subject: Hard wearing flooring for busy retail areas [print this page] Hard wearing flooring for busy retail areas
The design history of retail flooring is a tale of steadily increasing demands for survivability. Retail flooring is a major problem for retailers and building owners. These floors are literally crushed by traffic. Even volcanic rocks get worn down by a lot of human traffic, and retail flooring can be destroyed if it can't take the loads. Durablecommercial flooring is a must-have in these environments.
A realistic approach to retail flooring
Retail environments vary, but the needs are the same:
Reliable commercial grade carpet materials for long life durability
Industrial carpet tiles for easy maintenance
Appropriate custom design for the retail environment
If the premises is subject to constant pressure from very high volumes of traffic, there are technical aspects to be considered:
Easy, non-disruptive maintenance (Tiles can be replaced in a few minutes, broadloom in hours or days, depending on availability of materials and labour.
Strong structural carpet tiles with individual backing for support (The trouble with underlay is that the carpet surface moves under pressure, but the underlay doesn't. The movement effectively separates the two layers over time, creating unequal areas of resistance.)
Modern seam sealants, removing the stress on the joins (Old style stitch seams become stress fractures under heavy usage.)
The problems and the solutions
The weight of a human being applies heavy pressure in relatively small areas. The basic physics of the problem is always going to be massive repetitive compression of materials, combined with scuffing and movement of the fabrics. If you've seen some of the very heavy duty carpets in airports and other exceptionally high traffic zones, you'll have already seen the solution to these problems, which is extremely high load tolerance carpet tiling.
These are tiles, although they look solid and seamless because of extremely accurate joins with high strength glues. They have their own individual reinforcements built in, made of high strength polymers. The retail version of these carpets can take huge loads on a daily basis.
Costing issues
Budgets won't suffer from meeting the most difficult retail requirements. You'll also find that the top suppliers know the issues and the problems, and can work with your budget very effectively. You'll probably save money from the start on the purchase, and you'll definitely save a lot of money on product life and maintenance.
Design issues
You can have real fun with flooring designs, and modularcarpet tiling will allow you to find and create a carpet design you like, with a few clicks on the computer using visualisation software. This is an extremely useful tool when you're planning a major upgrade. You can literally go through multiple colour schemes in minutes, not days.
Expert help when you need it
Retail outlets may need advice about their own special needs. Some retail layouts are particularly complex, and space usage is always important. Talking to professionals can solve issues instantly. Just ask, and you'll get the answers you need.
