When it comes to commercial carpeting, there are two primary types that are used. If you’ve seen many offices or schools, you’ve most likely seen one or the other types of carpet. Both are great when it comes to looking at softer flooring options, especially when compared with hardwood and concrete.
The primary differences between these two commercial carpeting types are their budget and how the office or building will be used. By giving you the details on each type, we hope it will aid in your decision when selecting between the two. Let’s dive into the specifics below.
CARPET TILES
These can also be known sometimes as modular carpet, or even carpet squares. Carpet tiles boast the ability to be individually replaced with ease whenever they are stained or damaged. Their initial installation is also incredibly simple. Each tile of carpet is pre-backed, making them virtually ready to go from the moment they’re in your hands. These can be arranged and placed into a seemingly endless number of patterns and shapes. Ultimately, this gives your workplace some added flair and personality.
BROADLOOM
When you think of traditional carpeting, you’re most likely thinking of what’s known as broadloom. It’s not only popular in residential spaces, but some commercial ones as well. Similar to carpet at home, commercial broadloom comes in a massive number of colors, patterns, and mosaics. This leaves you with a huge selection of styles for your building. Broadloom comes installed with a carpet pad, which helps eliminate any otherwise visible flaws in the base flooring.
THE PROS AND CONS OF EACH
There’s no one absolute best option for your building when you are looking at carpeting. Below, we’ll list some of the pros and cons of each.
BROADLOOM PROS
If the area is prone to spills or potential water damage, quality broadloom usually comes with a moisture backing layer, which allows excellent resistance to stains. Generally, broadloom carpets are much softer than carpet tiles. Most broadloom carpet is also a bit less expensive than modular carpet.
CARPET TILE PROS
Carpet tiles are also fairly cost-effective when covering large areas of flooring. Their maintenance is incredibly easy compared to other carpeting formats. Each tile can simply be removed and replaced if or when it becomes stained or torn. Replacement tiles are also easily stacked and stored. The variety of colors and patterns you can combine are impressive with modular carpeting. It can also be easily turned into mosaics, often giving your floor a checkered look.
BROADLOOM CONS
While this form of carpeting is beautiful and quite comfortable, there are a few cons you should make note of when making your flooring selection. There is a decent amount of waste that occurs during the installation process. This is due to the fact that broadloom will need to be cut from larger pieces. The process of cutting the carpet pad can be particularly wasteful. Furthermore, broadloom is not easy to repair or replace when compared with carpet squares. Unlike modular carpeting, the entire stained or damaged area must be torn up and replaced. This is both costly and time-consuming.
CARPET TILE CONS
When looking to create larger patterns or designs, carpet tile may not be the best choice. Broadloom carpeting generally outperforms tiles when you are looking to create an expansive design over a large area of flooring. It’s also worth noting that the seams between each carpet tile are quite visible. Many varieties of carpet tile can also be notably more expensive than commercial broadloom.
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
When selecting your commercial carpet in Northern Colorado, one of the most important things you should consider is how you want it to appear to the people who will be using it most. You’ll also need to take into account how likely spills or damage will be. Lastly, it’s important to think about how often people will be standing on it, as the level of comfort may affect your decision. We invite you to talk to our knowledgeable and friendly staff with any questions you may have about residential or commercial carpeting in the Fort Collins area!
