Real estate investment is the best way to secure your capital. Moreover, it offers a good rate of return that is much higher than a bank deposit. To earn a sufficient income from your apartment, you must ensure it is tastefully finished. The materials you use have an impact not only on the time needed to find a tenant, but also on your final income. While preparing a rental apartment or office, you should start by selecting a robust vinyl floor. Floor panels with a mineral core offer both great, long-lasting quality, and a perfect look.
Rental apartment arrangement – Choose the floor wisely.
When looking for an investment apartment, clients usually focus on factors increasing its value, such as location, infrastructure or public transport. Nevertheless, its finishing is playing an increasingly important role.
Today’s tenants are looking for tasteful, modern spaces. They prefer estates that do not require additional expenses. While arranging an apartment for rent, we need to balance tenants’ expectations with our budget. There is no need to choose expensive solutions, such as floors made of exotic woods. The chances that a tenant will recognise their value are low.
However, choosing the cheapest floor tiles from a chain store is also a bad idea. Such tiles are usually of low quality and not intended for extensive use. And extensive use is something we must assume while preparing an apartment for rent. This is why you need to choose your floor wisely.
The floor is the most important part of the room
A floor is a basic element of interior design. Therefore, you should assume it will be used for at least several years. In the case of investment apartments, investors usually assume they will replace the floor every ten years. Such a long period eliminates rental downtimes caused by repairs and ensure continuity of rental income.
There are not many floors that meet these strict criteria. You can choose floor tiles, but as experience shows, they are not popular among tenants. Floor gres tiles are cold and hard. Tenants avoid them, especially if they want to rent an apartment for a family with small children.
At the same time, wood is also not suitable for rental properties. There are several reasons for this. First of all, it is expensive. And this affects the profitability of the investment. Secondly, it can be easily damaged. Thirdly, a wooden floor requires regular, expensive maintenance. Does this mean you should choose laminate panels?
Laminate panels? Not necessarily.
“Laminate panels are less durable than vinyl ones” – it’s a justified opinion. Laminate panels undergo much less detailed tests than vinyl panels. The resistance of laminate panels is determined by abrasion classes, which are determined on the basis of the Taber test. This test is designed to examine the surface’s ability to resist wearing. The idea behind this test is to check how many thousands of abrasive material rotations are needed to damage the sample surface. Number of rotations would indicate the abrasion class. The more rotations that are needed to damage the surface, the higher the class of the laminate panels. For example, AC3 class panels have to withstand over 2,000 rotations, while AC6 panels – as many as 8,500.
However, it is rare for panels to be damaged due to surface abrasion. Panels are usually damaged at their edges – as they are easy to graze. The abrasion class does not provide any information on the resistance of panel edges or on other parameters. However, the usability class does. The usability class of panels is a parameter thoroughly describing the durability of vinyl floors. It is defined by the results of extensive, complex tests that examine the lock strength, and the thermal stability of the product dimensions. Additionally, there is also the so-called chair test. The last test is conducted only for panels that require the highest usability class and are designed to be used in commercial spaces.
Which vinyl panel will be good for a rental apartment, and which one will be better for commercial spaces?
The usability class divides spaces into those for domestic use, and those for public use. There are six classes: 21, 22, 23, 31, 32, 33. The first digit determines the type of space (2 is for accommodation spaces, 3 – for public buildings). The second digit describes the level of traffic: 1 – low, 2 – medium, 3 – high.
This means that class 23 panels are the best ones for domestic use. Despite being thin, Afirmax panels have a very high usability class, respectively 23 (extensive domestic use,
e.g. in corridors, staircases, the kitchen), and 32 (commercial spaces, e.g. kindergartens, offices, waiting rooms, hotel halls). Panels with class 23 are perfect for rental apartments. But if you rent out commercial spaces, it is better to choose vinyl panels with an abrasion class of 32 or 33. This can guarantee you a perfect floor for many years to come.
A beautiful floor for many years to come
No matter whether you are preparing a living or commercial space, you need to choose a floor that will meet your client’s expectations. Resembling real wood, Afirmax vinyl panels ensure a cosy atmosphere in any room. They are warm and nice in the touch, but at the same time as practical and functional as ceramic tiles. Additionally, vinyl panels are waterproof; so you do not need to worry that a broken washing-machine or dishwasher will damage your floor. A high-quality vinyl floor is another selling point, as tenants can be sure they will not damage it and get charged with additional costs.
Quick installation and a long-term guarantee
With a proper underlay, we can lay a vinyl floor on a standard parquet provided by your developer. Afirmax vinyl floor is supposed to be laid in a floating system. This ensures a quick and easy installation. For example, one day is enough to lay the floor in an entire
50-metre apartment.
A vinyl floor is a perfect solution for all rooms as it is characterised by a unique level of watertightness, abrasion resistance, stronger locks and dimensional stability, and at the same time – easy to use. With a mineral core designed by Polish engineers, Afirmax floors provide significantly increased thermal stability. Thanks to this, these floors can be installed even in very sunny rooms. Afirmax floors are offered with a manufacturer guarantee for as many as 12 years, which is why they are perfect for rental apartments and offices.
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