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Flattening Out the Price of Carpet Tiles
Flattening Out the Price of Carpet Tiles
Office carpet tiles, like any commercial purchase, will always be a balance between price and quality. But that’s not an easy equation when terms like “Heavy Contract” can obscure what’s actually going into the tile. In this article we’ll try to clarify the key features that define a carpet tile’s performance in an office environment.
Nylon Versus Polypropylene
The most important contributor to a tile’s performance is its base material. Nylon compounds such as Aquafil consistently outperform poly in the standard tests usually applied to commercial carpet tiles. (For more information on these tests, see the white paper on http://www.burofloor.com/symbols-article-32). Nylon’s pile resists flattening, and so retains its appearance for longer than polypropylene.
Simon Lawrence of Bürofloor clarifies the position: “The overall wear resistance of a good quality polypropylene tile is pretty much on a par with nylon, but nylon retains its pile depth far better. As a result we tend to recommend a nylon product such as Antron or Aquafil because it looks better for longer.”
The standard castor chair test illustrates the difference. Most office chairs are equipped with castors, and these can quickly grind through a carpet tile that isn’t built to withstand this sort of wear. While many polypropylene carpet tiles can pass the test without wearing through, the flattening of the pile makes the area under the chair appear distinctly lighter in colour. Under the parameters of the standard test, therefore, it could be argued that polypropylene tiles such as Bürofloor’s Arizona pass as heavy contract specification. “That may be true, but we think it’s more helpful to customers to classify poly carpet tiles as General Contract rather than heavy,” comments Simon Lawrence, “The carpet may be perfectly serviceable, but people need to understand that high-traffic areas will show a whitish tinge that doesn’t appear on nylon pile tiles. The white tinge isn’t the carpet wearing out, it’s the effect of the pile flattening. We make the distinction between general contract and heavy contract to highlight the difference. The General Contract polypropylene tile shows flattening, while the Heavy Contract nylon tile won’t”
But sometimes appearance has to take second place to cost, and this is where a good poly tile scores. The pile will flatten somewhat after a few months, but once that’s happened there’s nothing wrong with the overall life. If the lightening of high-traffic zones is acceptable then savings can certainly be made.
A Question of Aesthetics
So the choice of material for a carpet tile comes down more to appearance than to outright performance. While a polypropylene tile may not wear out, its appearance will inevitably deteriorate after a few months as the pile flattens.
“Buyers need to make a value call,” says Lawrence, “If durability is more important than appearance then there’s a lot to be said for taking the cheaper option. We’ve recently added a polypropylene product to our range to cater for this market. Arizona passes all the tests to qualify as a heavy contract tile, even though we prefer not to classify it as such. As long as buyers understand that it will flatten more quickly than a nylon product there’s no reason why it shouldn’t work in an office environment.”
The Expert’s View
So which is the right choice; nylon or polypropylene?
Simon Lawrence’s view is that the price advantage of the poly product isn’t enough to sway the balance. “From a strictly utilitarian viewpoint, polypropylene carpet tiles will do the job, otherwise we wouldn’t offer the option. But the basic reason for laying carpet tiles is to make an area look good, and nylon keeps its appearance far better than poly. Premium nylon mixes like Aquafil and Antron give a visibly deeper, richer pile that will withstand extremely tough wear.
“I’m speaking impartially here – we offer both polypropylene and nylon products – but I think nylon emerges as the clear winner. If cost is everything, then by all means go for Arizona; it’s a good, contract quality carpet tile that will wear well, but paying a little more for one of the nylon tiles will keep the office looking good long after you’ve forgotten the price.”
About the Author
Simon Lawrence is Managing Director of Bürofloor, a UK company specialising in carpet tiles for commercial premises such as offices and shops. Having worked in the carpet industry for more than 35 years, from production and design through to senior management, he set up Bürofloor in 2001 to provide commercial users with access to test-compliant contract standard carpet tiles.
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