feature FLOORING
Hardwood Floors Make The Cut With today’s finishes and ease of installation, hardwood flooring is a practical and even economical choice for commercial buildings. Nate Poe, Lumber Liquidators
C
hoosing and installing hardwood flooring for a commercial project is a completely different experience from what it was a decade ago. Commercial projects back then may have been severely restricted in terms of choice and cost, but today’s modern technology and a highly competitive market have created a world of options for project designers looking to incorporate hardwood flooring. With a little education and some pre-installation know-how on the part of specifiers, a hardwood floor can become a valuable and cost-effective addition to any commercial project.
Durability and function The watchword for flooring in a commercial project is durability. It has to last, it has to handle a lot of foot traffic, and it has to work in a variety 20
COMMERCIAL BUILDING PRODUCTS
SEPTEMBER 2012
of environments. Developers need to forecast ongoing low-cost maintenance for a building, so being sure that a floor will still retain its shine 20 or even 50 years without replacement is a big bonus for commercial-property developers. Advancements in hardwood finishes, which use multi-layered micro-particle processes, mean that hardwood flooring can now handle decades of use and provide long-lasting beauty. Durability goes beyond aesthetics. Functionality is increasingly important, particularly for properties that focus on catering to elder care. The elderly population is growing, meaning more people will need robust, accessible flooring, whether in their own homes or in assistedliving facilities. Preparing for a time when they will have less mobility, baby boomers are causing an uptick in demand. The post-retirement
Get free product information at www.cbpmagazine.com
properties they seek will incorporate many of the requirements found in the Americans with Disabilities Act, which requires ramps, wider doorways, and wheelchair/cane accessibility —all features for which hard-surface floors are the best choice. This is a huge potential market for hardwood flooring.
The green factor Hardwood flooring is a growing choice for architects looking for more Leadership in Environment Engineering and Design (LEED) points for their design. Flooring’s lifespan is a major component of any sustainability credentials. By opting for woods such as bamboo and cork, architects can earn additional green feathers in their caps, which can be crucial, especially for larger projects. In the past, some develop-
