With many new and traditional types of floor coverings available, each providing varying levels of aesthetics and performance, it is important that the correct and most robust selection criteria are considered to ensure product suitability and fitness for purpose, including reference to the manufacturer’s recommendations and product specification.
Aside from cost, performance and aesthetics, care should be taken to ensure a product’s physical characteristic together with environmental properties meet the requirements relative to the intended use. This will ensure that the products selected meet the customers or contract requirements and are suitable for the intended purpose and longevity.
With a clear specification and defined scope, specialist flooring contractors can carry out the due diligence to check fitness for purpose on performance, aesthetics and longevity. Once this is agreed with the specifier or product selector, this will enable them to give an accurate costing and lead time to complete the work to the required standard.
The following factors provide an overview of the type of criteria to consider.
Product specification
- Type of product (e.g., vinyl, rubber, LVT, linoleum, carpet tile, broadloom carpet, timber and matting)
- Definition of intended area of use and required performance classification (e.g., resilient flooring in accordance with EN‑ISO 10874 and textile flooring in accordance with EN1307)
- Installation methodology and layout of flooring along with expected performance for the anticipated life of the product
Special finishes
- Wet rooms (e.g., barefoot and shod)
- Skirting (e.g., preformed, sit on, set in, coved)
- Entrance matting (to protect the flooring from soiling, premature wear and to reducing moisture ingress into the building minimising slippage)
- Details of any testing required of installed flooring
- Colour, pattern, and contrast to assist the visually impaired (Dementia Friendly Design)
Product performance
- Contract Suitability (e.g., Heavy Contract, Medium Contract, Heavy Domestic, Light Domestic)
- Area use classification matches product specification
- Fire rating
- Thermal Conductivity
- Sustainable slip-resistance (Pendulum Test Value) if required
- Impact sound reduction and airborne sound
- Appropriate Light Reflectance Values (LRV)
- Chemical resistance
- Electrical behaviour – static control (if required)
- Infection control – welded seams and skirting type
- Residual indentation (actual)
- Suitability for wheeled traffic
- Light fastness
- Dimensional stability
Substrate
- Subfloor type and suitability to install the specified flooring
- Condition of subfloor and required preparation prior to installation to achieve the tolerances as set out in the manufacturer’s recommendations under BS 8203:2017
- Provision for fabricated underlayment if required (e.g., flooring grade plywood, chipboard, screed board, underlays)
- Moisture testing on subfloor (e.g., hygrometer or carbide bomb test)
- Underfloor heating details, type (electric or water) testing, commissioning (if applicable)
- Site conditions (e.g., watertight building, adequate lighting, Relative Humidity (RH) heating and ventilation
Installation method
- Tiles and planks (e.g., broadloom, quarter turn, brick, ashlar, random, etc.)
- Resilient (fully bonded, release adhesive or floating)
- Adhesive type (low VOC) and adhesive-free options
- Carpet fixing (i.e., gripper, adhered, underlay type)
- Static control measures (conductive adhesive, copper tape, etc.)
Maintenance
- Provision of Temporary Floor Protection (see section 18)
- Builders clean, prior to customer handover, in accordance with manufacturers cleaning recommendations
- Appearance retention can be enhanced and maintained with the correct maintenance programme
- Equipment, accessories, and products required to maintain floor covering (e.g., upright vacuum cleaner with rotating head, cleaning machinery)
- Type of cleaning solution (pH level) recommended by the manufacturer
Environmental
- BREEAM rating
- LEED
- SKA M12 rating
- Removal, safe disposal and recycling of waste
- Ability to be reused or recycled
Find a floor covering supplier in the CFA member directory, with the option to search by flooring type or show all.
For more technical information about contract flooring, visit the CFA Guide to Contract Flooring.
