Why LVT and Engineered Hardwood are a First-Class Choice for Airport Flooring
Design: CGLS Architects | Photo: Fred Gerlich
An airport renovation or design is a massive undertaking with square-footage in the thousands and people who use it in the millions. While most airport visitors are just passing through, the space also serves as a welcome center for each city and region.
With many airlines updating their gate and lounge areas to promote a home-like atmosphere, customer comfort and satisfaction are of the utmost importance. To make these high-traffic areas more inviting, designers are turning to materials that illicit the look of home: LVT and hardwood flooring.
No matter the design palette, an airport setting requires flooring that is both aesthetically pleasing and durable: qualities achievable with both engineered hardwood and LVT. These two flooring materials are ideal for many areas of airport flooring including:
- Gates
- Lounges
- Restaurants/bars
- Coffee shops
- Food courts
- Retail spaces
- Internal office spaces
Commercial-grade durability paired with unparalleled design options make these products an ideal option for airport flooring. Here’s why:
Why LVT and Engineered Hardwood are Best Options for Airport Flooring
Durability
Airports get more around-the-clock traffic than anywhere else in the world. Approximately eight million travelers take off and land on a daily basis, and that number is expected to grow. With so many travelers running from terminal to terminal, to catch their flights or grabbing a quick bite to eat during a layover, airport flooring requires a high level of durability.
In high-traffic settings like an airport, either hardwood or LVT is a perfect choice for flooring. Travelers, and their rolling luggage, are constantly putting airport flooring under constant wear, making durability of the utmost importance.
One of the reasons LVT is ultra-durable is due to the manufacturing processes used to make it. Our LVT is constructed using a unique heat-infused technology, known as the hot press method, which fuses together multiple layers of backing for a tighter bond all around that, in the end, creates stable and ultra-durable airport flooring.
Maintenance
Maintenance must also be considered when looking for airport flooring options. Airport custodial staff is expected to keep up with the volume of travelers and the mess they can sometimes leave behind. Airport dining areas and gates or lounges are all expected to be kept clean for travelers. Maintenance is minimal with LVT and hardwood compared to other airport flooring options.
Cleaning these flooring materials is simple and time efficient — dry sweeping or mopping using a two-bucket system. In high-traffic dining areas subjected to food and beverage spills, LVT is ideal not only because it’s easy to clean, but it’s naturally water, scratch, stain, and scuff resistant. Historically, airport flooring design includes carpet in areas like the gates or lounges, but travelers often are eating and drinking there, so having an easy-to-clean floor is important.
Any flooring that experiences the high level of foot traffic will undoubtedly sustain some wear. This is why selecting the right type of flooring is crucial. LVT and hardwood are both durable and versatile, meaning they can withstand most wear issues or can be easily replaced tile-by-tile if ever needed.
This ease in repair means there won’t be a need to close or corner off spaces for upkeep — an important consideration since airports are essentially open all year long, 24 hours a day and seven days a week. With travelers on the go, oftentimes running to catch their connecting flights, it is imperative to choose a flooring product with minimal maintenance.
Aesthetics
LVT and engineered hardwood are great airport flooring choices for practical reasons — durability, stability and ease-of-maintenance — but they’re also ideal thanks to their countless design options. With travelers often spending extended periods of time at the airport, choosing a flooring option that is aesthetically pleasing is important to consider. Though an airport space is immense, that doesn’t mean it cannot be made to feel welcoming and comfortable.
LVT can be used to mimic the look of other flooring, like tile and stone, at a fraction of the cost. It can also be completely unique, incorporating different textures and tones to create an entirely new look, all while meeting the durability standards of airport flooring.
When choosing your airport flooring and overall design, consider incorporating home-like elements that make people feel more comfortable – natural wood and warm colors. This is where real hardwood flooring is the perfect solution, as it creates an inviting and soothing atmosphere even in hectic airport spaces.
To give continuity to your design, consider designs for the wall that pair well with the flooring. In fact, 2mm thick LVT can be used on wall applications, whether creating a feature wall in a lounge or a bar façade in an airport restaurant. We even offer a line of plank designs from our Avara Luxury Vinyl Floor & Wall collection that are Class A fire rated.
At Parterre, we have been helping designers get inspired and find the right flooring solutions for their commercial projects. To learn more about airport flooring or our products, please feel free to contact us.