When selecting a commercial carpet, one of the first decisions you’ll need to make is whether to go with wall-to-wall carpet - also known as broadloom - or whether to go with carpet tiles. There’s no right or wrong answer, but the nature of your project will determine which is the right choice for you.
Wall-to-wall carpets, known for their plush feel and luxurious, seamless look are a great choice for high-end projects. Carpet tiles, quick and easy to install, save a lot of time and money, while still offering design versatility.
As you can see, they’re both great choices. The needs of your client and the project at hand, though, will determine which choice is right for you. Let’s take a closer look at the two, their advantages and disadvantages as well as when and where you should consider using them.
Our Global Account Manager Kim Monrad answers our most frequently asked questions about carpets. In this video, Kim explains how to choose between carpet tiles and wall to wall carpets, based on your needs and your project.
Wall-to-wall carpet get’s its name because of the way it’s manufactured - in large wide rolls. Generally speaking, wall-to-wall carpet is intended to cover a given space in one or few pieces. Wall-to-wall carpeting need not cover an entire room or space, though, as the name might seem to imply. It can also just as easily be contained within a specific space, integrating with other carpeting or types of flooring.
Because of its seamless finish, wall-to-wall carpeting offers a high degree of design freedom, as patterns aren’t disrupted by breaks in fabric. This gives the appearance of one large pattern.
Beyond this, wall-to-wall carpeting tends to come in the greatest array of carpet qualities - varying in terms of fibre type, construction and price - and with the largest selection of carpet backings - available in a number of different materials, with varying acoustic properties, comfort levels and prices. This versatility means that you can find a wall-to-wall carpet that fits the needs of almost any project.
While it’s almost always possible to find a wall-to-wall carpet for any given price point, overall, wall-to-wall carpeting is thought of as the pricer option. Much of this extra cost comes down to the installation of wall-to-wall carpets.
Compared to the installation of carpet tiles, installing wall-to-wall carpets is more labor intensive, time consuming and produces more waste. This adds up to extra cost. There are, however, a number of ways to cut costs during installation, bringing about a total cost that is similar to some qualities of carpet tiles.
Wall-to-wall carpets are great for high-end projects, large spaces and large-scale patterning, making them a great choice for hospitality establishments.
The ambiance that can be created when flawless design meets ideal underfoot feel is simply unmatched by other carpet types. For projects on a tight budget, where relying only on wall-to-wall carpeting may not be an option, it’s possible to use wall-to-wall carpeting in your prominent, more widely seen spaces and a more budget-friendly flooring option in the lesser seen spaces.
For more on wall-to-wall carpeting, be sure to have a look at our comprehensive guide, Everything You Need To Know About Wall-To-Wall Carpets.
Carpet tiles are small swatches of carpet, constructed from broadloom carpet, which can be seamlessly affixed, directly to your subflooring, in a number of creative ways for different patterning and affect.
Carpet tiles, also known as “modular carpet” tend to come in a range of square sizes, such as 48x48, 50x50, 60x60 and 96x96 cm as well as in rectangular variants, known as ‘planks.’ Manufacturers, such as Ege Carpets, also offer carpet tiles in a variety of other creative shapes.
First and foremost, carpet tiles are a good choice because they tend to be less expensive. This is both in terms of upfront cost as well as in total cost, as the installation of carpet tiles is quicker, easier and produces less waste, which adds up to quite a lot of savings.
Another major asset to carpet tiles is that they can easily be removed, giving access to underfloor cabling - a major asset in conference halls and offices.
Their easy removal is also beneficial for maintenance. Should one or more of your carpet tiles become overly soiled, you can simply remove and clean or remove and replace. This is preferable to the intensive spot repairs or complete replacement that may be required of wall-to-wall carpets. Since carpet tiles are compact and easy to store, it’s quite popular to have extras on hand for this purpose exactly.
While carpet tiles can achieve a beautiful end result, their main pitfall is that they’re simply not as stunning and don’t come in the same variety of qualities that wall-to-wall carpets do. Thanks to a great deal of technological advancement, however, a lot can be accomplished with regard to the design of carpet tiles.
In fact, some manufacturers - including Ege Carpets - offer carpet tiles that can achieve a nearly seamless appearance and are available with custom designs. Even still, when luxury is of the utmost importance for a project, carpet tiles may not be the right choice.
Carpet tiles are a great choice for mid-range projects, where stunning design is required, but where budget is limited. As they provide easy access to underfoot cables, carpet tiles are a very popular choice for offices. Since they make for easier maintenance, they’re also popular in dining establishments, such as bistros or pubs. For the majority of projects, it’s a good idea to at least consider carpet tiles.
To learn more about carpet tiles, make sure to read our guide, Everything You Need To Know About Carpet Tiles
Going with carpet tiles or wall-to-wall carpeting doesn’t need to be an either or scenario. We find that the best solution can be a combination of the two. You can use wall-to-wall carpeting, for example, in break out areas or heavily designed spaces and carpet tiles in the areas where practicality and savings are of greater importance.
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