How to Prepare Your Office for Autumn

Autumn changes how an office is used in several small but important ways. Wetter weather means more water, dirt and leaves are brought through the entrance, while lower sunlight can create glare across desks and computer screens. Cooler temperatures also mean heating is switched on and windows are kept closed for longer, which can affect air quality and increase the risk of condensation. Employees also arrive with coats, umbrellas and larger bags that need to be stored somewhere during the working day.

These seasonal changes can highlight weaknesses that were less noticeable during the summer. Entrance matting may no longer provide enough protection, blinds may not control the lower sun effectively, heating systems left untouched since spring may not respond evenly, and an office designed around hot desking may not offer sufficient personal storage.

Taking some practical steps now can help keep your workplace clean, safe, comfortable and well organised throughout autumn and the winter months ahead.

Protect Entrances, Floors and Circulation Areas

Stop Dirt and Moisture at the Entrance

An office entrance has to work harder during autumn than it did during the summer months. Rainwater, mud, grit and fallen leaves can all be carried inside on footwear, affecting the appearance of reception areas and increasing the amount of cleaning required.

Effective commercial entrance matting provides the first line of defence. It helps remove dirt and moisture before they spread through the building, protecting internal flooring and reducing the risk of wet and slippery surfaces.

However, simply placing a small mat inside the door may not be enough. The amount of dirt and moisture removed depends heavily on the length and configuration of the entrance flooring system.

At Creed-Miles, we recommend and install Milliken entrance matting. According to Milliken, the first metre of an entrance flooring system can capture around 30% of incoming dirt and moisture. Increasing the length to 4.5 metres can remove up to 85%, while a properly designed seven-metre system can capture up to 92%.

How Multi-Zone Entrance Matting Works

The most effective entrance flooring installations use several zones, with each section performing a different role:

Zone 1 – outside the entrance: Heavy-duty scraper matting removes larger debris, grit, sand and excess moisture.

Zone 2 – inside the vestibule or entrance: Dual-action matting continues to scrape footwear while beginning to absorb moisture.

Zone 3 – inside the building: Absorbent or wicking materials remove the remaining moisture and trap finer particles before people reach the main office flooring.

Not every building has enough entrance space for a full seven-metre system, but careful specification can make the best use of the space available. At Creed-Miles we install Milliken entrance flooring systems, including the modular OBEX Grid system, with the design tailored to the entrance, expected footfall and surrounding floor finishes.

Autumn is a good time to check whether your existing matting is sufficiently large, correctly positioned and still in good condition before the wettest months arrive.

Inspect Flooring Before the Wettest Weather Arrives

Autumn is also a sensible time to inspect flooring in entrances, reception areas and other heavily used parts of the building.

Check for worn surfaces, damaged carpet tiles, loose edges and poorly fitting sections of entrance matting. Water and grit can accelerate wear, particularly where people move directly from an entrance onto carpet, LVT or another internal floor finish.

One advantage of commercial carpet tiles is that individual damaged or badly stained tiles can often be replaced without renewing the entire floor. In heavily trafficked areas, a more durable finish such as commercial LVT flooring or an improved entrance matting system may provide better long-term protection.

Addressing small problems before winter can help prevent further deterioration and keep the workplace looking presentable to employees, clients and other visitors.

Improve Visual Comfort as Daylight Changes

Control Glare From the Lower Autumn Sun

Glare is often regarded as a summer problem, but it can become more noticeable during autumn and winter as the sun sits lower in the sky. Light then shines more directly through office windows and across desks.

This can cause reflections on computer screens, make particular workstations uncomfortable and leave staff repeatedly adjusting screens or moving around to avoid bright sunlight. The contrast between a bright window and a darker office interior can also become more pronounced as the days shorten.

The Health and Safety Executive’s guidance on workplace lighting identifies blinds, correcting the angle of light sources and glare filters as effective ways to reduce glare from natural and artificial light. Well-chosen office blinds allow natural light to be controlled without necessarily shutting it out altogether. Depending on the windows and how the room is used, the appropriate solution might include:

Roller blinds for a clean and straightforward way to control light.
Vertical blinds for larger windows and flexible adjustment.
Venetian blinds for more precise control over the direction of the light.
Blackout blinds for presentation rooms and other areas requiring greater light control.
Motorised blinds for high, oversized or difficult-to-reach windows.

The objective should be to reduce glare while retaining as much useful daylight as possible. A professional assessment can identify which windows cause difficulties, the times of day when problems occur and the most appropriate fabric or blind system for each area.

Review Your Office Lighting

Shorter days can reveal parts of an office that seemed adequately lit during spring and summer but become noticeably darker in autumn.

It is worth reviewing lighting across the whole workplace rather than concentrating solely on desks. Reception areas, meeting rooms, kitchens, corridors, stairways and storage areas all need suitable illumination.

Look for:

Workstations that become dark later in the afternoon.
Strong contrasts between bright windows and the surrounding interior.
Lights that no longer suit a revised office layout.
Dark corners or poorly illuminated circulation routes.
Meeting and presentation spaces where the lighting cannot be adjusted easily.
Older fittings that could be replaced with more efficient LED lighting.

The HSE also notes that giving staff local control over lighting in their own area can improve job satisfaction and reduce stress, and that sudden, sharp changes in lighting level are best avoided, as the eye takes several seconds to adjust.

Lighting should work alongside available daylight and window blinds. Controlling glare should not leave employees working in an unnecessarily dark room, while additional artificial lighting should not create reflections or add to visual discomfort.

If an office layout has changed since the lighting was installed, the original arrangement may no longer be appropriate. Reviewing both together can produce a more balanced and comfortable working environment.

Keep Work Areas Organised and Comfortable

Autumn also changes what people bring into the workplace and how they use shared spaces, so storage, breakout areas and other everyday work areas should be reviewed together.

Provide Somewhere for Coats, Bags and Umbrellas

During the summer, employees may arrive carrying little more than a laptop bag. By autumn, the same person may also have a coat, umbrella, change of footwear and other personal belongings.

In a traditional office, some of these items might have been stored in desk drawers or pedestals. That becomes more difficult in workplaces where employees hot desk or do not have a permanently assigned workstation. Coats can end up hanging from task chairs, while bags and umbrellas are left beside desks or in circulation areas, making the office look less tidy and less professional for visitors.

Providing appropriate storage helps keep work areas clear and creates a tidier, more professional environment. The right arrangement might combine coat cupboards, umbrella stands and secure lockers for bags, laptops and personal possessions.

Smart lockers for offices are particularly suitable for hybrid workplaces. Unlike a conventional locker permanently allocated to one person, smart lockers can be assigned daily, temporarily or permanently. Employees can gain access using a smartphone app, RFID card or PIN rather than having to keep track of a separate key.

Usage data can also help facilities managers understand how frequently lockers are used and whether the available storage is being allocated efficiently.

Prepare Shared Areas for More Time Indoors

As the weather becomes colder and wetter, employees are more likely to spend breaks inside rather than leaving the office. Kitchens, breakout spaces and informal seating areas may consequently receive more use.

Consider whether these areas provide enough seating and whether the furniture, flooring and surfaces are suitable for the number of people using them. Increased use can also make noise and poor acoustics more noticeable, especially where breakout areas are close to desks or meeting spaces.

Relatively modest changes to furniture, acoustic office panels or space planning can make shared areas more comfortable without requiring a complete office refurbishment.

Quick Autumn Office Checklist

Check whether entrance matting is long enough, correctly positioned and still in good condition.
Inspect flooring near entrances, reception areas and busy circulation routes for wear, damage or loose edges.
Review glare, daylight and artificial lighting together rather than treating them as separate issues.
Provide practical storage for coats, umbrellas, bags and personal belongings in hybrid or hot-desking offices.
Assess whether kitchens, breakout areas and informal spaces can cope with increased indoor use.
Plan disruptive work around quieter periods, weekends or seasonal closures where possible.

Plan Ahead for Autumn and Winter Projects

Identifying a problem does not necessarily mean that work must be carried out during a busy working week. Autumn is a useful time to plan improvements that could be completed over a weekend, during a quieter business period or as part of a Christmas closure.

Depending on your requirements, Creed-Miles can install new entrance matting or flooring, fit office blinds, introduce improved storage, upgrade lighting, rectify finishes affected by a resolved damp or condensation problem, refresh reception and breakout areas, or undertake a wider office refurbishment.

Planning early gives you more time to assess the space, compare suitable products and arrange the work around employees and business operations.

Is Your Office Ready for Autumn?

Preparing your office for autumn is not simply about turning up the heating. Wetter weather, lower sunlight, shorter days, heating and ventilation systems working harder, and additional personal belongings can all affect how the workplace looks and functions.

Based in Kingston upon Thames, Creed-Miles helps businesses across London, Surrey and the South East improve and adapt their workplaces. Whether you need a single practical improvement or are considering a wider office refurbishment, our team can help.

Contact Us Today for Help and Advice or call us now 020 8549 9276