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Spend $525 now and SAVE $105 each year... ROI = 20%
Saving energy and money on utilities is key, but you can also make your office 'green' right under your feet. Your employees, customers, and clients will applaud your efforts that they will get to experience every day. Durability is key for high traffic office areas and the latest products take that need into consideration. Renewable flooring like Cork costs less than hardwood and looks great. The bark from the Cork tree is pealed off allowing the tree to re-grow another layer for the next house. "Floating" systems have a layer of support underneath the cork with pre-urethaned finishes to save you time and money on the top coat.
Note that when comparing prices against hardwood, American oak is often cured longer and has less potential to buckle than cheaper imports that cost less than $5 / sq. ft. Cork costs about $3.50 / sq. ft. so the immediate savings on a 300 sq. ft. room (20' x 15' ) are about $450. If you buy the easy 'snap-ins', you can do it yourself and use a $.50 / Sq. ft. underlayment for increased 'cushioning' and moisture barrier. You can also consider using cork instead of carpet. Installed carpet ranges from $1.25 to $2.50 per sq. ft. but you have to clean and potentially replace it every 5 to 10 years depending on wear. The savings are immediatly relative to wood, but the ROI Calculation is based on carpet at an average of $1.75 / sq. ft. for 600 sq. ft. rooms with a carpet replacement within 10 years. The average employee uses 225 sq. ft. Since the average factors in shared hall space, this calculation is for three average sized offices. Naturally, conference rooms, break rooms, and other areas may also work well for cork flooring.
Payback Time in Years: |
Added Cost: |
Annual SAVINGS |
5 Year SAVINGS |
Return on Investment (ROI): |
5.0 | $525 | $105 | $525 | 20.0% |