Which Floors to Choose for an Office Renovation?

When deciding to renovate an office, it’s very important to carefully consider the choice of flooring, especially if you’re unsure whether to demolish or cover the old flooring. Office flooring is very different from residential flooring because it must adapt to very different needs than those of homes. What are these needs? What characteristics do the most commonly used materials for office flooring have? Let’s look at it in detail.

Different Needs, Different Flooring

As mentioned earlier, before undertaking office restyling or renovation, it’s necessary to always keep in mind that these spaces host very different activities from those at home, but which ones exactly? Firstly, office flooring is walked on every day by many different people wearing all types of footwear. Office furniture can be very heavy, especially if it’s cabinets containing archives or work tools. Also consider that most office chairs have wheels, which represents an additional, almost constant stress on the walkable surface. Furthermore, office flooring needs to be cleaned frequently, preferably quickly. Therefore, it’s necessary to opt for durable and functional solutions without sacrificing quality and sophistication.

Porcelain Stoneware

Porcelain stoneware flooring is an excellent option for an office. Ceramic, in fact, is perfectly suited to the needs of a workplace. Porcelain stoneware is produced in many different models that can excellently reproduce other types of materials. This allows for a very wide margin of customization, combined with reliability and durability. Porcelain stoneware also offers the opportunity for an elegant glossy finish. Cleaning is simple; there’s no need to use special waxes or oily substances. Just use a cloth soaked in warm water and neutral floor soap.

Linoleum

Linoleum appeared in the 1860s. It’s a vintage solution that has recently come back into vogue, considering its high eco-sustainability. Very often, we tend to confuse linoleum with vinyl or rubber flooring, but these are very different things. Linoleum is a covering composed of natural raw materials such as linseed oil, wood or cork flour, and color pigments calendered on natural jute. Eco-sustainable, durable, and reliable, it represents one of the best solutions on the market. However, it should be considered that its installation is not the simplest. Linoleum must be applied to a perfectly clean, flat, and dry surface. If not done with adequate caution, there’s a risk of forming annoying air bubbles. Additionally, linoleum will need to be treated periodically with special waxes.

Parquet

Parquet is the flooring that, more than any other, makes an environment warm and welcoming. It’s always an impressive and sophisticated choice, ideal for a prestigious office. However, it’s important to remember that this type of flooring requires much more care compared to others. If durability is what you’re looking for, it’s important to opt for woods like oak, wenge, or doussie. A more cost-effective but very durable alternative to traditional parquet is bamboo. In recent years, it has been used more and more often for its strength and durability.

Laminate Flooring

A very practical and functional solution for office flooring is undoubtedly laminate. Similar to parquet, but more economical, it is composed of wood fibers processed with high-quality resins. The wood essence is printed on the laminated surface. This type of flooring is easy to install, resistant, and durable. It has a high load capacity and is not afraid of chair wheels or the movement of heavy furniture. It requires no maintenance or special washing. However, it lacks sound insulation properties: anyone living below the office would hear steps and movements coming from the floor above.

Raised Floors

For office flooring, the choice of raised or floating floors is becoming increasingly popular. This type of flooring consists of various suspended modular elements supported by a load-bearing structure of columns and crosspieces. You walk on a panel of composite material, surface-coated with a material that imitates parquet, porcelain stoneware, granite, or with PVC, linoleum, or laminate. This type of flooring is ideal for open spaces and for all those environments that need to change purpose simply and quickly. Raised flooring allows you to save on long masonry work and is very practical from several points of view. For example, all the cables that pass under the floor remain easily accessible; you just need to lift a panel to replace or repair them. Raised flooring is therefore a perfect solution for those seeking flexibility and quick restyling.

Are you thinking of renovating an office? Are you looking for the specific solution best suited to your professional needs, in line with the spirit of your company, reliability, and maximum punctuality in carrying out the work? Contact us now, within 24 hours one of our architects will be with you for a free, no-obligation survey of the office to be renovated.