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Fitting Commercial Wooden Flooring in Business Premises

Wood flooring is popular in commercial sites due to the warm welcoming nature of wood. If you are running a business and you are considering fitting wood flooring in an attempt to bring your decor up to date, there are certain important aspects to take into account. Buying the wrong commercial wood floor for your site will result in further costs down the line.

Before fitting wood flooring in your business site, take into account the following aspects.

Noise Regulations

Under the 'Housing Act of 2004' exposure to loud or continuous noise inside a dwelling or within its cartilage is against the law. In various commercial properties, such as in an office block this noisy situation can happen due to low quality underlay with insufficient sound isolation qualities. Business owners that attempt to cut costs by fitting wood flooring over low quality underlay may soon regret their decision.

Health and Safety

Wood is prone to become a slippery surface under certain conditions. It is especially true when wood is fitted in an entranceway, exit and in a kitchen area. In some cases, other types of floors should be considered. Otherwise, visible warning signs should be clearly placed and self-adhesive safety tapes or grippe mats fitted.

Flooring Technology and Durability

Return on investment is measured by the service life of the floor. Because not all wood flooring are equal, your decision as to the right flooring technology is crucial.

• Solid Wood Flooring - Made from complete wood, solid technology has been around for many years. Its solid construction means that the floor could exceed 50 years of service life before you will need to replace the planks. The downside of solid wood flooring is the limited availability of floorboard sizes due to the natural form of the floor. On a positive note, return on investment could be exceeded.
   
• Engineered Wood Flooring - Made from Plywood, MDF, Softwood and hardwood veneer, engineered flooring technology are growing in popularity, especially in commercial sites. Depending on how thick the top hardwood veneer is, the floor is expected to last for 25 years. On a positive note, due to its construction, engineered wood floorboards have better water repellent qualities so damage from spillage is reduced.

Protecting The Wood

Both solid and engineered wood flooring benefit from protection against water, the sun, dirt and debris. Each floorboard is covered in thin coat of oil or lacquer finish. Lacquer finish is the most popular finish because it requires basic care and makes the floor virtually waterproof. On the other hand, lacquer finish tends to scuff quicker. The second most popular finish is oil. Oil is easier to fix (by simply topping-up with oil), but is less durable.

Enjoy your new wood flooring

Article written by Wood and Beyond. FSC supplier of wood flooring and member of the Business Directory UK.

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