One of the tools we use in the tile industry is the TCNA
(Tile Council of North America) handbook, previously known as the TCA. They have recently added a “Life Cycle Cost”
table for flooring, which is a wonderful tool when comparing flooring options!
What is Life Cycle Costing or LCC? Life Cycle Costing is a methodology used to
evaluate the economic performance of investments in construction & building
systems. LCC is a calculation where
consideration is given only to the relevant costs, which are directly or
indirectly affected by the material options being considered. Product evaluation is given in which all
costs arising from owning, operating, maintaining, and disposing of a product
are considered important to the decision.
The time intervals at which the various costs arise during the selected
life period must also be taken into account.
Before the various cost items can be put together, those that arise
every year, and those that arise at certain time intervals during the service
life must be converted into present values.
Check out the Life Cycle Costing website (http://www.uniformat.com/index.php/what-is-life-cycle-costing),
which is specific to the construction industry.
Their objective is to support the application of LCC based on the
American Society for Testing & Materials (ASTM). The definition of LCC used in the TCNA study
was the initial cost to install; which includes labor, materials, normal
contractor’s overhead & profit, plus periodic maintenance costs to preserve
& maintain the appearance of the product, and the final costs to remove the
floor covering at the end of its useful life.
It was assumed that there is no salvage value to any of the products at the
end of their useful life, and there are disposal fees associated with the
removal of the floor covering. The LCC
analyzes these considerations when looking at interior finishes and the
determination of how long a material is expected to last in the proposed
environment.
From our perspective in the tile industry, typically tile is
considered a “permanent” finish, with the expectation that it will last 30
years or longer. This is nice from an
environmental standpoint to think that our material will not end up in a
landfill 5-10years after install. The
other point with hard-surface flooring is the maintenance is quite minimal,
without requiring costly equipment or VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds) in the
up-keep of the material.
With more conversations regarding “Green” and sustainable
materials, the idea of LCC is important in regards to the energy required for
delivery, installation, and maintenance of a material. Energy analysis should be done at the
conceptual phase, which dovetails with the basic philosophy of how a LEED
project is documented & implemented.
Another aspect of LEED requirements is the indoor air quality during
installation & maintenance, which also is taken into consideration in the
LCC calculations.
Following is the Life Cycle Costs for flooring from the TCA
handbook:
|
Floor Finish
|
Install Cost
|
LCC
|
Expected Life
|
Cost/Year
|
|
Quarry Tile
|
$6.83
|
$16.13
|
50
|
$.32
|
|
Glazed Ceramic
|
$7.00
|
$16.30
|
50
|
$.33
|
|
Glazed Porcelain
|
$8.34
|
$17.64
|
50
|
$.35
|
|
Mosaic Tile
|
$8.20
|
$17.50
|
50
|
$.35
|
|
Unglazed Porcelain
|
$8.30
|
$17.60
|
50
|
$.35
|
|
Natural Hardwood
|
$9.31
|
$20.80
|
50
|
$.42
|
|
Travertine – Turkish
|
$12.50
|
$21.80
|
50
|
$.44
|
|
Marble
|
$21.00
|
$30.30
|
50
|
$.61
|
|
Laminate
|
$8.84
|
$17.77
|
25
|
$.71
|
|
Man-Made Hardwood
|
$9.58
|
$18.51
|
25
|
$.74
|
|
Port. Cement Terrazzo
|
$14.88
|
$24.27
|
30
|
$.81
|
|
Stained Concrete
|
$12.40
|
$24.60
|
25
|
$.98
|
|
Carpet
|
$3.22
|
$6.50
|
6
|
$1.08
|
|
Resin Terrazzo
|
$8.50
|
$16.53
|
15
|
$1.10
|
|
Sheet Vinyl
|
$6.90
|
$13.90
|
10
|
$1.39
|
|
Poured Epoxy
|
$8.18
|
$15.18
|
10
|
$1.52
|
|
VCT
|
$3.91
|
$18.35
|
10
|
$1.83
|
All costs are calculated per square foot of material.
This should be valuable information when looking at options
to best suit your clients needs for their flooring material considerations, and
to have the data to back up your information.
Additional information: www.tileusa.com
