Subfloor preparation for commercial LVT Key takeaways Subfloor condition and preparation are the biggest single source of LVT failure. The tile is rarely the problem; what it was laid on usually is. Moisture testing is the step that is skipped most often and costs the most when it goes wrong. Relative humidity is measured, not […]
Author Archives: Surface Specialists
Commercial stone, tile and concrete effect vinyl Key takeaways Stone effect vinyl is usually chosen over real stone for weight, comfort underfoot, maintenance, acoustics and installed cost rather than for appearance alone. Light reflectance value is a specification input on these products, not a styling choice. Pale stone and polished concrete effects change how a […]
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Commercial wood effect vinyl flooring Key takeaways Wood effect is a design decision with technical consequences. Everything that matters about the floor – slip rating, wear layer, format, seam type – is decided after the look is chosen, not before. The commercial ranges and the domestic ranges look almost identical and behave completely differently. Wear […]
Acoustic resilient flooring Key takeaways There are two separate acoustic problems and they need different answers. Impact sound insulation protects the room below; sound absorption improves the room you are standing in. Acoustic vinyl and acoustic LVT solve the first, not the second. A hard floor with an acoustic backing still makes a room sound […]
Data centre flooring Key takeaways Most of the flooring work in a data centre is invisible. The critical surface is the sealed slab underneath the raised access floor, not the panels you can see. That slab is a plenum. Air is drawn across it and into server intakes, so dust released from an unsealed or […]
Airport flooring Key takeaways An airport is not one flooring project. A terminal concourse, a baggage hall and an aircraft hangar are three different specifications that happen to share a postcode. Landside and airside passenger areas are driven by rolling loads, cleaning and fire performance. Baggage halls and hangars are resin territory, driven by point […]
Commercial vinyl vs linoleum Key takeaways They are different materials, not two grades of the same thing. Vinyl is a PVC-based product; linoleum is made from linseed oil, pine rosin, wood flour, cork, limestone and a jute backing. Cleaning chemistry is the single most practical difference. Linoleum is sensitive to strongly alkaline products and a […]
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Commercial LVT wear layer guide Key takeaways The wear layer is the clear layer above the printed design. It is the main thickness-based protection between the pattern and the traffic and it is the number that decides commercial suitability. Overall tile thickness is a different measurement and it is a poor guide to durability. A […]
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Commercial flooring cost guide Key takeaways Most commercial floors in the UK land between about 25 and 80 pounds per square metre supplied and fitted, before VAT. Contract carpet tile and sheet vinyl sit at the lower end; LVT, rubber and resin screeds sit at the upper end. The finish is rarely what makes one […]
Sustainable commercial flooring Key takeaways Sustainability in commercial flooring is an evidence exercise, not a materials preference. What counts on a project is documentation a third party has verified, not a manufacturer’s claim. The environmental product declaration is the central document. An EPD is a verified statement of a product’s environmental impact across its life […]