In 1958, a French philosopher coined the term “desire path,” to describe trails that aren’t formally planned. Instead, these paths are eroded by the footfalls of many people independently choosing the easiest, most direct path to a desirable space—even if it means trampling grass.
One study showed it only takes 15 people walking over an unmarked natural space to create a visible trail: a trail that quickly attracts more pedestrians.
U.S. National Parks leaders don’t always try to fight humans’ natural impulse to get from point A to a desirable point B most quickly. Instead, land managers map out desire paths to discern points of interest, and plan parks and private land around them.
Inside commercial spaces, “desire paths” may not be as visible or obvious. Yet, high-traffic commercial spaces face a similar impact as grassy spaces do. Just like land managers, it’s wise for commercial property owners to plan ahead, and build these pathways with intent.
What does that look like? The variety of solutions might surprise you!
In this guide, McLean Company’s experts will walk you through the different flooring options for high-traffic commercial spaces, so you can choose the right solution for your shop, community center, or similar communal spot.
How Do High Volumes of Traffic Impact Your Floors?
Most residential interior carpets have a lifespan of 4 – 10 years, a generalization that guides IRS depreciation rates. Yet, those same carpets in high traffic residential spaces see their lifespans halved, lasting only up to five years—and, too often, fewer than two!
Fortunately, commercial space flooring is designed to be more resilient than carpets designed for private homes. Not only is it longer-lived, but its materials and design make floors more comfortable to walk on, resist the kinds of dirt and oils people track in from outside, and comfortably handle the cumulative ground pressure of thousands of people’s footfalls each day.
What Qualities Make Flooring Well-Suited To High-Traffic Commercial Spaces?
The most vital quality of flooring in high-traffic commercial areas is durability.
These floors need to be durable enough to bear the cumulative pressure of hundreds or thousands of pedestrians. In essence, the floor needs a high enough compressive strength (or, load-bearing capacity) to not get easily warped or worn down by typical use.
Next to durability, the right high-traffic flooring solution should have at least half (or more!) of these qualities:
- Longevity
- Damage and corrosion resistance
- Easy-to-clean qualities
- Anti-slip properties
- Natural hygiene
- Non-toxic materials
- Affordability
- Fast, simple installation
- Aesthetic, commercial appeal
Fortunately, several flooring materials incorporate these qualities and more!
Types of Commercial Flooring: Overview
Commercial flooring materials can be divided into five categories:
- Polymers
- The category includes synthetic foams, vinyl, and rubberized plastic options
- Stonework and Minerals
- This encompasses materials like marble, terrazzo, and slate
- Natural Materials
- Most typically hardwood, bamboo, and earth
- Hard Synthetic Compounds
- Examples include porcelain tile, ceramic, and concrete
- High-Performance Carpet
In addition to materials, flooring options can be divided by installation (tiles vs. poured materials vs. wall-to-wall), or by optimal environment. In this resource, we’re focusing on materials, as material choice makes the highest impact on your floor’s performance.
Polymer Flooring Options
Polymer flooring options are popular in commercial spaces where plenty of physical work gets done. Kitchens, machine shops, gyms, and public entryways are popular spots for them. Let’s dive into the options.
1. Anti-Fatigue Flooring Systems (Foam, Rubber and Gel)
Anti-fatigue flooring systems are typically tiles or mats specifically designed to cushion the joints of those who work on their feet all day. These floors are often more “springy” than alternatives, simultaneously preventing repetitive strain and protecting the space from wear and spills.
Most anti-fatigue mats are rubber or vinyl, and may be filled with gel or foam. They often have durable, easy-to-clean surfaces, and they’re most popular in commercial kitchens. Many building managers layer portable anti-fatigue mats over a more permanent flooring system.
2. Vinyl Flooring
Vinyl flooring is popular for its affordability, longevity, and capacity to endure heavy loads. It’s a synthetic material typically composed of PVC.
Vinyl flooring is easy to install, so it’s a popular choice for home DIY projects. Popular options include:
- Vinyl Composite Tile (VCT)
- Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT)
- Vinyl Plank Flooring
- Vinyl Sheet Flooring
Vinyl floors don’t offer as much cushion as specialized anti-fatigue mats, and the material’s compressive strength is weaker than epoxy and ceramic options. That said, the material can make up for those drawbacks with its affordability, water-resistance, and (particularly in the case of LVT) wood-like appearance and texture.
3. Rubber Flooring
Rubber is a natural, non-toxic polymer. As most rubber floors are made of post-recycled materials, it’s one of the most environmentally friendly options for commercial spaces.
Rubber flooring is particularly popular in entryways, in multi-floor buildings, in schools and gymnasiums. Why? It’s noise-reducing, generally affordable, and its natural texture makes the material inherently non-slip. Rubber flooring installation often reduces accidents from spills or puddles tracked into a building, and it lass far longer than laminate, hardwood, and ceramic tile.
One of its most popular benefits? Noise reduction. Unlike many other popular options, rubber naturally absorbs soundwaves, limiting the volume of distracting noise a high-traffic room could generate.
And, while rubber floors are pricier than vinyl, they’re also typically cheaper than concrete, stone, and many epoxy options.
4. Laminate Flooring
Laminate flooring planks are composed of high-density fiberboard and melamine resin, layered and fused in a high-pressure process. Many laminate floor options are moisture-resistant, durable, and easy-to-maintain, making the material a solid, affordable choice for commercial spaces.
AC4 Laminate Vs. AC5 Laminate For High-Traffic Flooring
Note that for high-traffic areas, it’s vital to choose laminate floor planks with a high abrasion class (AC) rating. The Association of European Producers of Laminate Flooring (ELPF) recommends using AC4 materials solely for commercial spaces with moderately heavy traffic (like salons or offices). Otherwise, most heavy traffic spaces (retail stores, hotel desks) require at least AC5 laminate.
Laminate floors aren’t quite durable enough for commercial interiors with the heaviest traffic, like warehouses.
5. Epoxy Flooring and Coatings
Epoxy flooring and epoxy resin floor coatings are excellent materials in buildings that get frequent, dense foot traffic. Epoxy flooring is stronger than high-performance concrete, more affordable than steel plating, and offers similar hygiene and sound-muffling benefits as rubber.
Moreover, epoxy coatings reliably triple the lifespan of concrete floors, and epoxy likewise outlasts many types of tile.
When comparing durability, strength, sensory impact, and cost, epoxy is often a “happy medium” option for high-traffic floors.
Stone and Mineral Flooring
Stone and mineral flooring tends to be strong and durable while evoking a more natural look than polymers. While luxury stonework like marble can make for an iconic floor, most commercial spaces benefit from more pragmatic options.
6. Terrazzo
Terrazzo is a popular composite stone material. It’s usually comprised of glass, granite, marble chips, and quartz, bound and polished into solid tiles.
It’s a popular choice for high-traffic areas, as it resists wear-and-tear (even in outdoor patios). When it does wear down, re-finishing it with a bit of polish is a snap. Terrazzo floors are also effectively water-resistant and stain-resistant when they’re correctly finished. It’s also among the most sustainable materials.
That said, terrazzo is more expensive than concrete, ceramic, and rubber. It also lacks the cushion and anti-slip benefits of certain polymer options.
The material is often best for high-traffic indoor-outdoor spaces that benefit from an enhanced aesthetic. It’s popular in schools and cafeterias.
7. Slate
Slate tiles are made of a strong, naturally occurring stone. Most slate floors are black or dark gray, with a slight gloss, giving an “upscale” sensibility to any room they’re in.
In a high-traffic room or walkway, slate’s durability, scratch-resistance, non-combustible, and water-resistant properties add up to incredible benefits over time. It’s also one of the few materials that works equally well inside and outdoors.
Slate is more expensive than many of the alternatives listed, and it has a lower compressive strength than epoxy (though it’s stronger than vinyl). It’s most popularly used as indoor/outdoor flooring in restaurants, lounges with fireplaces, and commercial kitchens.
Natural, Eco-Friendly Flooring Options
Heavy foot traffic makes many natural materials unsuited for a space. But, there are two popular exceptions: hardwood and earth.
8. Hardwood Flooring
Most hardwood floors aren’t durable enough to last in high-traffic in a retail or community space. Thus, it’s wise to seek uniquely treated or engineered options.
Engineered hardwood planks are composed of wood layers, each layer set perpendicular from its neighbors. This multi-directional layering is vital to prevent the plank from warping with use over time.
Another tactic to enhance the strength and durability of hardwood is finishes and treatments. Aluminum oxide and polyurethane finishes typically double or even triple the original material’s resistance and longevity.
9. Earth Flooring
Earth floors are on-trend, as they’re eco-friendly and surprisingly long-lasting. For high-traffic commercial spaces, the types of earth floors offering the greatest benefits are:
- Poured earth floors
- Rammed earth floors
- Stabilized earthwork tiles
Costs and strength can vary depending on the elements in the earth itself, as well as its process. Poured earth and stabilized earthen tiles tend to be the most affordable options, while rammed earth has an impressive compressive strength.
Hard Synthetic Combination Material Tiles and Flooring
10. Porcelain Tile
Porcelain tiles are an excellent, heavy-duty flooring material option. With a compressive strength on par with steel plates, these tiles’ durable, water-resistant nature makes them popular for well-used public restrooms, commercial kitchens, and lobbies of popular buildings.
Moreover, porcelain is easy to clean, so it’s not too much work to keep the floor vibrant—perfect to make a smart impression.
The main drawback is cost; these tiles are on the pricier side of the spectrum. It’s also not the best material in spaces where pedestrians need a bit of cushion or sound-muffling underfoot.
11. Concrete Flooring
Concrete is a nearly-ubiquitous synthetic, composite flooring option. It’s on the affordable side of the spectrum. Commercial space developers often seek it out due to its fire-resistance, relative strength, endurance, quick installation, and easy maintenance.
It’s most popular for garages, basements, and industrial spaces.
That said, as a porous material, it’s not the best option for high-traffic spaces that come into contact with water or snowmelt. Rubber, vinyl, epoxy, and porcelain are more water-resistant options.
12. Carpet
Carpet can be a solid choice for these spaces. But, it’s important the carpet you choose is rugged enough to last.
Industrial-Strength Carpet Tiles (≥ 3.5 TARR)
Not all carpet tiles are appropriate for work and retail spaces with heavy traffic. Fortunately, the Carpet Rug Institute (CRI) established Texture Appearance Retention Ratings (TARR) to indicate the resilience, strength, and durability of different carpets.
In general, carpets with a greater density of fibers, more “twist” in each fiber strand, and shorter pile (visible surface or “face”) are better suited to high-traffic floors. TARR ratings reflect how well carpets (with or without these traits) hold up against heavy loads, wear, and tear in tests. The result is a rank from 1 – 5, where a rating of “1” indicates the least durable carpet, and a “5” indicates the greatest durability.
Carpet tiles with a TARR rating of 3.5 or higher can be a decent choice for high-traffic areas.
Warm Interior Style
As carpet fibers and construction vary considerably, costs and “clean-ability” vary. In general, carpet tile is a smart choice for commercial spaces that need a warmer or homier aesthetic than the more conventional “heavy duty” options offer.
McLean Company: Elegant, High-Traffic Flooring Solutions—and More
When it comes to commercial flooring, the are plenty of solutions to choose from! But don’t let the vast array of options overwhelm you. Instead, why not talk to one of our experts about your project today?
McLean Company’s pros are standing by to help you out. Call us at 978-774-4330 for a free consultation with one of our specialists. Or, use the contact form below to get more information.