For many, flooring is simply a functional product; however, it fulfils an incredibly important role in a range of applications, whether fitted in a hospital, care home or GP surgery. It needs to provide a durable surface, while still delivering on a design level to complement interior schemes and balance practicalities, such as wayfinding or zoning.

Using colour and pattern for wayfinding

Wayfinding is important for any commercial building, but perhaps none more so than healthcare settings where occupants may need to reach their destination swiftly. It is vital that staff, patients and visitors can successfully and easily find their way around; well-designed wayfinding will help people navigate unfamiliar environments, guiding them to their destination.

Luxury vinyl tiles (LVT) offer the possibility to explore different colours, laying patterns and textures, which can all be used to give areas distinct identities, or to create pathways in open-plan spaces. For instance, a walkway can be created using an eye-catching colour in a laying pattern that encourages movement, such as parquet. This could encourage visitors to keep moving and, similarly, it could lead to a breakout space or waiting area that is floored in a more calming tone, utilising a simpler laying pattern and indicating to visitors they can wait in this zone.

Furthermore, using flooring to aid wayfinding can omit or reduce the need for additional signage too, while creating an attractive design feature. Particularly in healthcare settings, wayfinding has to cater for a diverse range of needs. Subtle tonal changes can be used in some environments, while others will require more distinctive contrasting colours. Every project will differ.

Dementia-friendly designs

When designing with dementia in mind, contrasting colours and patterns are discouraged. The floor should be viewed as one continuous surface, as any large tonal contrasts can be interpreted as ‘a step’ by dementia sufferers, causing them panic and confusion – which could also result in a fall.

While keeping the hue of a floor consistent is essential in a dementia-friendly environment, it is equally important that other areas – such as doors, walls and skirting – can be easily distinguished. In particular, the colour of the flooring on stairs should contrast with the walls. A large tonal contrast can also be used as a visual aid to ‘theme’ corridors. LVT offers a wealth of colour options, making it an excellent choice when zoning different areas of a room or building. In terms of interior design colour options, cool hues such as blue and green help people to feel calmer; however, it’s important to note that older people may experience these colours as ‘washed out’ and find it harder to differentiate blues and greens. Alternatively, reds, oranges and yellows are stimulating colours, ideally used in activity areas.

Resilience

While there is often temptation to base flooring decisions on aesthetics alone, resilience is crucial for healthcare environments. The product chosen to embellish a property’s floors must stand up to heavy footfall, while simultaneously combatting all the stains, scratches and spillages.

Natural materials, although popular for their look, will suffer in terms of their resilience. For example, wood is prone to fading and staining, and will continue to move, expand or shrink long after installation. It is also high maintenance and often requires ongoing treatment. Stone and ceramic flooring, on the other hand, is hard-wearing. It can withstand high traffic, while providing natural resistance to scratches and sunlight/UV fading – but, unfortunately, its slippery nature does not lend itself to environments where safety is key.

However, stone or wood flooring LVT that offers the same natural aesthetic, without the limitations, is a hugely popular alternative. This type of flooring offers long-term resilience and design freedom while withstanding heavy traffic and resistance to scuffs and stains. LVT will not splinter or shrink and, with proper care and maintenance, will continue to offer the same aesthetic years after installation. High-quality LVT products consist of several layers, including a vital urethane coating that protects against wear. It is worth noting that not all LVT flooring is the same. While the individual layers that come together to create LVT are important, the density given to the performance wear layer is vital when measuring durability. And, although the thickness of backing layers can vary, this will not improve a floor’s long-term ability to withstand the constant stresses of a high-traffic area.

Safety

Safety is imperative in healthcare facilities, not only for patients and residents, but also staff and visitors. LVT is available in non-slip variants to reduce the risk of slips and falls, while also providing resistance to chemicals and spillages. Modern LVT safety flooring uses near-invisible particles, increasing friction levels between feet and its surface. As a result, it can offer exceptional levels of slip resistance while adhering to specific design scheme requirements.

The control of bacteria is particularly important in environments such as healthcare, where hygiene and safety are paramount. This has led to the latest safety flooring incorporating antimicrobial technology. Our Signature 36+ and Spacia 36+ LVT safety flooring contains an active ingredient which has shown, under blind independent lab tests, to resist the growth of bacteria such as MRSA and E.coli throughout the useable lifetime of the floor for added peace of mind.

Some flooring companies create products with commercial durability in mind. High-quality, hardwearing LVT flooring is often backed by long commercial warranties, with Amtico Signature stretching up to 20 years, offering reassurance that the flooring chosen will stand the test of time, even in the most challenging locations. So, when making a choice on flooring, density of wear layers and long guarantees are essential to a design’s long-term success.