The Big 5 of Commercial Flooring: Elephants, Lions, leopards, Rhino and water buffalo, oh, wait that’s Africa’s big 5! Here’s a question: Why aren’t hippos or giraffes not in the big 5. We’ll answer at the end after discussing The Big 5 of Commercial Flooring!

Of course, there are many products out there for commercial flooring but before you start heading down rabbit holes with clients, make them aware of the Big 5 that they should consider in their project: Cost, Maintenance, Durability, Longevity and Safety.

Cost – unfortunately budgets must be adhered to so be upfront with your budget, so your client doesn’t fall in love with a product that is out of reach. One product we love but is not in everyone’s budget is Terrazzo. It’s perfect for impressive lobbies, showrooms and that high end look that can even incorporate a logo.
Maintenance – ask your client what daily, weekly, monthly and annual maintenance they are willing to do because some gorgeous floors need more maintenance than others to keep them looking gorgeous. My favourite for high traffic areas that can’t be maintained with constant mopping is carpet tile. These versatile tiles come in various shapes, sizes and although they need a good annual cleaning, routine vacuuming will keep the carpet tile looking great without the call to attention of walked in dirt etc. showing immediately. As well, in times of impossible spills or stains, tiles can be easily lifted and replaced.
Durability – determine if the space is high traffic or low traffic and how high up the scale you need to go in order to be invincible or merely resistant to scratches, dents, stains, spills etc. Our favourite low maintenance floor is luxury vinyl in sheet or tiles. LVT also comes in planks that are styled as wood or ceramic and allows that gorgeous look without the refinishing of wood or cleaning of grout.
Longevity – If I’m looking at a surface that is large and needs huge durability and longevity I would Definity be looking at polished concrete. Gorgeous and if you want more style and have a perfect concrete base it’s easy to add an epoxy coat for that wow factor.
Lastly, Safety – Some commercial surfaces need to make safety a priority. We are seeing more Rubber floors in senior facilities as it’s not slick when wet and has a more forgiving option if a fall does occur. As well, a textured carpet with good under pad will do the trick for safety but are not so easy to keep clean in a bathroom.
If you’d like more info on any of these products, give us a call, or call to book our showroom with your client and have access to multiple products and styles all in one location.And, the reason why Hippos and Giraffes are not part of the Big 5 is that the Big 5 names are for those animals that were hardest for game hunters to acquire as they are quite ferocious when cornered. We are hoping that the big 5 are only popular now with people who shoot cameras!

What ever your needs or desires in flooring, we got you covered!