Office flooring: the Kytom material library
Loose-lay carpet tiles: the office benchmark at 28 dB absorption
On our sites since 2006, several cases of early replacement share a single cause: a floor under-rated on UPEC, chosen on aesthetic criteria instead of NF P 62-203. The right covering is not the best-looking showroom piece: it is the one that lasts 12 to 15 years on a workstation subjected to 8 hours of daily foot traffic. The Kytom materials library brings together several hundred samples tested under real conditions, with five dominant families: loose-lay carpet tiles (28 dB impact noise absorption per NF EN ISO 717-2), acoustic LVT (ΔLw 17-19 dB), U4P3 sheet vinyl, 3.2 mm engineered oak parquet and 2-4 mm epoxy resin.
The 50×50 cm loose-lay carpet tile is the solution most frequently chosen on our open space projects, in particular for its acoustic performance and its ease of individual replacement after a stain or localised wear, without full removal.
Common technical specifications:
- Pile weight: 700 to 900 g/m² for intensive office use
- UPEC class: U3P3 minimum, U4P3 for heavy-traffic areas (NF P 62-203)
- Impact noise absorption ΔLw: 25 to 30 dB per NF EN ISO 717-2
- Bitumen or loose-lay PVC backing (5 to 7 kg/m²)
- Installation budget observed across our recent portfolio: 40 to 65 EUR/m²
| Criterion | Entry-level tile | High-density tile |
|---|---|---|
| Pile | 500 g/m² | 900 g/m² |
| ΔLw | 22 dB | 30 dB |
| Service life | 7 years | 12 years |
| Installation budget | 28 EUR/m² | 65 EUR/m² |
Source: supplier technical data sheets cross-referenced with Kytom operational feedback.
For the Asset Manager: the trade-off is not tile vs sheet, it is initial CAPEX vs replacement OPEX. A 500 g/m² tile at 28 EUR/m² costs 37 EUR/m² less to purchase than a 900 g/m² tile. But at 7 years it is replaced, meaning an extra 28 EUR/m² plus 12 EUR/m² for removal and re-laying and 15 days of operational disruption. The ratio tips from the 6th financial year: on a 1,200 m² floor plate, the asset value gap at 10 years reaches 31,200 EUR in favour of high density, excluding rent avoided during the works phase.
When the carpet tile is not the right answer. Below 80 m² of continuous surface, the acoustic gap with an IXPE acoustic LVT becomes marginal relative to the extra bulk-purchase cost: prefer plank LVT for an executive project of less than 100 m². Likewise, in a tea point, coffee area or circulation subject to daily liquid splashes, the carpet tile loses its value: the premature replacement rate there is significantly higher than in a dry area; prefer then welded U4P3 sheet vinyl.
0.55 mm acoustic LVT: wood aesthetics and ΔLw of 17 to 19 dB
Acoustic LVT (Luxury Vinyl Tile) meets the growing demand for hybrid office spaces, blending a residential visual code with office technical performance. The 0.55 mm wear layer remains the benchmark for 12 to 15 years of intensive use.
Configurations delivered by Kytom:
- 0.55 mm full-surface glued LVT: 38 to 55 EUR/m² installed, ΔLw 5 dB
- Acoustic LVT with IXPE underlay: 46 to 65 EUR/m² installed, ΔLw 17-19 dB
- Loose-lay click LVT: 55 to 75 EUR/m² installed, removable
The wear layer is measured in mm: 0.30 mm suits low-traffic executive spaces, 0.55 mm covers open space, 0.70 mm is essential in circulation and reception halls. The plank format imitates parquet (1200×180 mm) or stone tile (610×305 mm).
Contrarian Kytom position: 0.55 mm glued LVT without IXPE has no place in open space, despite its massive uptake in the profession. The supplier doctrine presents this product as versatile. Our reading differs: with a limited ΔLw index, this product amplifies caster noise instead of dampening it, a behaviour we regularly observe in open spaces after delivery. The IXPE acoustic version closes this gap for an extra 8 EUR/m², giving an immediate return on acoustic comfort. On an 800 m² floor plate, the extra cost of 6,400 EUR represents 0.4% of the annual rent of a Parisian open space: the trade-off is trivial for a CFO, and yet the default specification remains classic glued LVT.
Limits of acoustic LVT. IXPE acoustic LVT becomes counterproductive on raised access floors with 600×600 mm panels: the 1.5 mm IXPE underlay creates differential compressibility at panel joints, generating clicking after a few months of use, a defect we have observed under real conditions on this type of substrate. On raised access floors, prefer loose-lay click LVT or carpet tile. Likewise, in areas subject to heavy rolling loads (trolleys > 80 kg, mobile archives), LVT indents: switch to compact sheet vinyl or epoxy resin.
U4P3 sheet vinyl and engineered parquet: performance and representation
Two families complete the office palette for specific uses: welded sheet vinyl for wet or hygienic areas, engineered parquet for executive floors and boardrooms.
Welded sheet vinyl (homogeneous or compact PVC):
- UPEC class U4P3 minimum, up to U4P4S in intensive areas (NF P 62-203)
- Hot welding of the sheets: total watertightness, scrubber-drier cleaning
- Service life estimated at 15 years, budget generally between 35 and 55 EUR/m² installed
- Use cases: tea points, medical spaces, corporate crèches, changing rooms
3.2 mm engineered oak parquet:
- 3.2 mm noble wear layer, sandable 2 to 3 times
- Full glued installation on P3 levelling screed
- Oiled or varnished finish, Bfl-s1 fire classification mandatory in public-access buildings (decree of 21 November 2002)
- Service life estimated at 20 years, budget generally between 85 and 120 EUR/m² installed
Oiled parquet requires annual maintenance (refresh oil, about 4 to 6 EUR/m²) that Kytom includes in the operating contract. This family is justified in representation spaces, never in open open space.
For the Architect / IRB: engineered parquet is a signature material, not an operational floor. On a 200 m² executive floor with fewer than 100 passages/day, 3.2 mm oak lasts 20 years and carries an unrivalled image value. On a reception hall with 400 passages/day, the same product wears out in 4 years. The architectural trade-off consists of delimiting the representation area by mapping the flows: private entrance, boardroom, executive office. Beyond that, switching to a 0.70 mm plank LVT in deliberate oak imitation allows visual coherence to be preserved without the operational risk.
When these families are not suitable. Engineered oak parquet loses its relevance beyond 150 passages/day: wear of the oiled layer becomes visible in less than 4 years, far from the 12 to 15 years announced by manufacturers, a gap we have observed on delivered reception halls. In these areas, switch to a 0.70 mm plank LVT in oak imitation. Welded sheet vinyl, for its part, becomes unjustifiable outside wet areas or scrubber-drier cleaning: on a dry open space, its ΔLw below 8 dB degrades acoustic comfort and its visual rendering remains industrial.
- Map the usage zones
Divide your floor plates into 4 to 6 zones according to traffic and use: reception, circulations, open space, meeting rooms, coffee areas, sanitary facilities. Each zone receives its target UPEC class. This step determines 80% of the relevance of the final choice. - Define the priority technical criteria
Rank your requirements: acoustics, resistance, aesthetics, CSR, budget. On a head office, acoustics and rendering take priority; on a logistics site, resistance and maintenance dominate. Validate your criteria with your OPC and your HR contacts. - Visit our materials library
By appointment, handle the 200+ samples classified by typology. Our consultants guide you towards 3 to 5 references matching your specifications. Leave with the technical data sheets, EPDs and real supply lead times. - Test under real conditions
Lay 2 to 3 m² of each finalist on site for 15 days. Have them walked on, stain them deliberately, measure the acoustics before/after. This 200 EUR step avoids 50,000 EUR of regrets.
Which UPEC class to choose for an open space office?
U3P3 minimum per NF P 62-203 for a standard open space with 8 hours of daily foot traffic. U4P3 is essential in circulation, reception halls and areas with over 200 people/day. Under-rating a floor at U2P2 on aesthetic advice remains the number 1 cause of the early replacements we observe on our sites since 2006.
What budget per m² for an installed office floor covering?
Across our recent portfolio: loose-lay carpet tile from 28 to 65 EUR/m² depending on pile density, LVT from 38 to 75 EUR/m² depending on acoustic underlay and installation method, welded sheet vinyl from 35 to 55 EUR/m², engineered oak parquet from 85 to 120 EUR/m². On a tight budget, it is better to have a high-density tile in a traffic area and an entry-level one in a quiet area than the reverse.
Which covering on a raised access floor?
Loose-lay carpet tile or loose-lay click LVT. Acoustic LVT with IXPE underlay is to be avoided on 600×600 mm panels: its differential compressibility at the joints generates clicking after a few months of use, a defect observed under real conditions on this type of substrate.
