Is hardwood flooring a good choice for a restaurant? restaurant interior designers

5th October 2022

There has always been a deep misconception about the sustainability of hardwood flooring. Especially if it’s a restaurant, even the owners might have second thoughts about having wood on the floor as there will be a constant activity of servers and customers on the floor, and there is a high possibility of the floor being damaged before time.

But, if you visit a premium restaurant, hardwood flooring stands out and brings the space to life. Restaurant interior designers will always suggest wooden flooring giving your customers a warm welcome, and also being capable of handling the footfall during peak hours. Gone are those days of carpets and linens. At times, carpets get quite dusty with all the movement and add up to discomfort for customers. Getting your diners uncomfortable is the last thing you would want.

Get some good insights from restaurant interior designers and look at hardwood flooring as an option for your restaurant flooring. Still, if you are doubtful about whether hardwood flooring will be a wise choice, here are some reasons listed by our restaurant interior designers that will convince you.

Sustainability

Get over myths, wooden flooring is sustainable, provided you install the right quality of wood. A wooden floor with an oil-based finish is recommended by restaurant interior designers. An oil-washed wood flooring is said to be more durable and can withstand the wear and tear caused by spilling and footwear in highly populated commercial spaces like restaurants and bars.

When you wish to sell your restaurant, a potential buyer will always have a check on the flooring. If wooden flooring holds its charm and is well maintained, you might end up getting a good value for your property.

Low maintenance

Wooden flooring might look rich, but it is very low maintenance. You would spend more on the carpet cleaning as it would require a professional to do the job, but in the case of wooden flooring, just a mop and water can bring it back to life.

Sealing the hardwood flooring is what most restaurant interior designers suggest, but an oil-based finish will deliver the surface you need. Always have a limit on the application of the products avoiding the floor to be slippery when wet. A water-based coat or an ultra high-performance finish will enable more durability and safeguard your flooring from stains and wear and tear.

Set the vibe right

Restaurant interior designers have to work very closely with restaurant owners to make sure that the vibe of the restaurant will make customers feel comfortable while having their dinner. You might come across many restaurants with carpet flooring. Although carpet flooring might seem to be very cosy and classy, it might be home to a lot of dust and dirt.

Hardwood flooring on the other hand looks very tidy and maintained. This will enhance the dining experience of customers. Wooden flooring will change the vibe of the restaurant, and facilitate a more professional feel to it. With hardwood flooring, the cleaning process is also not that complicated. Spill accidents can be covered up easily, so keeping the restaurant tidy at all times is not impossible anymore.

Is wooden flooring slippery?

Restaurant flooring can be dangerous for customers as well as the staff if it gets slippery. There are high possibilities that the restaurant flooring is wet. Reasons include customers walking in with wet footwear during the rains or spillage of water or drinks, which is quite a normal phenomenon for restaurants.

Restaurant interior designers might get this question a lot, but there are ways to avoid wooden flooring from getting slippery. One such way is having a slip-resistant finish on your flooring. So even when the floor is wet, customers will have good traction ruling out the possibility of slip and fall accidents. Clean and dry restaurant floors is a solution for keeping them accident-free. Appropriate cleaning solutions are must to keep wooden flooring in good shape.

Make the right choice

There are various types of hardwood flooring options in the market that you will come across, but it is essential to choose the right type of wood. All types of wooden flooring are not the same. You must always go for an easy-to-clean and durable option. Restaurant interior designers can assist you through the process. Oak, cherry and maple are some trusted hardwood options. Pine and cedar are softer options that have a high probability of getting damaged, considering the circumstances of a restaurant.

You can also opt for different types of hardwood flooring for different parts of the restaurant. Oak and maple are good options for places that need to be clean and tidy at all times. If your restaurant is busy and has a continuous inflow and outflow of foodies, then you should make sure that sap content in the wood is less, otherwise the flooring will be exyletremely slippery.

So all in all, hardwood flooring is suitable for a restaurant provided you make the right choice of wood and strive to maintain it using the right mediums.

If you are planning to revamp your restaurant or establish a new one, our expert restaurant interior designers at flipspaces will guide you through the process of designing a customer-attracting space and finding the right hardwood flooring options for your restaurant. We create designs that will not only please visitors but also add to your restaurant's revenue.