The dos and don’ts of installing commercial flooring

When it comes to flooring, commercial and residential applications are worlds apart. 

While residential flooring is designed primarily for comfort with aesthetic front of mind, commercial flooring is generally more practical in nature. The priority is durability and functionality, often in order to withstand heavy foot traffic or frequent cleaning. This focus on utility means there are several things to consider when installing any commercial flooring.

To better understand the ins and outs of commercial flooring, best practices for installation and common pitfalls to avoid, ArchiPro spoke to Elizabeth Hill, General Manager of Hills Commercial Flooring Ltd.

Elizabeth Hill: Firstly, the impacts on day-to-day trading. Depending on the flooring type, often it’s not possible to keep the business’ doors open. If it’s absolutely essential that the company is able to trade during the installation phase, the product choice can affect the ability to provide a smooth and as uninterrupted as possible installation. 

Secondly, the choice of flooring must be fit for purpose. For example, there are several things to consider for wet areas: the slip rating for vinyl in a bathroom differs between residential and commercial grade, and vinyl in wet areas must meet the correct standards. The slip rating for a vinyl in a bathroom versus a shower differ and not all non-slip vinyl is suitable for both.

Finally, it’s essential to understand the requirements of the new E3/AS1 standards, and what each product requires in terms of floor preparation, adhesives and waterproofing. Each supplier has had their own tests completed for their hybrid, timber or vinyl plank products in the ‘splash zone’ areas, so it’s important to be aware of this.

Understanding what is required to meet the different standards is vital to understand the total cost of the installation while still meeting the requirements.

EH: A thicker underlay doesn’t actually prolong a carpet’s life or make it perform better – but it does provide a cushioning effect and enhances comfort.

All floor preparation can not be priced without inspecting a bare subfloor. Each floor presents its own pros and cons and a full assessment is the only way to provide a fixed cost. 

Make sure you understand the timing of each kind of project. Larger-scale commercial projects, like hospitals, generally happen over a long programme. Retail, on the other hand, usually needs to happen quickly and often out of normal business hours. 

Our 70-strong team are very experienced and have the expertise to accommodate all types of projects and programming.

EH: We recently completed an intensive project at Countdown West City, where the original floors had suffered extensive fire damage. This meant the whole supermarket needed to have two layers of tiles uplifted as part of the floor prep. 

As with all of our projects, the subfloor was inspected by our knowledgeable team of site supervisors, and the outcome of this assessment was communicated and priced to the client for approval. At this point we also discussed with the client all of the details that need to be considered to work with the selected products, and any variations to what had been specified were submitted for approval. 

Our team then worked with the site manager to have areas installed in an order that suited the chosen product, while also working around other finishing trades to keep the programme on schedule where possible. With our large team, we are able to bolster the labour on projects to help get projects over the line that may be running over the projected programme. 

Across the entire process, our estimator was involved with all changes and communication to ensure up-to-date information is available to our site team, allowing them to support the main contractors on time and to a high standard.

After the floor was installed, it was inspected for quality and any defects were rectified so areas could be handed over for council inspections and architect final inspections.

We are a family business that likes to treat all our team members as an extension of our family. We believe being invested in our team both in and out of work, supporting through challenges and in joy makes coming to work an experience that is enjoyed. 

As an independently owned and operated company, we are not tied to any particular supplier, so we’re able to choose from a wider range of products. Our team has a wealth of experience in quality floor coverings installation including broadloom carpet, carpet tiles, vinyl (commercial and residential), vinyl planks and tiles, polished concrete, timber and all associated floor preparation.

Our team has more than 1000 years of combined industry experience – spanning installers, contractors and tradespeople. We’re also committed to supporting and training apprentices so that years of experience and knowledge is passed on to the next generation.

Learn more about Hills Commercial Floors and its services.