Interesting fact: Wetherspoon has different carpets in each pub

Many businesses with multiple locations have the same style carpet in all their branches, but not pub chain Wetherspoon. Their 900 pubs each has its own individually-designed carpet.

Wetherspoon is known for its low prices of drink and food, but they are not afraid to spend on outfitting their pubs. Each pub carpet is individually designed at a cost of between £20,000 to £30,000. Their head of property development and acquisition, Jon Randall, said:

“We place particular emphasis on the design of our new pubs, investing heavily in every aspect, as well as in the refurbishment of our older premises.

“With more than 900 pubs, that is a lot of carpet. All of our new pub carpets are individually designed, some with details to reflect aspects of the buildings’ history or local area."

The carpets are made by Axminster. Unlike most of their carpets, which have between five and six colours, the multicolour Wetherspoon carpets have to be made on special old looms.

The carpets have inspired an online social media group called "Wetherspoons Carpet Appreciation Society", which has 1,500 members that upload photos of carpets in their local branch of Wetherspoon.

Many businesses operating from different locations in North Wales use the same carpet style bought from flooring companies in North Wales. Wetherspoon has shown that by having many individually-designed carpets, it can create a talking point that results in valuable publicity for a business.

What’s the best type of commercial flooring in Chester?

There are a variety of flooring options available for commercial premises in Chester. The main ones are carpet, hardwood, ceramic tile, laminates, rubber and vinyl, so which is right for you?

Hardwood

Hardwood is a good choice of commercial flooring for Chester’s high-traffic areas as it is easy to maintain, hardwearing and looks good. It is a natural product, so if a business has an environmental policy, wood from sustainable forests is a good choice. At the end of the floor’s life, the wood planks can be easily recycled.

Wood floors need coating with a protective layer to prevent scratches and stains, and to make them water repellent.

Hardwood floors are good for reception areas where people get their first impression of your business.

Carpets

Carpets or carpet tiles are available in a vast range of colours and patterns. They need to be vacuumed each day and professionally deep cleaned at least once a year.

They’re a great choice in offices or places where people stand a lot. They can insulate a room from excessive noise and are comfortable to stand on for long periods.

Tiles mean that worn areas can be replaced without having to replace the whole carpet.

Ceramic tiles

Ceramic tiles are durable and easily cleaned. They can stain, but most stains can be removed. They are suitable for bathroom areas and food preparation rooms where hygiene is important and floors need to resist moisture.

Luxury vinyl tiles (LVT)

In Chester’s high-traffic areas, LTV is ideal and is available in a variety of styles and colours. Many businesses are tempted by cheap LVT, but these will not last long. Premium grade LVT is ultimately a more economical choice for busy areas and will resist stains and scratches.

Rubber

Rubberised floors are good for healthcare businesses as they can reduce injuries from falls. They are easy to walk on too.

Laminate

Laminate flooring can look like hardwood flooring, tiles or stone, but is less expensive than those materials. Good quality laminates are hard wearing and easy to clean.

Choosing the best commercial flooring in Chester

In a city like Chester, with plenty of tourist footfall and some wildly unpredicatable weather, The main factors that influence floor choices are expected footfall, maintenance, hygiene, safety and budget, Another consideration is the colour and pattern of the floor, how it complements the design of the building.

Hardwood is a good choice if you want a luxury natural look, but it may not be the best material for care homes and schools with young children who would benefit from floors with cushioning that protects them when falling.

Food preparation areas and toilets need tile or LVT floors that are easy to clean and will not trap dirt or debris. With it often being a rainy city, LTV flooring in Chester is particularly handy.

Some floors can be treated with non-slip coatings to prevent accidents. In areas with hazardous chemicals, floors can be treated with finishes that resist chemical damage.

Workplaces that use hazardous chemicals will have to comply with safety regulations that prescribe the level of protection that the floor needs.

Consult a provider of commercial flooring in Chester for advice on the best floor options for every area of your workplace.

Artificial grass companies join forces for recycling initiative

A partnership of three firms has come together to make synthetic artificial grass recyclable.

Versalis supplied the raw material, polyethylene, that is used to make artificial grass. RadiciGroup makes the fibres for artificial grass and Safitex manufacturers synthetic grass. The recycling initiative is aimed at sports organisations that dispose of their artificial turf after it reaches the end of its life by sending it to landfills or incinerators.

The group of companies has launched a scheme to collect and shred artificial turf to make other sports products such as shin guards and elbow pads, as well as other plastic products including garden furniture, vases and accessories.

An independent certification body, Certiquality, has issued this process with a Product Environmental Footprints Certificate.

Although the scheme is aimed at recycling large football pitches and similar artificial surfaces, artificial grass in homes could be recycled. Though artificial grass in Chester homes should last for many years, like other plastics at the end of life, they can be can be given a new purpose. The ‘circular economy’ is a term used to describe the prices of reusing the materials from products when they come to the end of their life, and artificial grass can be part of it.

Artificial grass is popular because it looks good and needs less maintenance than real grass. Natural grass cut from lawns can be recycled to make mulch and animal feed, leading some people to regard artificial grass as not being environmentally friendly, but its impact can be lessened by giving it a new use.

Rapid growth expected in wood and laminate flooring

A report has forecast that the global market for laminate and wood flooring will expand rapidly during the next few years and by 2026 over 2,130 million sq meters of wood and laminate flooring will be sold worldwide.

Though laminate and wood floor coverings are used in new buildings, the report by market researchers Fact.MR says that more will be sold for repair and renovation projects. The highest demand for wood and laminate flooring is expected to come from Europe.

One of the factors fuelling the growth of wood and laminate flooring is the low price. Laminate is a low-cost alternative to wood. Whilst wood is more expensive to purchase and install, it lasts a long time and works out cost effective in the long term. Solid and top-grade engineered wood has the advantage that it can be sanded when worn to make it look like new again.

Another reason for the popularity of wood and laminates is their look. People like the natural look of real wood. Modern printing technology has made the wood image on laminate tiles almost identical to the real material.

Laminate or wood flooring in Chester is a good choice for homes and business premises. It is durable and easy to maintain. Solid wood can add value to a home as well as looking beautiful. Laminate is a great choice for a low-cost wood alternative if the budget does not stretch to real hardwood.

International Surface Event highlights flooring trends for 2019

The International Surface Event held at the end of January in Las Vegas is where flooring manufacturers exhibit their latest products and interior designers go to view the latest flooring design trends.

Due to the high cost of hardwood flooring, cheaper luxury vinyl tiles and laminates that look like wood were featured at the 2019 show. New printing technology is making these floor coverings look even more like real wood. Luxury vinyl tiling in a wood pattern is a natural-looking floor covering that is easy to maintain and highly durable. Unless examined closely, it is difficult to tell that these luxury vinyl floors are not wood. Some vinyl tiles exhibited at this year’s show have the distressed look of antique wood.

A contemporary room look is achieved by using rich coloured floors, blues or greys which are offset with light coloured furniture and accessories.

There is a trend towards large format floor coverings. Tiles are big, at least 24 inches wide, and wood-planks have extra width of over 7 ½ inches.

Large format geometric bold pattern tiles in neutral colours were another trend featured in the show.

Mixed material floor coverings generated a lot of interest. These mix porcelain wood, stone, and metal for an eye-catching look.

An interested home owner does not need to go to America to find the latest in flooring trends. Many of the floor covering trends seen at the Internarial Surface Show are available at your local flooring company in Chester and Wirral for installation in the home or commercial property.