What is the difference between residential and commercial flooring?

Professional flooring companies will usually install floors for both residential and commercial properties, but there are a number of key differences between these two kinds of floors. Most of them come down to the intended use of the room the floors are being put into. These are the main ways in which residential and commercial floors differ.

Durability

No one wants to have to replace floors on a regular basis, but there is no question that durability is much more of an issue when it comes to commercial flooring. This is because places like shops and other businesses experience much greater footfall than homes, as well as often having heavy objects moved across them.

This means the preference is usually for hard-wearing materials like luxury vinyl tiling (LVT), which can cope with heavy use and is easy to keep clean.

Durability is less of an issue with residential floors, although the flooring in rooms such as kitchens and bathrooms must be highly resistant to staining and water damage.

Look

A key difference between floors for home and commercial properties is that the latter will be primarily about functionality, while an appealing look will be important factor with residential floors.

This is particularly true of living room, hallway and bedroom areas. In those parts of a home, people generally want floors that add warmth, such as carpeting, or those that look stylish, such as solid or engineered wooden ones.

Residential floors are designed to be lived with, while commercial ones are intended to do the necessary job.

Features

Floors for commercial use often come with a range of additional features that are not commonly part of residential flooring. This is particularly true of industrial floors, where everything from sound-proofing to corrosion resistance and heat-proofing can be part of the installation.

Price

There is usually a difference in cost between the two types, with commercial floors being more costly. This is because the spaces that have to be floored are larger, so more material is needed to be able to complete the job.

Some rooms within a home are often quite small, such as bathrooms. These rooms are also usually fitted with simple flooring options like laminates that are not expensive.

The price variation between residential and commercial flooring will depend both on size and the chosen materials.

Opting for a flooring company without the standard shop overheads can significantly reduce the price that you have to pay for your floors.