Are you looking to change the flooring in your professional space? Carpet is an attractive, insulating and durable option. However, should you choose carpet tiles or rolls? To help you choose, we’ve put together a complete guide.
Carpet tiles
The different types of carpet tiles
Carpet tiles are available in many variations to suit your needs:
- Heavy-duty carpeting for high-traffic areas;
- Acoustic carpet for noise insulation;
- Carpet tiles that can be installed without glue to guarantee easy removal. The Balsan, Milliken and Interface brands offer adhesive-free installation systems.
The advantages of carpet tiles
Carpet tiles have many advantages:
- Loose-lay tiles can be installed without glue, and do not alter the floor;
- They can be re-used if they are in good condition, or recycled;
- They are easy to maintain and modular;
- If a tile is worn or stained, it can easily be replaced.
Disadvantages of carpet tiles
What are the disadvantages of this floor covering?
- Joints between tiles can encourage the infiltration of liquids;
- The price per square meter is generally higher than for roll carpet.
Roll carpet
Installation and associated loss
The main problem with roll carpet is the waste associated with installation. Carpet strips leave you with large offcuts that cannot be reused. What’s more, glue-down installation makes re-use impossible. Installation is costly, as is removal, which requires floor cleaning and even levelling.
Insulation, aesthetics and use of roll carpeting
Carpet rolls are often regarded as aesthetically pleasing and insulating. This is true, provided you don’t choose a low-quality velour product. Roll carpet can be useful if you have a very large surface to cover.
Carpet tiles versus carpet rolls
| Carpet types | Carpet tiles | Roll carpet |
| Installation | Glue-free installation, better for health and the environment | Installation with glue that may release VOCs |
| Maintenance | Easy maintenance, a single tile can be replaced if there is a problem | More complex maintenance if part of the carpet is damaged |
| Removal | Easy removal as no glue is used | Removal requires cleaning glue residue off the floor |
| Reuse | Reuse rate varies according to the condition of the tiles | Reuse not possible |
| Designs and colors | Wide choice of colors and patterns. Modular tiles let you alternate colors and designs. | Wide choice of colours and patterns |
| Price | Low installation and removal costs | High installation and removal costs due to glue-down installation |
| Environmental impact | Tiles can be reused or recycled. Recycled products are available. | Roll carpet cannot be reused |
Latest carpet innovations and trends
TecSOM ELITE and the Sustainable Design Summit
Recycled and recyclable textile tiles are all the rage. The TecSOM ELITE tile, presented in London at the Sustainable Design Summit, is made entirely from recycled products.
At Orak, we offer durable, eco-friendly carpet tiles made from ECONYL yarn. This is a recycled polyamide yarn. What’s more, all our carpet tiles are recyclable.
EPR Building and Ecocontribution
Since May 1, 2023, eco-taxes have been in place for the EPR construction sector. These will be used to finance the recovery of construction site waste. Certain floor coverings are concerned, notably plastic-fiber carpeting.
Conclusion: What to choose between carpet tiles and carpet rolls?
With its wealth of experience in carpeting, Orak advises you to choose carpet tiles. Removable carpet tiles have more advantages than roll carpet. Roll carpet is generally less durable and harder to maintain. If the carpet is damaged, it has to be replaced. But if you’re using tiles, all you have to do is replace the damaged ones. Please contact us to find out more about our carpet care and maintenance services.
What’s more, carpet tiles meet today’s ecological challenges. They are easy to reuse and recycle.
If you’d like to find out more about our carpet range, contact us today!
