When considering options for professional or commercial common spaces, the flooring product must not only be easy to maintain, but also have the durability to withstand heavy traffic. Corridors, lobbies, atriums, cafeterias, meeting rooms, bathrooms, and break rooms require a long lasting, scuff-resistant and attractive flooring material that will give many years of service for these heavily used areas. Vinyl Composition Tile is the right choice for common areas that need to resist wear and tear and not reveal wear patterns the way carpet does.
Designing Circulation Patterns Using Vinyl Composition Tile
The pathways that occupants and visitors of a building will move when going from one space to another is considered the circulation pattern. This space within a space will connect different functions of a building. The careful layout and ease of circulation patterns will give occupants a better indoor experience - even if that experience is subliminal and is not consciously considered.
The mere existence of good traffic routes within a building adds to the mental health of its occupants and fosters an underlying sense of a good and professional business experience for visitors.
When updating facilities, managers will find a wide selection of excellent Armstrong vinyl composition tile options in which to layout traffic patterns to direct employees and visitors to different areas within a building. When considering the traffic patterns for common areas, VCT can be used to address the following architectural design concepts for good building circulation patterns:
- Direction of Travel - using patterns or colors to direct movement throughout the space
- Type of Area - a wide selection of colors and styles to denote spaces by visual reference
- Private Use Spaces - such as bathrooms should be easy to clean, yet attractive
- Frequency of Use - storage areas or closet spaces benefit from budget-friendly VCT flooring
Often circulation patterns will overlap with common gathering areas such as Atriums and lobbies. These are areas that are highly-trafficked, yet must maintain a good appearance with flooring colors and patterns that will not fade over time. VCT is perfect as VCT is a resilient flooring option that will not change color or fade over time. For light-filled atriums and lobbies, VCT is UV light resistant and its stylish appearance will add to ambient feeling of interior design concepts.
Why VCT is a Good Decision for Common Areas
Property owners and facility managers are aware of the impression that a pristine and attractive floor can have on customers and visitors. When carpet is used in common areas where the traffic flow is heavy, paths of worn-out or dirty tracks of pattern flow is not unusual. VCT is a good decision for these areas because the color runs throughout the material. Therefore even after years of service, if the flooring has been slightly worn away, it is nearly undetectable because the colors and patterns remain vibrant.
Common areas require a durable material that can withstand chipping and impact. Wood floors are easily damaged when items are dragged across the surface, leaving marks or indentations that will require costly repair and staining. VCT is specifically engineered to resist damage from rolling loads such as carts, impact loads from dropped items, or chipping which can occur from the sharp edge of a shoe heel.
Also consider the amount of salt brine in the winter, along with oil, grease, and biological matters that are on the bottom of shoes. Vinyl Composition Tiles is chemical resistant, making it the perfect choice for entrance ways, lobbies, and atriums. If VCT tile is stained or dulled from chemical it can be easily repaired with a light sanding and rewaxing.
Visit FloorCity.com for a wide range of vinyl composition tile options for professional, commercial, or mixed-used interior flooring. Armstrong tile dissipates static and is an inexpensive solution for common areas where traffic flow is heavy and the use of service is demanding.
