Buying guide

Choosing the right covering

Five criteria are enough to frame the choice of a floor, wall or ceiling. We go through them with you at the showroom; here is what you need to prepare the discussion.

1. Use and traffic

Home, office, shop, school, clinic, workshop: each premises imposes a use class (EN ISO 10874) and specific constraints: trolley traffic, heels, disinfectants, heavy loads.

See the relevant families :Antibacterial flooring PVC tile Carpet
2. Water and hygiene

Wet rooms, kitchens, sanitary blocks and healthcare environments need a waterproof floor, seamless or with welded seams, with an easy-to-disinfect surface treatment. Sheet PVC and LVT are the natural solutions; laminate is for dry rooms.

See the relevant families :Antibacterial flooring Decochoc antibacterial wall panel LVT vinyl flooring
3. Acoustic and thermal comfort

In offices, hotels and schools, carpet tiles and acoustic underlays reduce footfall noise (up to 20 dB and more depending on the product); rock wool ceilings absorb reverberation in meeting rooms and open-plan offices.

See the relevant families :Carpet Suspended ceiling
4. Building services

Server rooms, office floors and control rooms: raised access flooring routes cables and ducts under tiles that lift out with a suction tool. Demountable ceilings give the same access to overhead services.

See the relevant families :Raised access floor Suspended ceiling
5. Look and budget

Wood, stone, concrete, plain or patterned: the manufacturers’ collections cover every style. The overall budget includes supply, subfloor preparation, accessories and installation: a complete quote avoids surprises.

See the relevant families :Laminate flooring LVT vinyl flooring MDF panelling

Technical glossary

The terms and classifications you will read on data sheets, explained simply.

Classe d’usage (EN ISO 10874): Two-digit code: type of premises (2 residential, 3 commercial, 4 industrial) and traffic intensity (1 to 4). E.g. 33 = heavy commercial.
AC3, AC4, AC5, AC6: Abrasion resistance classes for laminate (EN 13329). AC4 suits intensive residential or office use; AC5 and AC6 busy retail spaces.
Bfl-s1, Cfl-s1: Fire reaction classification for floors (EN 13501-1): Bfl-s1 is the level required in most public buildings.
R9 à R13: Slip resistance classes (DIN 51130). R10 suits kitchens and shops; R11 and above wet or greasy areas.
LVT: Luxury Vinyl Tile: multilayer vinyl planks and tiles, wood or stone designs, glued or click installation, waterproof.
PVC homogène / hétérogène: Homogeneous: a single layer with the same composition throughout, very hard-wearing (hospitals). Heterogeneous: a wear layer over a backing, more designs and comfort.
Couche d’usure: Transparent layer protecting the design of a vinyl floor, in mm (0.3 residential, 0.55 commercial, 0.7 heavy).
Soudure à chaud: Joining PVC sheets with a melted rod in the seam: continuous, watertight, disinfectable surface.
Pose clipsée (click): Planks assembled by interlocking without glue, on an underlay: fast, removable, ideal for renovation.
Plancher technique: 60 × 60 cm tiles on adjustable pedestals, creating a plenum for cables and air conditioning (server rooms, offices).
Coefficient d’absorption αw: A ceiling’s ability to absorb sound, from 0 to 1. A rock wool ceiling reaches 0.9 to 1 (class A).
Fongistatique / antibactérien: Surface treatment limiting the growth of bacteria and mould; does not replace cleaning, but makes it easier.