Blog Mini Series Part 1: How to Choose the Right Carpet Tiles

Mini-series - How to Choose the Right Carpet Tiles for your Project

Whether you’re fitting carpet tiles in an office, school, commercial space or your home, selecting the right carpet tile significantly impacts appearance, comfort, and long-term cost.

This 4-part mini-series is a ‘Myth Buster’ and breaks down key factors in clear, practical terms, highlighting the difference between budget and good quality tiles. This will give you the knowledge to help you choose your tiles properly and not make an expensive mistake, by ordering the wrong ones.

Part 1: Durability: Budget vs. Premium Carpet Tiles

Not all carpet tiles are created equal. While cheaper budget tiles may look similar (especially online), their looks can deteriorate quickly. A low-cost tile might appear fine at first but can show signs of wear in a busy space within a year, or even less. On the other hand, in the same situation, a premium tile can last a decade or more and still look great.

​Key factors affecting durability:

• Fibre Type:
  • Nylon Fibre: Highly resilient and has memory characteristics that allow crushed pile to regain its shape once pressure is removed.
  • Polypropylene Fibre: Is more affordable and stain-resistant but less durable and prone to flattening as it does not have memory characteristics.

• Fibre Colouring: ​
  • Solution Dyed: Pigment is added to the fibre whilst in liquid form before being spun. This colours the fibre throughout, resisting fading and offering excellent stain resistance. Can be cleaned aggressively with a mild bleach solution without removing colour.
  • Space Dyed: Colour is added to the outside of the fibre after spinning. Space-dyed fibre is not colourfast and can be prone to fading.
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• Pile Weight & Density:
  The heavier the pile weight and the higher the density, the more durable a carpet tile will be. The more closely packed together the fibres are, each fibre has less space to bend, break or flatten, and this helps maintain the appearance of the tile for a lot longer.
   
• Backing Quality:
  Bitumen-backed tiles offer stability and longevity, whilst carpet tiles with a foam or felt backing provide increased comfort and improved sound and heat insulation. But bitumen-backed tiles are more durable because the soft backing of foam or felt can deteriorate a lot quicker.

Use Class / Wear Rating:

Indicates suitability for different areas and levels of foot traffic:

• Class 23: Heavy domestic use (perfect for all areas of the home)
• ​Class 31: Moderate commercial use (meeting rooms, offices with low foot traffic)
• Class 32: General commercial use (offices with moderate foot traffic, classrooms, occasional castor chair and wheelchair use)
• Class 33: Heavy commercial use (stairs, corridors, heavy office traffic, continuous castor chair and wheelchair use)

Next up:

Part 2 of this mini-series explores carpet tile thickness and footfall, and the differences between budget and premium carpet tiles. You don’t want a budget tile in a busy area, as it will soon show signs of wear and you’ll be left feeling frustrated when it needs replacing much sooner than you hoped!