April 9, 2018
While an office manager rarely needs to consider it on a frequent basis – usually every three years or so – when the time comes to replace the floor of the office, it’s an important decision to make.
How long an office floor lasts depends on a number of factors, though whether you’re dealing with vinyl, tiled or carpet flooring, there will be tell-tale signs you can spot that the office is ready for some new ground work.
In high traffic areas this is the most common reason for replacing flooring. Moving desks and furniture – as well as heeled shoes – over the years will accumulate scratches, dents and chips on vinyl and tiled floors. Carpets will begin to fray, develop bald spots, or even become loose under the feet.
If after a routine carpet clean the smell of lemon-scented arpet cleaner just isn’t piercing through that odd smell, this is a clear indication that the floor has to go. The odour has seeped through the carpet and into the padding, with the possibility of mould forming underneath.
Over the course of many years the colours of the floor will change. Cleaning the floors on a frequent basis prolong this, but there’ll come a time when a freshly cleaned floor doesn’t cut it anymore.
Does your office carpet remind you of a particular era? Nostalgia rarely works to impress clients, nor does it your employees. Old carpeting also means years of dust and bacteria – mould can build up under the carpet, and if there are signs of mould stains, the carpet needs to be pulled out and replaced. Old flooring can also induce allergies in your employees as well.
If you haven’t had a workplace injury from uneven flooring or edges of your wooden floors, consider yourself lucky. These hazards need to be fixed as soon as possible for the safety of your office and its employees. Over time the floor can loosen – like feeling an air pocket – and increase the changes of an accident in the office. You may be able to replace part of the floor to alleviate this, but this often doesn’t fix the bigger issue at hand.
If your office needs silence, carpet might suit better for keeping the klick-klack of heeled shoes at bay. Vinyl flooring has come a long way with the range modern vinyl styles at a reasonable cost – and you’d be surprised at the kinds of design that tile flooring offers nowadays. Talk to management and ask whether there is a preference for a particular flooring – the priority might be style over practicality, so be sure to have all factors laid on the table.
Still not sure what kind of flooring would work in your office? Feel free to reach out for a free measure and quote.
