Best Flooring Options for High-Traffic Commercial Spaces
In high-traffic commercial environments, flooring plays a crucial role—not just in terms of aesthetics, but in durability, safety, and ongoing maintenance costs. Whether it’s a busy office building, retail store, school, or transport hub, your floor has to withstand the constant pressures of footfall, furniture, cleaning regimes, and more.
At MacFloor, we specialise in commercial flooring solutions that strike the perfect balance between performance and design. In this article, we’ll take a look at the best types of flooring for high-traffic areas and why they’re so effective in commercial settings.
What Makes a Floor Suitable for High Traffic?
Before diving into the flooring types, let’s define what makes flooring suitable for high-traffic use:
- Durability: Can it stand up to constant footfall and movement of furniture or equipment?
- Slip resistance: Safety is paramount in commercial spaces, especially where moisture or spills are common.
- Ease of maintenance: Floors should be quick and easy to clean, with minimal disruption.
- Aesthetic appeal: First impressions count, particularly in customer-facing spaces.
- Longevity: A good floor should last years without needing constant repair or replacement.
Now let’s explore the top flooring options.
1. Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT)
Luxury Vinyl Tile is one of the most popular commercial flooring choices for good reason. It offers the appearance of natural materials—like stone, ceramic, or wood—while delivering superior durability and resistance to wear and tear.
Why it works for high-traffic areas:
- Scratch and stain-resistant
- Easy to clean and maintain
- Water-resistant (ideal for areas prone to spills)
- Available in a huge range of styles and finishes
LVT is perfect for retail shops, offices, hospitality venues, and healthcare environments where both aesthetics and practicality are key.
2. Carpet Tiles
Carpet tiles are a great solution for commercial environments that want to combine comfort with practicality. They’re particularly effective in offices and educational settings where noise reduction is a priority.
Why they work:
- Easily replaceable in high-wear zones
- Provide excellent acoustic insulation
- Durable and cost-effective
- Wide variety of colours, textures and designs
In busy open-plan offices, carpet tiles help to soften sound, increase comfort underfoot, and add visual warmth to a space.
3. Safety Vinyl Flooring
In environments such as hospitals, care homes, or food prep areas, safety vinyl is a must. It provides a non-slip surface that reduces the risk of slips and falls—even in wet or greasy conditions.
Why it’s ideal:
- R10-R13 slip ratings available for different use cases
- Easy to deep clean and disinfect
- Welded seams for hygienic installation
- Resistant to chemicals, abrasions, and moisture
Safety vinyl ensures compliance with HSE regulations and is a vital component in environments where hygiene and safety are essential.
4. Rubber Flooring
Rubber flooring is one of the toughest and most shock-absorbent surfaces available, making it ideal for gyms, transport hubs, or industrial environments.
Key benefits:
- High slip resistance
- Absorbs impact and sound
- Very long lifespan
- Resistant to water, oil and chemicals
Though slightly more expensive than vinyl options, the longevity and performance of rubber flooring often make it a cost-effective choice in the long run.
5. Porcelain Tiles
For entranceways, public bathrooms, and luxury commercial spaces like hotels or showrooms, porcelain tiles offer an unbeatable combination of strength and style.
Why porcelain is popular:
- Extremely durable and wear-resistant
- Elegant, premium look
- Low porosity makes it easy to clean
- Excellent underfloor heating compatibility
Porcelain is a great option when you want a high-end finish that still stands up to daily use.
Final Thoughts
When choosing flooring for a high-traffic commercial space, the decision should go beyond just looks. The right flooring will boost safety, improve ease of maintenance, and deliver long-term value. At MacFloor, we work closely with business owners, architects, and contractors to recommend the best flooring solutions based on each project’s unique requirements.
Need help choosing the perfect flooring for your commercial space? Contact MacFloor today for expert advice, samples, or to schedule a site visit.
Choose the best flooring for pets?
Keeping a pet-filled home clean and tidy can be quite a challenge. From toilet mishaps and muddy paws dirtying the floors to unclipped claws leaving scratches and scuffs everywhere, maintaining cleanliness can be tough. That’s why it’s crucial to have flooring that can handle the demands of pet ownership. We’re here to help you choose new flooring that’s perfect for your furry friends!
What is the Best Flooring for Pets?
When selecting the best flooring for your pet, consider the type of protection you need. While carpets provide comfort, not all are suitable for pets. Loop carpets are a bad choice as pets’ claws can get caught, which can damage both the carpet and their claws. Saxony cut carpets, on the other hand, are pet-friendly and offer plush comfort.
For concerns about scuffs and scratches, laminate flooring is an excellent option. Its tough wear layer resists damage from claws, and it’s easy to clean, making muddy paw prints a thing of the past.
If accidents are your main worry, water-resistant flooring is essential. Luxury vinyl flooring, being 100% waterproof, is often the best choice. It’s budget-friendly, easy to maintain, and resilient against spills and stains. Sheet vinyl is another affordable option with a water-resistant surface.
For those who love the look of real wood, engineered wood with a lacquered finish can be a good pet-friendly option. With proper maintenance, it can withstand spills and scratches while maintaining its appearance.
What is the Best Flooring for Pet Accidents?
For pet-proof flooring that handles accidents well, water-resistance is key. Luxury vinyl flooring is entirely waterproof, making it perfect for managing any mishaps from your pets. It’s also low maintenance, which is ideal if you need to leave your pets at home.
Sheet vinyl is a cost-effective choice that offers some water resistance and is easy to maintain. Although it’s not as waterproof as luxury vinyl, it’s suitable if pet accidents are less frequent.
Water-resistant laminate options offer a more authentic wood feel and provide up to 24 hours of water resistance, which is handy for quick clean-ups.
Stain-resistant carpets made from 100% polypropylene can also be effective. They can withstand most stains with proper care. However, if easy maintenance is your priority, vinyl or water-resistant laminate might be better.
Which is Better for Dogs – Laminate or Vinyl?
Stylish and modern, hard floors are popular in homes. For dogs, the main concerns are slipping and scratching. Luxury vinyl flooring is less slippery and has a tough, scratch-resistant top layer, offering both texture and protection. Life Rigid Core Vinyl is a fantastic choice for its impact-resistant limestone core and stylish options in wood, stone, and marble effects.
Laminate flooring is durable and can handle scratching and clawing, though it may not always offer the best grip for dogs.
What is the Most Durable and Scratch-Resistant Flooring?
Rigid core vinyl is an excellent choice for durability and scratch resistance. It’s versatile and 100% waterproof. For those who prefer laminate, Audacity is a great option, offering both scratch resistance and up to 72 hours of water resistance. Understanding the AC rating for laminate can also help determine durability.
What’s the Most Comfortable Flooring for Pets?
If you plan on using underfloor heating, laminate or vinyl floors are suitable. The right underlay can add comfort. Additionally, a rug can create a cosy spot for your pet, and a proper pet mattress can become their favourite place to rest.
Choosing the right flooring for your home can make a significant difference in maintaining a clean and comfortable environment for both you and your pets.
What Types Of Floor Are There?
Tired of dealing with faded carpets or scuffed vinyl? Then it’s definitely time to get new flooring into your home or business premises – but what options are available?
Many people have the vision of their dream flooring in their heads but aren’t sure where to start in choosing.
Here at Mac Floor, we look to help with that, and the wide range of flooring options that we can provide. Please see below for a selection of the options available to you when choosing a Mac Floor.
- Carpets – Soft, luxurious and cosy, carpets are often seen as a more traditional choice, but we have a selection that is modern and stylish to fit homes, hospitality, offices and more. See more about our carpets here.
- Luxury Vinyl Tiles – Water resistant, practical and affordable, vinyl tiling is a great choice for kitchens, bathrooms and commercial premises. See more about our range of vinyl flooring here.
- Hardwood – Wooden floors are a timeless classic still popular today, offering great durability and style whilst being low maintenance. See more about our range of hardwood flooring here.
- Hygienic/Safety – The ideal choice for commercial kitchens, toilets, changing rooms and similar areas, hygienic & safety flooring is easy to clean, and hard-wearing. See more about our hygienic and safety flooring here.
For examples of these types of flooring in the real world, please take a look at our portfolio of previous projects.
Any questions about any of the types of flooring above? Or ready to push on with your new project? Either way, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our friendly team who will be happy to answer any questions you have, and get you started with our free quotes and measuring service.