From your initial carpet and backing selection to your installation and maintenance plan, there are a lot of ways to save money on commercial carpets. The decision on where to exercise your savings comes down to the requirements and budget of the individual project.
Savings on your next commercial carpet can come from cutting upfront costs - through your choice of carpet type, quality, construction, backing, etc. But they can also come from slashing long-term costs - such as installation or maintenance and repair costs.
Our Global Account Manager Kim Monrad answers our most frequently asked questions about carpets. In this video, Kim explains how you can save money on your commercial carpet project via 6 essential steps.
Whatever your budget, it’s a good idea to account for the total cost of the solution you’re considering. Here are some tips for how to save on carpet:
If budget is one of the most important parameters in your carpet project, it may be worth considering carpet tiles. Generally speaking, when you select a carpet type, you’re choosing between wall-to-wall carpet (broadloom) or carpet tiles.
Wall-to-wall carpet offers a beautiful seamless finish and a plush underfoot feel, but it also tends to cost more, both in upfront costs as well as in installation costs because of increased complexity, time and waste in the installation process.
Carpet tiles, on the other hand, cost less up front and generally speed up the installation process - as they can be directly fixed to the subfloor, with very little waste produced - driving total cost down.
There is no correct choice between carpet tiles and wall-to-wall carpet, but if you’re working with a more casual setting, where price is more important than high-end aesthetics, it’s definitely worth considering carpet tiles.
One way to save money on your commercial carpet is through your selection of carpet fibre. The choice between going with a natural fibre - such as wool - or a synthetic material - such as nylon - can make a big difference in terms of the final price tag of the commercial carpet, with synthetic fibres being the cheaper option.
If you do choose to go with a less expensive synthetic fibre, such as nylon, you can save even more money in the choice between staple fibres and bulk continuous filament (BCF), where staple fibres are generally the cheapest.
Finally, the overall amount of yarn used in a commercial carpet solution will impact the cost of the solution. If you’re in need of quick upfront savings, considering the amount of fibre and type of fibre you select can certainly help you save. Make sure you talk to your carpet manufacturer about the pros and cons of each solution, though.
Whether you go with wall-to-wall carpet or carpet tiles, it’s usually possible to specify your final solution with a customised design. This produces an eye-catching and unique result, but while technological advancement has lowered the time and cost it takes to produce such a solution, a custom designed commercial carpet will always cost more than a ready-to-order solution.
Going standard, though, doesn’t mean losing out on the opportunity for a unique design.
For example, at Egecarpets, we offer our standard solutions in hundreds of colours, patterns and designs, through our express collections. In addition to this, we also offer our designer collections, comprised of unique designs, made in collaboration with notable designers. In this way, you can save money on creating a completely customised design, but you can still ensure the level of uniqueness your project requires.
Carpet backing - the fabric and yarn that make up the underside of your carpet and affixes it to the subfloor - comes in many varieties and price points. Your choice in carpet backing matters for the final price of your commercial carpet.
For example, selecting woven textile backing, as opposed to different felt or latex varieties, can help you save. It’s important to remember, however, that your choice in carpet backing makes a big difference in terms of the performance and endurance of your final solution.
Carpet backing can affect they way your carpet feels underfoot, how well it insulates, its resistance to wear, its acoustic properties, footstep suppression and even fire resistance. Before you try to slash costs on your commercial carpet by choosing a less expensive backing option, be sure to check with your carpet manufacturer about whether or not it meets your project’s requirements and won’t cost you more in the long run, due to added maintenance or repair expenditures.
On a final note, some manufacturers use bitumen and PVC in their carpet backing. Such products are less expensive, but at a steep cost to the environment and potentially to personal health. It’s important that you also consider environmental and safety costs when landing on your final carpet specifications.
While there are many ways to save in your carpet selection, perhaps one of the best ways to consider saving is looking at the total cost of the solution you choose. This means factoring in the installation costs of the commercial carpet.
There is a lot of money to be saved in the installation process. From reducing waste and saving time, to making sure you avoid mistakes and account for the time needed for acclimatisation. Thoroughly considering and planning out your carpet installation is a sure way to save time and money and stay within your allotted budget.
One way to save money in installation is to consider carpet tiles. Carpet tiles reduce the amount of waste produced and speed up the installation process. This makes the overall installation of carpet tiles less expensive.
If carpet tiles aren’t the right choice for your project, that’s ok too. There are plenty of ways to save on the installation of wall-to-wall carpet. A good way to do this is to ensure you have a thorough carpet installation plan in place. While it may seem like a straightforward task, poor planning can cost you a lot of money, and certainly offset any savings you may have had in upfront costs. Here are some tips for building an installation plan:
While it might seem overly time-consuming to factor all of these questions into your planning, doing so will save you time and money in the long run, by helping you avoid correcting mistakes later down the line.
In many cases, your carpet will need to lay out flat on the site prior to installation and - depending on the adhesives used - may need time to acclimatise for 24 to 48 hours after installation. In winter months, it may even be necessary for heating to be available in the room in which the carpet is laid, to help eliminate creasing in the carpet and ensure that it stretches correctly during the installation.
Whatever the requirements, it’s critical that everyone is clued in, including the construction manager, to ensure that this time is factored into project planning and doesn’t create delays or force a rushed and inferior installation.
When your carpet is delivered, be sure that everything looks as expected. Your installation plan is worthless if you’re working with a product you’ve not anticipated. Before you get started, make absolutely certain that you’ve received precisely what you desired. Here are some key things to watch out for:
If you’re in doubt about your order, don’t hesitate to speak out. It’s better to be overly cautious than to incur the costs of errors or a dissatisfied client down the line.
If you’re still in doubt about how you can insure you have a thorough installation plan, we suggest you use our installation checklist, so you can be sure to complete your carpet project on time and on budget.
Saving on your carpet and installation is a good way to stay within budget for a carpet project, but what if long-term savings are the goal for your client? A great way to ensure the best price - in the long run - is to ensure that the selected carpet looks great and performs well, for as long as possible. The best way to do this is to establish a comprehensive maintenance plan from the get-go.
To do so, identify the areas that you think may be most problematic - these are generally the areas that are most subject to heavy foot traffic. Once you’ve identified these areas, put a plan in place to regularly address them. This can be as simple as opting for mats in these areas or using stain-masking colours, but it should also address your plan for daily maintenance and spot treating post installation.
For further info, we suggest you have a look at our service and maintenance guide.
We can’t stress enough, when you think about saving on your carpet project, you shouldn’t just be thinking about upfront costs. While it may be nice to save on your carpet and backing selection, this may not offer the greatest savings overall.
Poorer quality products may mean greater expenditures on installation or maintenance and repair. Be sure to talk to your carpet manufacturer about the total cost of your final carpet selection, and that you’re saving where it counts.
