appeal. Another key factor is longevity: replacing your flooring is not something you’ll wish to go through annually, or even every few years. You want commercial flooring solutions that will last and provide a healthy return on investment.

This article looks at some of the questions you should ask any commercial flooring contractor you’re considering for your project. The first query should be about their range of products. You may well have a good idea of what you are looking for, or you may require expert guidance on what type of flooring will best suit your facility. Either way, you want to be sure the contractor in question has a suitable selection for you to choose from so you don’t have to compromise on visual appeal, budget, style or performance aspects. Your next step is to ask how they provide estimates. You will, no doubt, want to secure quotes from a few companies. It’s best if you can find commercial flooring specialists that will come in and measure professionally, then supply a detailed breakdown of costs, so you can compare quotes. It’s impossible to guess the size of a floor and the price for covering it without inspecting the site in advance. Doing so might fail to take into account any additional costs for removing the existing floor covering and preparing the surface properly. Ask if the company charges for such estimates and if so, whether this charge is deducted from the final bill if you hire them for the job.

The best suppliers will quote for free. Then, ask for references from previous clients. Have they supplied and installed commercial flooring for a facility of your type and size before, and if so, what did their clients have to recommend about the service they received? Any good company will be delighted to show you their portfolio and demonstrate they can be trusted to do a good job on your premises. Next, ask about the guarantees they provide when fitting flooring. Also, request details of any insurances they hold. If anything goes wrong during the installation or subsequently as a result of the work they have carried out, you want to make sure you are covered. Alongside this, request details of any warranty the fitted flooring will carry, both on materials and labour. If issues arise over the longer term, it’s worth knowing who will be responsible for putting them right. Finally, ask about installation times. Do they have capacity to fit your project in within your own timescale for having the work carried out? When do they work? You will want to reduce downtime as much as possible. It’s helpful to know if you can book your fitting during your own business’ quiet times, whether that’s during a particular week or over evenings and weekends.

Ask all these questions and you’ll help ensure your new commercial flooring is fitted safely and to the highest standard, taking into account your business requirements and wishes.