High Performance Commercial Flooring Solutions
Flooring in commercial properties needs to be high performance, durable, attractive and reasonably priced. Hamilton Flooring has spent the past three decades supporting commercial businesses, offices, the education sector, hospitality and leisure as well as a whole host of specialist industries, with their flooring requirements. Along the way, the experts at Hamilton Flooring have worked with some of the leading names in flooring and have been able to provide our clients with the best advice and solutions for all their commercial flooring needs.
What is the Best Flooring for a Commercial Building?
There are of course a number of factors which need to be taken into consideration when examining which is the best flooring for a commercial building. The first consideration is that of the type of commercial building which you are planning flooring solutions for.
Non-slip and safety flooring tends to be an essential flooring type for most commercial interiors as it is vital to many sectors. Offices and schools require specialist flooring for corridors, entrances, canteens and kitchens, medical centres and healthcare facilities require substantial non-slip flooring throughout their buildings as well as superior hygiene characteristics.
These sectors are relatively obvious but we should also consider leisure facilities such as gyms and spas as well as hospitality and retail spaces which are experiential locations who receive high levels of foot traffic from the general public - a slip or fall in these locations would not only be terrible for those involved but also may leave the business open to legal action should reasonable efforts to reduce the risk of slips and falls not be undertaken. Let's look at some specific commercial spaces.
Performance Flooring for the Healthcare Industry
The Healthcare industry is one of varying facilities and differing requirements. Whether for hospitals, GP Surgeries, medical centres or specialist facilities, two factors remain central to the flooring requirements - hygiene and safety. Flooring for healthcare plays an important role in the health, wellbeing and patient experience of those utilising the space, as well as providing a safe and comfortable working environment for everyone operating within the healthcare sector.
Healthcare facilities require a certain level of performance regardless of the type of environment they are. Specifically, flooring solutions for healthcare locations need to be highly durable, easy to maintain, hygienic and they must support patient mobility - whether that be ambulatory or roller related.
Flooring for Healthcare should not just consider the risk of slips and falls, although this remains an important consideration when selecting an appropriate flooring solution, consideration also must be made for comfort & security, ease of movement, and noise control. Not only this but design should also play a role in the decision process. Calming designs, appropriate colour palettes and comforting styles are almost on a par with the safety aspects of the flooring solution choice. Read more: Healthcare Flooring Solutions
Antibacterial and Antimicrobial Flooring for Commercial Buildings
This brings us nicely to the importance of antimicrobial, antibacterial and generally dirt and germ resistant flooring solutions. It is of no surprise that Hamilton Flooring is receiving more and more enquiries about these flooring types in the last 18 months due to the impact of Covid-19.
It should be noted that these flooring solutions have long existed and have been integral to many high performance commercial spaces for many years. It is now that the scope of commercial locations considering antimicrobial and antibacterial flooring options is growing - even some residential flooring is looking to antibacterial and antimicrobial flooring for protection for the family.
Forbo Marmoleum Striato Original 5239 Oxidized Copper and Walton Circus 3355-3358
Flooring that experiences high levels of foot traffic as well as those within our own homes, comes into contact with a myriad of microorganisms, much of which is harmless but certain environments and circumstances require a proactive approach to managing our exposure to this. The inclusion of high grade antimicrobial or antibacterial flooring is one of the ways that the health and safety of workers, customers and family members can be ensured. Read More: Antimicrobial, Antibacterial and Bacteria Resistant Flooring
High Performance Specialist Flooring: R&D sites, Laboratories & Science Facilities
Flooring in Laboratories and science rooms needs to be slip-resistant, moisture-proof, non-absorbent, easy to clean, non-staining and incredibly durable. Ease of maintenance is very important for science lab flooring particularly in educational environments where students may drop equipment, sharp tools or fluids.
Research and development institutions require high level, innovative and incredibly hard wearing lab room flooring much of which requires specialist consideration for the most appropriate flooring solution. For example; chemical resistance, extreme temperature resistance, abrasion resistance, electrostatic-dissipative, biocide resistance, bacteriostatic or anti-microbial characteristics may be prioritised but ultimately safety is the primary concern for all laboratory and science room flooring solutions.
Whether commercial or educational, every laboratory will have specific requirements for its flooring solution and the extensive knowledge and expertise of Hamilton Flooring, allows us to advise on, supply and fit the best flooring for your laboratory. Read More: Best Flooring for Laboratories and Science Rooms
Commercial Restaurant and Bar Flooring
Not only do pubs and bars need attractive spaces but the flooring also needs to be able to handle everything that your patrons can throw at it - sometimes literally! Spills, heavy foot traffic, regular cleaning, stilettos and moving furniture are all daily occurrences in the industry, so pub and bar flooring needs to be seriously hard wearing and durable. Selecting the most appropriate flooring solution for your pub or bar is crucial to your profits, not just because of the positive impact that an attractive space can create, but also in terms of reducing maintenance costs and ensuring that flooring does not need regular replacement from wear and tear.
Commercial kitchens need their flooring to be very hard wearing, suited to hosting heavy appliances such as industrial ovens and fridges whilst being easy to clean, low maintenance, non slip and hygienic. For chefs and kitchen staff, comfort levels are crucial especially as they can find themselves on their feet for 10 to 12 hours a shift. In collaboration with some of the UK’s leading experts in non slip and safety flooring, Hamilton Flooring has a large range of flooring solutions to suit commercial kitchens from the smallest bistros to the largest restaurants and everything in between. With well known brands such as Polyflor, Altro and Forbo, Hamilton Flooring is able to utilise the very best in bacteria management, anti slip and durable technology. For example, Marmoleum by Forbo has been proven to inhibit the spread of Norovirus and E-coli and Altro floors are Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) approved meet all current European Union (EU) Directives on health and hygiene, making them ideal for commercial kitchens.
Altro Stronghold 30 and WhiteRock tile
When choosing the best flooring solutions for restaurants, Hamilton Flooring will work with you to achieve the ideal balance of aesthetic excellence to create the right atmosphere for your restaurant, and ensure that safe and hygienic flooring is selected. Each specific space within your restaurant requires specific consideration, from the front of house bar and restaurant to the bathrooms and behind the scenes areas such as kitchens and store rooms. Read More: The Best Flooring Solutions for Restaurants, A Guide to the Best Flooring for Pubs and Bars
High Performance Entryways and Walkways
For many businesses, making an impact on people the moment they step into the building can be really important and one way to achieve this is through your entrance matting. The majority of people think of entrance matting purely as the area to wipe the world off your feet before entering a building. Although this is the case to an extent, by not utilising your entrance space you could be missing out on some prime real estate.
As one of the first things people see when entering your business, well designed commercial entrance matting can be part of your business identity whilst also serving a practical purpose. You could combine robust and durable coir entrance matting with a customised bespoke flooring design for the reception space. This approach allows you to explore the opportunity for marketing your brand identity whilst retaining the economical and practical properties of coir commercial entrance matting as a dirt collector protecting flooring further into the building.
Another approach is to incorporate your business colour palette into your floor coverings whether through custom laid carpet tiles, inlaid custom designs, or bespoke typography. Laser Cut, CNC Milled and Custom flooring can be a great statement for your business from the entrance way through to design elements in offices, safety features in residential care homes, directing a customer journey in a showroom, and bringing an element of personality to any commercial space. Read More: Commercial Entrance Matting
Education Sector High Performance Flooring Solutions
The education sector has very specific flooring requirements and only the highest quality, most economical and performance led flooring solutions should be considered when choosing floors for Schools, Colleges, Universities, Nurseries and any educational facility. Hamilton flooring provides solutions for the design and functional necessities of classrooms, sports halls, labs, corridors, receptions and many other areas.
Educational establishments demand attractive, low-maintenance, safe & hard wearing flooring designed to not only be conducive to a space of learning but also durable and optimised for high foot traffic. At Hamilton Flooring we work with the best suppliers in the industry and our team of professional flooring experts are incredibly knowledgeable on the requirements of school flooring, this means we are able to deliver the highest quality flooring solutions across the entire education section and are on hand to consult and advise on the finer details of the selection process.
Burmatexlateral®, zip and code, burmatex® structure bonded® carpet tiles- St. Matthews Primary School designed by Emily Steaggles
Although we understand that the focus should be on factors like durability, safety, hygiene and accessibility, we also believe that this does not mean that style has to be compromised! The design of a learning space should not be underestimated and a well considered design can contribute to a positive space where students and staff can flourish. Read More: Education Sector Flooring - Schools, Colleges, Universities and everything in between!, Hardwearing Carpets for Schools & Colleges
What Kind of Flooring is Best for Heavy Footfall?
Regardless of the facility, all of the flooring will see its share of wear and tear, however, high traffic and high footfall areas will experience this far more than quieter parts of the building.
Karndean: Opus Enhance SP216-SR Fumo
Luxury Vinyl Tile and plank solutions are popular choices for shops and other commercial spaces due to their hardiness, water resistance and ease of maintenance, as is sheet vinyl for smaller shops and carpet tile because of the simplicity of replacing specific areas should this be needed instead of replacing an entire floor.
Health and safety requirements are imperative to flooring choices, especially when we consider that 50% of public accidents are caused by slipping and tripping so ensuring a good grip level and anti slip flooring where needed to ensure your staff and customers remain safe.
Reception areas are particularly tricky in commercial flooring terms as these spaces (regardless of whether it's a hotel lobby, a hospital reception, an apartment complex entrance or School front desk) need to be attractive and hardworking. Flooring in these spaces needs to stand up to moisture, dirt and incredibly high footfall. Read More: Commercial Entrance Matting
Irrespective of your goals for the space, the common denominator across all sectors and commercial spaces is that these busy spaces require flooring that is highly durable. Read More: Non-slip Flooring Solutions for Commercial Properties and Retail Businesses
High Performance Commercial Flooring Solutions at Hamilton Flooring
Here at Hamilton Flooring, we work with some of the leading names in commercial flooring. Here we look in brief at some of the offerings from these brands and what they can offer in terms of high performance commercial flooring for all situations. To find out more about a specific brand or to speak with one of our flooring experts, explore our website and contact us today to find out how Hamilton Flooring can provide you with the best flooring for your commercial space.
Altro at Hamilton Flooring
Altro have been at the forefront of innovation for almost 100 years combining the best in contemporary style with the functionality to improve living and working spaces. Altro offers various flooring solutions ranging from safety flooring for high risk environments to smooth flooring for lower risk.
As the original creators of commercial safety flooring, Altro understands what it takes to keep your environments safe, reducing the risk of injury. With decades of experience and unrivalled innovation, Altros product range is designed to meet the toughest demands and is tested to the highest standards.
Forbo at Hamilton Flooring
Forbo Flooring Systems is a leading global brand in high-quality, commercial floor coverings & total solution flooring projects that include Linoleum, Vinyl, Luxury Vinyl Tiles, Flocked Flooring, Carpet Tiles and Entrance Flooring Systems.
Forbo's Allura Decibel solves many of today's biggest challenges by adding acoustic performance to premium aesthetics and durability. Allura Decibel’s tackified installation also reduces valuable downtime while minimising environmental impacts.
Polyflor at Hamilton Flooring
Polyflor are a major manufacturer of commercial flooring, constantly striving to improve their processes and products inline with the changes of demands in the various marketplaces. Their range of products are ever expanding to offer more solutions and value to clients.
A quality-driven organisation, Polyflor works closely with contractors such as ourselves to make sure the most ideal flooring solutions are selected for your project.
Polyflor: Polysafe Hydro H4960 Sheared Slate
Polyflor is an International manufacturer of commercial vinyl flooring - safety flooring, homogeneous vinyl floors, sports flooring, acoustic flooring, heterogeneous floors, luxury vinyl tiles, semi-flexible tiles and electrostatic discharge (ESD) flooring - among others!
Amtico at Hamilton Flooring
An unrivalled range of products, palettes and patterns to bring your flooring vision to life. Stunning floors designed, innovated and manufactured in Britain by a team with over 50 years knowledge and experience. Wood, stone or abstract, find the perfect commercial floor for your project. For Example:
Amtico Signature 36+ 1.0 mm Safety LVT - Halo Pine
Signature 36+ delivers sustainable slip resistance and meets the requirements of the enhanced slip standard, combined with the same extraordinary design philosophy that defines Amtico Signature. 20 year Commercial Warranty - Planks and tiles give enhanced design options - Enhanced slip resistance for the lifetime of the product - Antimicrobial protection against MRSA and E.coli.
Unless otherwise stated, Images are used for illustrative purposes and do not represent work untaken by Hamilton flooring - examples of work completed can be found in our Gallery