A Buyer’s Guide to Carpet Tiles

What are carpet tiles?

Carpet tiles are small sections of carpets that are precut into squares, rectangles or other shapes with a built-in backing and fitted together. They are available in a range of colours and designs with a standard size of 50cm x 50cm, although some manufacturers now produce carpet planks that are 100cm x 25cm.

Why use carpet tiles?

One of the most attractive benefits of carpet tiles is the ease and speed with which they can be fitted. Large office areas can often be completed in a day and the fact that desk legs can be quickly lifted to slide new tiles underneath means that disruption is kept to a minimum. As carpet tiles can be individually lifted, moved and replaced they are also very useful if you need to gain access to cables or ducting beneath the floor.

The vast range of colours, designs and styles available in the latest ranges also means there’s something to complement any interior design scheme.

Carpet tiles are extremely hard wearing, stain resistant and practical, if you do get a deep stain on one which cannot be cleaned, you can always lift it out and swap it for a new one. They offer good value for money when you consider their potential lifespan and the fact that they can always be lifted and reused.

Carpet tiles also produce very little waste because they require minimal cutting or adjustment to fit into an area, this makes them a cost-effective option. They are highly durable and very easy to keep clean and maintain making them ideal for high use commercial areas.

Where to use carpet tiles?

Carpet tiles are ideal for use in a range of commercial areas including offices, hallways, retail stores, meeting rooms and reception areas. As well as commercial applications they can be used throughout the home and are always popular in dining areas and kitchens, the wide range of colours and designs available make them an ideal choice for both commercial and domestic applications. A popular option for this is Heuga 530 II.

How to clean carpet tiles?

Carpet tiles are easy to keep clean - an effective vacuum cleaning programme is essential for the success of any carpet tile maintenance plan. Grit and dirt if not vacuumed thoroughly can become an abradant that could damage fibres, if left in the carpet to build up. In addition to removing soil, vacuum cleaning also enhances the appearance of the product by lifting and restoring the pile. Carpet tiles made from synthetic yarns are inherently stain resistant, they can be spot cleaned in the normal way. Keep a few extra tiles in reserve so that you can replace individual tiles that become damaged or heavily soiled.

How much do carpet tiles cost?

Carpet tiles vary in cost depending on the material that they are made from, stain resistant manmade fibres often offer the best value and can start at under £3 per tile and go up to £10 per tile. The cost often increases with the thickness of the tiles.

Wool or cotton carpet tiles tend to be at the more expensive end of the scale and could easily cost upwards of £15 - £20 per tile, as natural products are more expensive to source in the flooring industry. Many people feel the added expense is well worth it when you consider the environmental benefits of using a naturally produced product like wool or cotton.

Sustainability of carpet tiles

Sustainability is an increasingly important aspect when considering which type of flooring to go for, a great many manufacturers now use a very high recycled content in their carpet tiles and the tile backing

Interface have led the global initiative in using discarded fishing nets to turn into the yarn for their carpet tiles, while one of the UK’s best known manufacturers of carpet tiles - Burmatex - have a range of sustainability initiatives in place as part of their ecomatters project, including their BioBase recycled backing system which uses a minimum of 77% recycled content in the backing of all of their new tiles. They are heading towards their goal of being carbon neutral and have even started using a carbon negative yarn to produce their tiles, while also using 100% renewable energy in production.

What designs and colours are available?

The use of carpet tiles in modern interior design has come a long way in recent years, with the versatility now on offer and the ability to combine different shades from the same range to create unique interior spaces. Some ranges have over 30 colours available to choose from and when you consider the different combinations available and the fact that you can mix and match carpet tiles of different shapes the design possibilities become almost endless.

The classic Heuga carpet tiles are available in the 530 II, 580 II, 725’s and the 727 loop designs. All of these offer a huge range of colours and designs along with a high recycled content. Our Forbo Tessera carpet tiles are a collection of top quality carpet tiles from a leading brand leader, they include the fantastic Teviot range with its 32 colour options, the innovative Layout & Outline planks and economic Create Space 1 range made with 100% recycled fibres. For those wanting something a little bit different, our range of British made Burmatex carpet tiles are a great option, the stunning Tivoli range with its choice of 40 different shades and the coordinating Tivoli Planks offers endless design options at an affordable price. 

Two other popular British suppliers of quality carpet tiles are JHS & Rawsons, they supply some stand out designs and colours at competitive prices to suit any budget, the Sprint Plain & Stripe range from JHS is a firm favourite along with their ever-popular anti-static Rimini range. For those wanting a classic look you might want to consider the Eden range from Rawson’s with its distinctive looped fleck finish.

What are carpet tiles made of?

Carpet tiles are typically made from stain resistant man-made fibres such as polyester, polypropylene and nylon. Natural based carpet tiles use sustainably sourced wool or cotton.

More information

If you'd like more information about carpets tiles or for project pricing on larger commercial installations, contact our sales team today.