Biggest Problems with Commercial Flooring Projects in 2022 (and a few solutions)
Design Architects and Commercial Interior Designers create many of the great commercial flooring project designs that we enjoy bringing to life. Some of problems and challenges that these design professionals encounter with their flooring projects tend to be the same each year. From product quality issues to improper maintenance to problems with installation techniques, it seems that over time every design professional will have to contend with issues on their commercial flooring projects.
Recently a large group of design professionals from across the United States were surveyed to identify the most predominant issues from 2022. Not surprising, the survey highlighted a few of the age-old problems we see each and every year. And one new issue that seems to be a sign-of-the-times.
Below we recap the Top 5 biggest problems experienced by commercial flooring project design professionals in 2022, along with a few solutions.
Installation Quality: Consistently a top problem for professional designers, the most common reported problem in 2022 is improper installation. 33% of surveyed design professionals reported having installation problems in 2022. Unfortunately, issues with installation continues to be a top problem within the commercial flooring design community.
Solution: Insist on hiring an experienced professional commercial flooring contractor, don’t skip any steps or take shortcuts when it comes to sub-floor preparation and moisture mitigation, and be sure to follow all manufacturer requirements for proper storage and use of flooring materials.
Delivery/Supply-Chain Delays: In 2022 problems caused by slow or delayed delivery were reported by 29% of the survey respondents. This is an astonishing jump from 2020 when only 2% of surveyed design professionals identified product delays as a major issue with their commercial flooring projects.
Solutions: Insist on hiring an experienced commercial flooring contractor with well-established supplier relationships and buying power, be sure to receive your submittals and approve product selections as quickly as is possible and arrange for materials to be pre-purchased at bid-level pricing and safely stored ahead of time whenever possible.
Other Reported Issues: Of the design professionals surveyed, 13% identified poor and improper maintenance as an issue on their commercial flooring projects in 2022. Rounding out the Top 5 issues are inconsistent pricing at 8% and moisture problems at 7%.
So, there you have it. The Top 5 reported issues with commercial flooring projects in 2022. Some problems can never be avoided, but most of the issues discussed above can be managed for success by working with experienced professional commercial flooring contractors, not taking shortcuts during any phase of the flooring preparation or installation process, and with proper upfront planning and attention given to the specific flooring requirements for each project.