How to Find a Salon Flooring Solution a Cut Above the Rest

Selecting a flooring product for a modern-day hair salon requires — first and foremost — a keen eye for style and comfort. But it’s also about more than just aesthetics.

Today’s salon space, no matter if it’s a retail chain or privately owned establishment, should feature flooring that is designed to handle a little bit of everything — from the foot traffic of its clients and stylists, to the spill over from washing stations.

Salons, which can also include establishments like nail salons and spas, should always be designed with the customer in mind, however it’s also important to consider the comfort of your stylists and other employees who spend hours on their feet.

While there are no doubt numerous salon flooring options available to you, only one product possesses the design versatility, durability, comfort, and acoustical and safety qualities that are ideal for your salon space.

Why Luxury Vinyl is the Best Salon Flooring Option

There are many reasons why luxury vinyl flooring is the best salon flooring option available. Here are a few of them:

Aesthetics — Luxury vinyl flooring, whether it’s tile or plank, offers the look of natural materials — this includes hardwood, stone, marble, concrete, and more. This design versatility is crucial because other flooring products, such as hardwood, are not ideal for a salon space due to exposure to spills and constant topical moisture.

Aesthetics is significant for salons, especially when creating a space that is relaxing for its clients. Most salons attempt to exude a style or brand that is consistent throughout the space. Luxury vinyl flooring is the best option for this, as it can help set the tone for the entire interior of your salon space — no matter if you’re looking for a contemporary, modern or classic style.

Comfort — Because stylists can spend upwards of eight to 12 hours a day on their feet, it only makes sense to select a flooring product that is softer under foot. Certain hard flooring surfaces like hardwood, stone, ceramic are exactly that — hard. Luxury vinyl flooring offers more of a cushion and is softer under foot than the aforementioned hard flooring surfaces.

Safe and Sound — With so many clients coming and going, not to mention moisture and other liquids ending up on the floor, salons can at times be quite busy. With its natural slip resistance qualities, luxury vinyl flooring is a top-of-mind product for spaces with high traffic.

Salons are also known as a place for conversation, so you can imagine how sound can travel throughout the interior. Certain hard flooring surfaces like ceramic and concrete can lead to an echo, which can in turn create an acoustical problem. Luxury vinyl flooring will help soften the sound a bit, especially if an underlayment is applied.

Durability — Whether it’s the nonstop haircuts and styling or endless amounts of shampooing and hair dyeing, salons can get pretty busy throughout the day. A busy salon equates to wear and tear.

With wash stations and sinks, topical moisture caused by splashing or spills may be more constant. Luxury vinyl flooring is a naturally non-porous product allowing it to have a high resistance to spills. It is always important for any flooring product, however, to clean up spills right away and to follow the proper guidelines before installing the floor.

Much like topical spills and moisture, it is best to wipe up any spilled dye not allowing it to set in. In most cases when cleaned up immediately, dye will likely not penetrate the wear layer of luxury vinyl, unlike other flooring products where a finish or wax is being used. Also, Parterre recommends ordering a luxury vinyl sample to test different dyes being used in the salon before installation.

Luxury vinyl is also naturally resistant to scratches and scuffs — which can happen easily in a place with as much foot traffic as a salon space. And because of the aforementioned design versatility and texture, luxury vinyl can help hide dirt and hair until it’s cleaned up.

Seamless Installation — Luxury vinyl flooring is very pliable, which is a helpful attribute to have when installing on existing flooring surfaces. This flexibility allows you to conform your vinyl flooring to most surfaces. However, before you install vinyl over the existing substrate, it’s recommended that you do significant flooring preparation referring to the manufacturer’s installation guidelines.

Ease of Maintenance — Maintenance is incredibly important for any application — especially a salon or spa. The flooring you select for your salon space must be easy to clean, because any downtime ultimately affects your bottom line. Luxury vinyl requires regular sweeping or dry mopping, which not only makes it easier to maintain, but also makes it less costly in comparison to the lifecycle cost of other flooring products.

In addition, luxury vinyl flooring is easy to maintain and to replace in the case a tile or plank is damaged. Instead of having to replace the entire flooring area, luxury vinyl can be replaced tile-by-tile or plank-by-plank. It’s recommended that you always order a few extra flooring planks or tiles just in case.

An Ideal Flooring Solution for Spas

Unlike your standard hair or nail salon, spas typically have changing rooms or locker room facilities inside. In addition to being aesthetically pleasing to the eye, these spaces should also be comforting and calming. Luxury vinyl flooring is not only softer under foot than most flooring surfaces, it’s also warmer under foot than most — an important quality for clientele who go barefoot to get spa services and massages.

At Parterre, we’re committed to providing luxury vinyl flooring in a variety of design options — no matter the space. Contact us today to learn more about our salon flooring solutions.