What factors are causing the growth in the office carpet tiles market?

There has been a steady growth in the demand for carpet tiles over recent years.

According to a report by Wise Guy Reports, the global market is worth 1.68 billion US dollars in 2024 and is expected to rise to 2.37 billion US dollars by 2032. Several factors are driving this growth.

Carpet tiles fulfil the demand for flexible modular flooring solutions. They are both functional and aesthetically pleasing; they are also both hard wearing and easy to install and remove. Maintenance is straightforward and worn tiles are easily replaced without affecting the rest of the floor. These factors make them suitable for high foot traffic areas.

Interior designers like the wide range of carpet tile designs, the extensive colour palette and varied patterns. Floor layouts can align with company branding with different colour tiles mixed and matched to create custom themes. New digital printing technology and advanced dyeing processes have increased the range of designs and colours to choose from.

Biophilic design integrates natural elements in the office environment. Nature-inspired carpet tiles with leaf patterns and earth tones are in high demand for this popular design trend.

There is a growing range of sustainable and eco-friendly carpet tiles that appeal to companies with environmental policies. Recycled materials are used in many carpet tile ranges. Tiles that have low volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions contribute to the better indoor air quality requirements of modern offices.

To see the wide range of carpet tiles for Wrexham offices, visit a local commercial carpet supplier.

Inexpensive natural ingredient quickly cleans carpets

A carpet expert has shared his tip for using an inexpensive household item to keep carpets fresh and clean.

Over time, pet hairs, spills and other dirt cause a carpet to look shabby and smell unpleasant. This cannot be fixed with a quick vacuum. A normal deep clean requires a specialised carpet cleaning machine and takes a long time.

Carpet expert Paul Brewster has shared a tip on how a common household substance can banish odours and quickly refresh a carpet. He claims this ingredient is more effective than many expensive carpet cleaning products. The ingredient is baking soda, which has natural odour neutralising properties. The best way to use baking soda is to sprinkle it on the carpet and leave it for a quarter of an hour or longer before vacuuming. Carpet owners may also try mixing a few drops of essential oils like lavender or tea tree with vinegar and baking soda to add an appealing fragrance to the refreshed carpet.

Baking soda and vinegar are also good for removing stains. Create a paste with the two ingredients and apply it to a stain. Leave it for a few minutes then blot clean with a cloth,

Though baking soda is good for regularly refreshing a carpet, it's still recommended that the carpet be deep cleaned at least once a year by a professional carpet cleaning service to remove ingrained dirt and debris that gets trapped in the pile.

Regular cleaning of carpets in North Wales homes lengthens their life and preserves a carpet's good looks.

What flooring can you put over underfloor heating?

One of the main benefits of underfloor heating is the ability to step barefoot onto a warm floor on cold winter days. This form of heating is a great way to make a home feel warm and cosy.

What is underfloor heating?

Underfloor heating is a system of pipes or wires that is installed below the top layer of the floor that heats up to warm a property.

There are two types of underfloor heating. There is electrical, which uses wires, and wet heating systems, that have pipes through which warm water flows. Electric underfloor heating is easier to install, but more expensive to run. To heat this way, installers connect the heating wires or mats to an electrical supply and a thermostat control unit that passes an electric current through the wires.

Wet underfloor heating requires a boiler or heat pump, and pipes buried in the subfloor as well as a thermostat controller. It is expensive to fit but is often installed in new buildings. However, once installed, it is energy efficient.

Underfloor heating provides uniform heating levels across the whole floor. It is reliable and easy to maintain. Wet systems require an annual boiler check and service. Electric heating is noiseless, but there is some low noise from wet floor boilers.

Most, but not all floor coverings are suitable for putting over underfloor heating.

What flooring is best on top of underfloor heating?

One way to compare floor coverings for underfloor heating is to measure the average heat output that is transferred from the underfloor heating to the floor surface. Stone or tiles are best for heat transfer followed closely by vinyl, then wood and carpets. Another quality of stone and tiles is that they also warm up particularly quickly.

Though stone and tiles are best for underfloor heating, in living areas and bedrooms, some prefer the look and feel of other floor coverings. Tile and stone floors are recommended for kitchens, bathrooms and utility rooms. Though underfloor heating under stone is cheaper to run, the difference in running costs between floor coverings is small. For most users, the look and feel of a floor over underfloor heating is more important than small increases in running costs.

Carpet is fine over underfloor heating. However, if the carpet combined with the underlay has a 2.5 tog rating or over, its insulation properties will block the efficient transfer of heat to the floor's surface. A thin carpet but with thick underlay may also be unsuitable for underfloor heating. Use a carpet underlay with a low tog rating such as Quick-Step Silent Walk that prevents dampness and condensation and has low heat resistance.

Luxury vinyl is a viable choice for underfloor heating as it allows heat to move easily around the floor. Linoleum flooring is also suitable. Some vinyl and linoleum are sensitive to high temperatures so are best suited to rooms with lower heat requirements. Check with the manufacturer or a floor retailer.

If using a solid smooth floor covering over underfloor heating, making a room cosier with rugs is fine and will not significantly affect underfloor heating efficiency.

Can I put laminate flooring over underfloor heating?

Laminate flooring is usually suitable for underfloor heating, but not all types are. Check the flooring specifications or seek advice from the manufacturer or a flooring retailer. Some laminates have the manufacturer's maximum temperature rating guidelines.

As there is a wide range of flooring available for use over underfloor heating, this means that you don't have to compromise on décor style with this heating option.

What flooring is not suitable for underfloor heating?

Cork flooring is not good for underfloor heating, as it may dry out and shrink.

Solid wood flooring may be efficient at transferring heat, but it has issues as the planks can warp and expand as their temperatures change. It is possible to use solid wood if it has been acclimatised for a while in the room before fitting to avoid the planks expanding or contracting after installation.

If you want the look and feel of natural wood without the warping issues of solid wood, choose engineered wood flooring. This type of flooring has a natural wood top layer and several layers underneath. The planks are more stable than solid wood and resist warping.

As mentioned previously, avoid high tog rated carpets and underlay combinations for underfloor heating. These carpets won't be damaged by the heat, but will create an inefficient heating system.

If you are installing underfloor heating or renewing the flooring over existing heating and need further advice about flooring options, talk to your local flooring retailer in Chester or North Wales.

Building managers have diverse demands for flooring

Managers of buildings in North Wales have varying demands for floor covering.

Areas that have heavy foot traffic require floor coverings that are robust and easy to maintain. In 2024, interior designers have been asked to incorporate floorings that have additional properties such as waterproofing and contain recycled materials.

In schools and healthcare facilities, noise is a potential issue that should be considered with flooring. This has driven demand for flooring with acoustic properties like rubber, carpet tiles and luxury vinyl flooring that reduce sound levels.

Many organisations have different floor coverings to mark distinct areas. For instance, in schools, quiet areas are marked with carpets to separate them from the rest of the classroom that has a hard floor surface. An issue with this for less able-bodied students is that the difference in height between the two flooring types is a trip hazard. To reduce floor transition differences, manufacturers are producing portfolios of differing floor covering designs that have the same thickness.

Facility managers are asking questions about sustainability, health and wellness. These figures are likely to prefer eco-friendly, non-allergenic floor coverings that reflect their organisation's values.

Though modern floor coverings are made to last a long time, high-traffic areas wear unevenly. Manufacturers are transitioning from large sheets and rolls to modular flooring such as carpet tiles and luxury vinyl tiles. Instead of replacing whole floors, only the worn areas need new floor coverings installed.

To see the wide age of options in commercial flooring in North Wales, visit a local flooring retailer.

How do old carpet fibres enhance the durability of concrete flooring?

Numerous households and commercial properties have carpets installed on concrete subfloors. Recent research conducted at RMIT University in Australia suggests that concrete floors could include materials derived from carpets in the future.

One of the primary challenges with concrete flooring is cracks, which weaken the concrete and pose a safety hazard due to compromised structural integrity. Dr Chamila Gunasekara, the lead researcher at RMIT University School of Engineering, asserts that by incorporating fibres from discarded carpets into concrete, its strength can be enhanced by up to 40% and prevent premature cracking.

Field studies are currently underway to evaluate the performance of concrete slabs mixed with these added fibres. Additionally, fibres sourced from worn-out clothing are being seen as another viable option for concrete reinforcement. Dr Shadi Houshyar, a textile and material scientist at RMIT University, estimates that 70% of textile waste could be repurposed into valuable fibres for various new products.

Disposing of old carpets in landfills is not environmentally sustainable. In North Wales, initiatives have been implemented to recycle carpets by extracting reusable materials for new product manufacturing. The key challenge lies in discovering additional applications for discarded carpets to increase recycling rates. While burning carpets is an alternative to landfill disposal, it is discouraged due to the emission of harmful toxins.

Concrete floors, unless equipped with underfloor heating systems, can feel chilly underfoot during cold weather. Adding carpets to North Wales floors adds warmth to areas with concrete subfloors, adding to a growing list of benefits for this application of carpets.