How to specify carpet tiles
The decisions that determine whether a floor still looks acceptable in year twelve — and the ones that only determine how it looks on day one.
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Wear classification
EN 1307 classifies textile floorcoverings by use class. In UK commercial specification you will see:
| Class 32 | General commercial use |
|---|---|
| Class 33 | Heavy commercial use — the standard expectation for contract specification |
Every Tessera and Flotex range on this site is rated Class 33 with a continuous castor chair rating. Treat that as the floor, not the ceiling — it tells you the product is fit for commercial duty, not how it will look in year ten.
The numbers that predict performance
Pile weight (g/m²)
Face fibre mass per square metre. Across Tessera it runs from 350 (Struktur 1, which is mostly structure rather than pile) to 750 (Chroma). More fibre means more to wear through — but the figure is only comparable within a construction type. Comparing a 540 g/m² flocked plank with a 750 g/m² tufted loop tells you almost nothing.
Impact sound reduction (dB)
The most under-used number on a textile flooring datasheet. Across Tessera it spans 17 dB (Struktur) to 27 dB (Layout, Outline, Topology, Twine); Flotex sits at 19 dB. In multi-storey buildings, student accommodation, or anywhere Part E of the Building Regulations applies, that ten-decibel spread is worth more than the colour.
Total thickness (mm)
Matters for junctions with other finishes and door undercuts, not durability. Tessera runs 5.5–7.2mm, Flotex 5.0–5.3mm.
Total recycled content (%)
Increasingly a tender requirement. 60–76% across Tessera, 62.5% across Flotex. Full table.
Castor chair rating
"Continuous use" is what an office with wheeled chairs needs, and every range here carries it. Anything less in an open-plan office is a mistake you will be looking at within three years.
Tile or plank?
Tiles are 50cm x 50cm; planks are 100cm x 25cm. Tessera offers planks in Harmony, Layout & Outline, Struktur 2 Linear and Teviot Phase; most of the Flotex range is plank-format.
Planks give linear, ashlar and herringbone layouts and let you express wayfinding through geometry rather than colour. Tiles give the lowest wastage, the fastest installation and the most forgiving replacement.
Wastage: 5–7% for tiles on a rectangular floor, 10–12% for plank and herringbone.
Adhesive and subfloor
- Test subfloor relative humidity before choosing an adhesive system. A new slab takes roughly one day per millimetre for the first 50mm to dry.
- Specify a smoothing compound. Thin modular flooring telegraphs ridges and old adhesive residue.
- Tackifier for most installations — clean lift for replacement, rotation and reclamation. Permanent adhesive on ramps, under heavy trolleys and where lateral shear is severe.
- For Flotex in genuinely wet-cleaned areas, specify the adhesive and perimeter detail for that duty. Waterproof flooring over an unsealed perimeter is half a solution.
Specification clause checklist
- Manufacturer, brand (Tessera or Flotex), range name and colourway reference
- Format and module size (50 x 50 cm tile / 100 x 25 cm plank)
- Construction — tufted loop, cut-and-loop, textured, or flocked
- Yarn composition
- Pile weight g/m² and total thickness mm
- Wear classification and castor chair rating
- Impact sound reduction in dB, where acoustics are in the brief
- Total recycled content % and EPD reference
- Reaction to fire classification to BS EN 13501-1
- Laying pattern — named, not left to the fitter
- Adhesive or tackifier system, named
- Subfloor preparation requirement and moisture test standard
- Wastage allowance %
- Attic stock — one to two boxes per colourway from the original batch
- Warranty period
Frequently asked questions
What does Class 33 mean?
Heavy commercial use under EN 1307 — the standard expectation for UK contract specification. Every Tessera and Flotex range on this site carries it.
What impact sound reduction do I need?
It depends on the building. In multi-storey offices, student accommodation and anywhere Part E applies, aim for the top of the range — Tessera Layout, Outline, Topology and Twine reach 27 dB. Ground floor on slab, it matters far less.
How much attic stock should I order?
One to two boxes per colourway from the original production batch, stored flat and dry on site. Batches shift over years; matched replacement stock is what makes modular flooring's whole argument real.
Should I specify the laying pattern?
Always. Directional ranges like Tessera Inline produce completely different floors laid monolithically versus quarter-turned, and discovering that at handover is expensive.