Sector
Aged care flooring in Victoria
A care home is a workplace and a home at the same time. The floor has to be safe for unsteady feet, easy for staff to keep hygienic and warm enough that a room feels like a room.
What the building asks of its floors
Residents walk slowly, use frames and wheelchairs, and sometimes shuffle. Staff push trolleys, hoists and meal carts all day. A floor in this setting needs grip, a flat surface with no lips at the joins, and a finish that does not glare.
Colour matters more than it first seems. Strong patterns and sharp contrast between floor and skirting can confuse people living with dementia. Calm, even tones usually work better.
Which floor goes where
Bathrooms and ensuites need a surface that stays grippy when wet. Bedrooms and corridors suit a wood-look or stone-look vinyl that feels homely. Lounges and quiet rooms can take carpet tile, which is warm and soft underfoot.
- Ensuites, laundries and kitchens: safety flooring with a slip rating.
- Bedrooms and corridors: luxury vinyl plank or vinyl sheet with sealed seams.
- Lounges and activity rooms: carpet tile in a calm, even colour.
- Walls behind basins and in wet areas: wall vinyl.
Noise, falls and infection control
Hard floors make footsteps and trolley wheels loud. Vinyl with a cushioned back and carpet tile both soften sound, which helps residents rest. A softer floor also forgives a fall a little more than bare concrete does.
Infection control shapes the choice too. Sealed vinyl seams and coved edges at the wall stop liquids reaching the subfloor, and staff can mop them quickly between uses.
Working while people live there
The home keeps running during a refit. We plan the work room by room or wing by wing, so residents can move to a finished space while the next one is prepared.
Dust, adhesive smell and noise are managed with barriers, ventilation and sensible hours. Walkways, fire exits and call points stay clear throughout.
Planning the job
Start with a walk through the building with the care manager. We note the room types, the subfloor condition and the order that suits the roster. From there we set out the floor types, the staging and the dates.
Old floors often hide moisture or uneven slabs, so floor preparation is worth checking early.
Lighting, handrails and door widths are looked at on the same walk, because a new floor should work with them and not against them.
Questions
Can the work be done with residents still in the building?
Yes. We stage the work in small zones and finish each one before moving on, so residents keep a safe route to their rooms and shared spaces.
Is carpet a good choice in a care home?
In lounges and quiet rooms it can be. Carpet tile suits these spaces because a single marked tile can be swapped and the rest left alone.
What helps most with noise?
A cushioned vinyl back or carpet tile reduces footfall and trolley noise. Soft surfaces in corridors make the biggest difference at night.
How do you keep floors safe when wet?
We use safety flooring with a slip rating in bathrooms, laundries and kitchens, and we seal the joins so water stays on the surface.
Related pages
Tell us about your floors
Send the rooms, the floor you have now and your dates. We reply on the next business day.
Ask for a quote