Office Tiles

Workplace tile specification spans several distinct conditions in one building: entrance and reception, lift lobbies and circulation, tea points and breakout, WCs and showers, and back of house. Each carries different slip, abrasion and acoustic requirements, and a single finish rarely satisfies all of them.

Specifying office floors and walls

• Zone the specification. Entrance and circulation need wet slip performance and PEI IV or V abrasion. Tea points need stain and chemical resistance to ISO 10545-14 and ISO 10545-13. Shower and changing areas are barefoot wet areas assessed to DIN 51097.
• Acoustics in open plan. Hard floors reflect sound. Where tile runs through open plan or a circulation spine, an acoustic uncoupling mat reduces impact noise transmission, and the surrounding scheme has to carry absorption elsewhere in ceilings and soft finishes.
• Raised access floors. Tiling over a raised access floor requires a rigid, properly supported deck and usually an uncoupling layer. Panels must still lift for access, so confirm the build-up allows it before specifying a bonded finish.
• Accessibility contrast. Approved Document M and BS 8300-2 apply across circulation. Hold a 30 point LRV difference between floor and wall, and confirm it at selection stage.
• Certification evidence. BREEAM Mat 01 and WELL submissions need product-level data. Request EPDs and recycled content figures when the range is selected, not when the submission is due.

See also reception area tiles, sustainable tiles and matt tiles for circulation finishes.

Frequently asked questions

What slip resistance do office floor tiles need?

A wet PTV of 36 or above at entrances, in tea points and in WC and shower areas. Dry internal circulation away from those zones can take a lower value, provided the entrance matting strategy is sound.

Can tiles be laid over a raised access floor?

Yes, with the right build-up. The deck must be rigid and fully supported, an uncoupling membrane is normally required to handle deflection between pedestals, and the design has to preserve panel access. Confirm the system with the access floor manufacturer.

Do tiled office floors cause acoustic problems?

They can, because a hard surface reflects both airborne and impact sound. An acoustic uncoupling layer under the tile addresses impact transmission, and the wider scheme needs absorption in ceilings, walls and soft furnishing to control reverberation.