In the food and hospitality sector floors can take a knocking. They have to look stylish and yet remain hard-wearing. With waiters pacing up and down restaurants cafes bars, people scuffing chairs, tables being moved and food being spilt they need to stand up to a lot.

On top of that, you don’t want them to become slippy and create a hazard. So what flooring solutions should you consider for your business?

It is very difficult to choose the perfect type of flooring for your restaurant or bar based on the various options available on the market. But what are the basic differences between residential flooring and commercial flooring options?

Commercial Flooring vs. Residential Flooring:

• The first very important condition that needs to be fulfilled by commercial flooring is that it should be slip resistant. If it isn’t the floors will be more accident prone! Residential flooring does not need to fulfill such criteria, although it is recommended that it too should be slip resistant to reduce accidents.
• Second consideration should be flammability. If you floor is flammable such as carpet, then your restaurant becomes a risk-prone place. Hence, it is important to avoid such flooring.
• Durability is another important concern for the restaurant owners. If your flooring is not durable, it might not be able to withstand the traffic during peak hours. This will only cost more in the long run as it’ll need to be repaired. Residential flooring does not experience such traffic and so durability is not as important.

Flooring Options:

Tiles:

Tiles are extremely durable in nature. Also, they are inflammable, be it for residential use or commercial use. Tiles come in a variety of patterns, colours and textures. This makes them a very popular choice for the restaurant owners. Residential grade tiles differs from the commercial grade tile on one aspect, that is, slip resistance. While the commercial grade tile is slip resistant, the residential tile is not as much. Also, installing tiles is a very lengthy and tedious process. It takes a lot of time and should be done carefully otherwise the tiles can break.

Carpets:

Another option available is commercial carpet flooring. A lot of people also use outdoor carpets instead of the commercial carpet floors, as long as it is grade II or above for restaurant use. It is durable and slip resistant. A lot of people also consider using carpet tiles simply because they are easy to install and remove in case the floor is stained or torn, even if it is just one area, so only one tile needs to be replaced.

Laminate:

Laminate flooring is also a popular flooring option among restaurant and bar owners. Laminate flooring is not just durable and allergy-friendly, but it is also scratch resistant and slip resistant. It is very easy to maintain this flooring as even two days old stain marks can be removed using a mob on these floors. Considering restaurants are prone to such stains, this flooring is desirable. Also, because laminate flooring comes in various textures and colours, it gives a warm feel to your restaurant and even makes it look richer. This means you can achieve the look you want whilst ensuring safety and cleanliness at all times.

Resilient:

Resilient flooring includes vinyl, linoleum, rubber and cork tile. Today you can get high quality vinyl on a roll or as tiles in a very wide range of styles and effects – some that look very similar to real tiles or wood laminate. Also, because these are industrial grade floorings, they are durable and slip resistant, except cork flooring. Much like laminate flooring, it is easy to clean, non-slip, hygienic and anti-allergy with anti-static properties. Unlike natural stone, vinyl requires no waxing, polishing or aftercare other than cleaning. In terms of cost, they are medium ranging, similar to laminate flooring.

All the flooring options have their pros and cons. It is important to determine your parameters and choose the flooring you think is perfect for your restaurant or bar.