Once you’ve decided to go with carpets to support your project, you still have a number of decisions you need to make. In this article, we'll give you four great tips on how to select the perfect commercial carpet for your project.
So you’ve decided that a commercial carpet is the right choice for your project. Congratulations on taking your first step. For the record, we think you made the right choice. You still have some choices to make, however, to make sure that you selected the best possible commercial carpet for your specific project and client's needs.
With so many options and qualities to choose from, landing on the best carpet and specifications for your project may seem like a daunting task. Luckily, we can break the process down into just four easy steps.
Our Global Account Manager Kim Monrad answers our most frequently asked questions about carpets. In this video, Kim explains how to choose the right carpet for your project based on the different factors that come into play when choosing the right carpet for your specific project.
Before you specify colours, patterns, qualities, etc., one of the first decisions you’ll need to make is whether to go with carpet tiles, wall-to-wall carpet or a combination of the two for your commercial carpet project.
For projects restricted by budget or timeframe, carpet tiles for commercial use may be the right choice. For high-end projects, where luxury and underfoot comfort are of top priority, then wall-to-wall carpeting may be more suited. It’s also possible to combine the two, using wall-to-wall carpeting where the high-end qualities are desired and using carpet tiles, where a more budget-friendly option is the priority.
For more guidance, see our article: Wall-to-wall vs carpet tiles
Once you land on a carpet type, it’s time to consider the properties that will be required of your commercial carpet, based on the needs of your project. First off, consider the areas that you will be carpeting. What are the specific needs of these areas?
Will they be subject to heavy foot traffic? Will acoustics be a main concern in them? Are they in constant use, such that regular maintenance would be difficult? Will there be heavy furniture present in these areas? Carpets are rigorously tested and classified according to specific properties, such as these.
Once you’ve decided on the properties most important to you, your carpet manufacturer will be able to help you land on a great selection. Different choices you make - such as which carpet construction to go with (tufted, woven or needle punched), your preferred carpet style (loop pile, cut pile or cut and loop pile) and which carpet fibre you’d like (wool, polypropylene, nylon, polyester, or even recycled materials) - have a large impact on the carpet properties you can expect.
Additionally, the carpet backing you select will affect the final properties of your carpet, having an impact on factors, such as underfoot comfort, longevity, appearance retention and acoustics.
Be sure to approach these decisions with care, and continually talk to your carpet manufacturer, in order to ensure that you're landing on the best commercial carpet for your project’s needs.
With carpet type and properties decided upon, now it’s time for the fun decision — how your commercial carpet should look.
Carpet is an incredibly versatile flooring material with endless design possibilities — both ready-to-order and custom designs. Your first step, though, will be to consider the area you’re carpeting.
What’s the light like in that space? Lighting will affect the way the carpet appears on site. Another thing to keep in mind is what degree of soiling you anticipate. For example, if you’re selecting a carpet that will be subject to heavy foot traffic, is located near food and beverages, etc., you will want to land on a colour or design that can best camouflage stains. A general rule of thumb here is to go for darker colours and patterns.
Once you’ve nailed down the practicalities, you’re all set to make your selection. With most manufacturers, you’ll be able to choose between standard design carpets and custom designed commercial carpets.
At Ege, however, we offer an added layer between standard and customisation. We call it our designer collections. Our designer collections, made in combination with prominent designers, offer the opulence and uniqueness of a customised solution but at a more budget-friendly price and with a shorter lead time.
When budget dictates a standard solution, it still won’t compromise on the design. Ege’s standard selections, known as our express collections, offer a plethora of colours and patterns to choose from.
When the sky’s the limit, and you want a custom design, we have the shortest lead time in the industry on custom designs. When going custom, you basically have two options: do the creative development of the carpet design yourself, or explain it to our designers, so they can make it come to life. No matter the choice, we offer close collaboration throughout the journey, so you can land on a final product that you’re delighted with.
When selecting commercial carpets for your project, you may be thinking of costs in terms of the up-front costs of your carpet, but that’s not exactly the whole picture. You also need to consider your carpet installation when budgeting and setting the timeline for your project.
For example, choosing carpet tiles can reduce the complexity and the amount of time spent installing the commercial carpets. Likewise, it will reduce the amount of waste produced in the process and lower the total cost of installation.
To the contrary, when you select wall-to-wall carpeting, it may be logistically more difficult. First off, wall-to-wall carpet comes in large, heavy rolls making it more difficult and time consuming to transport. Not to mention, when you go with wall-to-wall carpeting, you often need to build in time for your carpet to acclimatise pre installation and air out afterward. All in all, when you go with wall-to-wall carpeting, you should be prepared to account for some added complexity in the installation process.
In order to get the most accurate picture of the installation time and costs you should anticipate, it’s a good idea to follow an carpet installation checklist. While there are certain carpeting choices that will inevitably increase the complexity and time spent on installation, with good planning, it’s always possible to stay on time and within budget.
With these four simple steps, it’s easy to land on the commercial carpet that best suits your needs - both now and in the long run. For more information on finding the right carpet for you, see our ebook, THE ARCHITECT’S GUIDE TO CHOOSING THE RIGHT CARPET.
