Versatile vinyl

If you're anything like me, you'll understand that vinyl is best. It gives that iconic crackly sound when you put it on the turntable, and the cover of Bob Dylan's Blonde on Blonde just doesn't look the same when scaled down to CD size. And vinyl can also be a practical solution for pub flooring - especially with a smoking ban on the way.

Without the risk of burns from discarded cigarette butts, licensees re-vamping their interiors can now rely on types of flooring they would never have considered before.

Project Floors is one company hoping to provide the vinyl solution for publicans. Director Adrian Birmingham believes the material's strengths lie in its ability to mimic expensive natural materials such as wood while being far easier to work with and ply into attractive designs.

"Vinyl is becoming more used in pubs because of the impending smoking ban," he says. "One downside to the material has always been its poor cigarette-burn resistance. So, in the past, pubs would go for ceramics or carpets.

"The move away from carpets to hard flooring is increasingly being seen in pubs after emerging as a trend in the home. There has always been nervousness about using it but this is less the case now because customers will no longer be smoking in pubs.

"Vinyl is a lot easier to maintain than the natural materials which vinyl mimics. The wood effects are very realistic. You get the look and feel without the downsides of maintenance or it being cold and noisy underfoot."

Vinyl, he adds, is not inherently slippery and is safe for bar areas and dining rooms. But it isn't a product to put behind a bar or in a kitchen. In these areas, you need a special kind - vinyl safety flooring. But this can be very industrial-looking.

"You are always making a trade-off with flooring," he continues. "The more slip-resistant it is, the less attractive it looks and the more difficult it is to maintain. Slip-resistant flooring acts like a shoe cleaner - it takes the dirt off your customers' feet and as a result you will constantly need to clean it."

The versatility of vinyl is a key advantage when it comes to keeping up with pub and bar fashions.

"One pub is not like the next," says Adrian. "We have been trying to develop choice so that we can offer different styles. For example, we can do an instantly distressed vinyl that would provide a traditional atmosphere, or we can do a clean, crisp look for a more contemporary setting. We're aware that big pub chains want something different for each location. Vinyl can offer that.

"We really can do anything with vinyl. The material is not difficult for designers to work with. You can lay it to provide a feature within an area, to define a space, something you couldn't do with ceramics.

"There's a lot of choice within our standard ranges, and we also offer a bespoke service."

Adrian recommends that pubs be designed from the ground up, choosing the flooring first and doing the rest to match.

"Flooring makes or breaks a design scheme," he says. "In the past, you would find designers overlooking it, but an ill-conceived floor lets down a pub's design. Not only is it the area that will get the most hammering, it needs to carry through the 'wow' factor until the next refurbishment.

"Vinyl should give you longevity, too. Our floors are guaranteed for 15 years, but we realise that some pubs will change their furnishings as frequently as every three years.

"Punters are very demanding these days - they want to see things changed. So the floor has to be able to adapt."

Adrian suggests it's wise for licensees to choose a neutral, wood-style vinyl, and alter the walls or furnishings around that.

"It tends to be the safer bet," he says. "But that doesn't mean boring. Skilful designers will use highlight areas within the flooring."

Vinyl can mimic expensive natural materials such as wood but is far easier to maintain

Project Floors: Tel 0845 058 4647

www.projectfloors.co.uk