Zorian:

Z I am planning construction for my store which will sell nice, high
Z quality eyeglasses. We want to have a nice, high-end look to it and I
Z am unsure of what to do about the floors.
Z
Z What would you recommend, vynil floors, commercial-grade laminate
Z (like commercial Pergo or something), real wood floors or something
Z else?
Z
Z I believe that the price is similar but I am not sure what to do?

Primary thing is to select what you like, both in colour and material.
You will be seeing the floor a lot more than any of your customers!

If tile floors you will also need to consider the grout, and if the
entrance is close to the outside customers will be tracking in snow
and/or rain == slippery (liability!) as well as probably staining the
grout. Dirt and those little screws holding the frames together can
get stuck in the recesses around the tile. ...OTOH dirt and those
little screws hide in thick pile carpeting!

You may also wish to consider the noise factor. A solid surface such
as tile, laminate, or wood will echo much more than a rougher surface
as with a carpet.

And consider traffic areas. Perhaps a mix of flooring should be
considered: carpet in lesser traffic areas, tile/vinyl tile/wood in
the heavier traffic areas. (Ah great: just complicated the selection
for you! g)

Suggestion: take a walk in the malls and note the flooring. Remember
to walk around the larger stores as they will have various sections:
the store at which I work at has ceramic tile boardered with a darker
tile (the intersections are mixed); clothing areas have a short pile
carpet (feels more comfortable -- colour's not my preference but they
didn't ask me!); shoe department has a thicker carpet (gee, I wonder
why?!); appliances is vinyl tile == easier to move the display units
around.

-
¯ barry.martinþATþthesafebbs.zeppole.com ®

* 4 out of 5 doctors agree: 1 out of 5 is an idiot
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