Best carpet types for offices

Best carpet types for offices

For many businesses, when asked what the best flooring option is for their offices, the answer is always carpet.  The best office carpets are smart looking, lots of different styles to fit in with the aesthetic of the office and are very practical.  But not all office carpets are created equal – so how do you find the best carpet types of offices?

Why carpet over other flooring options?

Before diving into the types of carpet for offices, it is worth just clarifying why so many office style businesses opt for this flooring.

Modern office carpets come in a staggering range of styles, thicknesses, colours and patterns.  This means it is easier than ever to get something that fits in with the look and feel of the office.  For a small office with a high ticket service, a plush and soft carpet helps with that luxury feel.  For a large office with lots of people, carpet is smart but also easy to clean.

Carpet also offers great acoustic softening features.  If you have ever been to a tiled office, you will understand.  The voices, the chairs moving around, the feet on the floor – the noise can be deafening!  But by using carpet, you can soften most of these sounds and make for a better workplace environment.

How to choose the best carpet

So you are happy with the idea of carpet for your office?  Great, let’s move onto the considerations when choosing the best types of carpets for offices.

How long does the carpet need to last?

This is a unique business question but worth considering.  If you have a 12-month lease and plan to leave the building after this, then you don't want to go for very expensive carpet options.  You want something budget-friendly and smart.

However, if you have a longer lease and plan to stick around, something higher quality will offer better value for money and even last the whole duration.

How is the office used?

One type of carpet might not work throughout the whole office.  Consider the areas and how they are used.  Conference rooms and private offices can often handle softer carpets as they don’t get as much foot traffic.  Corridors and common areas are the highest use and need the toughest carpet, but softness isn’t so big a consideration.

When considering the use, also look at any relevant standards or regulations that apply to your business and how this might impact the type of carpet used.  Carpets are tested to certain British Standards and this should help you check its suitability.

How easy is it to clean?

Office carpets are designed to be tough and stain-resistant, but it is always worth checking just how stain-resistant and easy to clean a particular carpet is before you buy it.  This can also help with choosing the colour of the carpet – picking a colour that helps hide common stains (like coffee!) can help with the look of the floor.

Types of office carpet

Perhaps the easiest way to decide on a type of office carpet is to see some of them in action.  Or at least, understand more about what they are and what benefits they bring.  Let’s look at some of the most popular office carpet types.

Broadloom or wall to wall carpet

Broadloom carpets are known as wall to wall carpets because they are manufactured in long, wide rolls.  They are designed to either stick straight to the subfloor or sit on a substrate floor with the use of small tacks.  Their name is a little misleading as they don’t cover the whole room but can be laid to do this and also work well with other carpet types.

Carpet tiles

Carpet tiles can be popular for offices because if one becomes stained or damaged, it can be lifted and replaced.  They are budget-friendly and hard wearing so are great for those high traffic areas such as common areas, corridors or even the main office floor.

Tufted carpets

As much as 95% of commercial carpets are tufted and are well known for their quick and easy installation as well as being budget-friendly.  They are tougher and better for high traffic areas than woven carpets but may not feel as comfortable.

Woven carpets

Woven carpets are made from wool or wool blend materials and this makes for a higher quality carpet.  They are elegant looking and feel luxurious but aren’t as tough as other styles of carpet and do cost more.  They can be ideal for those conference rooms or individual offices where foot traffic is lower.

Needle punched carpet

This is a special type of carpet that isn’t generally used in offices apart from in one place – entranceways.  They are excellent at absorbing moisture and this means they are often used just inside the doorway to collect moisture from feet.

Caring for office carpets

Once you have selected the office carpet and it has been installed, it may seem that the job is then over and you can move onto the next thing.  But there is one final important step to add to the process – caring for the carpets.

No matter how tough, carpets need care and maintenance to get that maximum lifespan from them.  One of the obvious steps is to have them regularly vacuumed – this may be the job of the office cleaner or a chore given to members of staff.  It should be done ideally daily or even two days, especially for high traffic, busy offices.

The other component to caring for office carpets is a regular thorough clean.  This is where ACS Carpet Cleaning Service can help.  Our service is designed to help you ensure your carpets are in the best possible condition and last the longest time.  We use industry leading products, equipment and techniques and are accredited by the National Carpet Cleaning Association to guarantee the quality of work we do.

Once you have your new office carpet in place, give us a call to arrange a cleaning schedule and ensure the carpet looks its best for the longest time.

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