Residential and Commercial Floors
There are two main categories when it comes to flooring. Residential floors are floorcoverings designed for domestic use in the home. These can be luxury vinyl tiles, carpets, real wood or laminate; there is also a whole host of alterative materials that can be used residentially. On the other hand, commercial floors are floorcoverings designed for use in public spaces like shops, schools, hospitals, etc… These can include sheet vinyl, carpet tiles, rubber and concrete floors, along with a whole range of alternative flooring materials available.
What’s the difference between Residential and Commercial Floors?
Commercial flooring is usually designed with three key factors in mind. Firstly, durability. Public spaces see a lot higher footfall than private spaces, so commercial flooring needs to be able to handle this demand. Secondly, maintenance. Public spaces often undergo regularly cleaning with various machines and chemicals, so commercial flooring needs to be able to withstand this. Thirdly, safety. Public spaces like hospitals may need extra hygienic floors or scientific laboratories may need static resistant floors so commercial floors often contain special properties.
Residential flooring’s key strength is in variety. There is a variety of materials to choose from, from real wood to carpet, to luxury vinyl tiles to laminate. There are also plenty of designs to choose from, from dark to light, stripey to spotty, bevels to no bevels. Often residential flooring is less durable. Firstly, because footfall is less. Secondly, because cleaning and maintenance methods are less harsh. Thirdly, because no specialisation is required.
Can I use Residential flooring in a Commercial space and vice versa?
You can use residential flooring in a commercial space, but it is not recommended. It will wear out much faster and may create a safety risk. You can, however, use commercial floors in a residential context. For example, in a garage, where cars and tools may damage a residential flooring, commercial floors represent a good, durable choice.
Conclusion
As you can see, residential flooring and commercial flooring have been designed differently. Therefore, it is key to know which type of flooring your particular flooring project needs. If in doubt, it is best to speak to a flooring specialist. Hopefully, this post helped you to navigate the differences between these two types of floorcovering. Happy flooring!
