Carpet covers more than 70 percent of the floors in homes
and workplaces, with market estimates to be over 1.6 billion
square yards yearly in the United States. With this
popularity has come a myriad of carpet choices to meet a
wide variety of performance requirements, such as acoustics,
thermal savings, the Americans with Disabilities Act,
non-slip safety, glare reduction, fatigue reduction, good
indoor air quality, and ease of maintenance, pleasant
atmosphere and comfortable environment for employees and
visitors. Carpet easily meets the public’s desire for
aesthetic beauty in the workplace. The softness of carpet
helps in employee productivity and comfort, provides a
quieter atmosphere, and reduces the incidences of slips and
falls, therefore reducing liability. Location,
location, location – the real estate battle cry is also
a key concern when specifying carpet. To maximize
performance, building owners and facility managers must
first decide where the carpet will go to determine what type
of carpet is most appropriate.
Where should carpet be used in preference to hard
surfaces? Carpet is the norm in healthcare, education,
offices, hotels, and retail locations. Carpet is being used
in all common public areas of facilities -- corridors (for
sound absorption and slip and fall safety), waiting rooms,
lobbies, and offices (for beauty and versatility). It is
also being used more and more in patient rooms and nurseries
in healthcare facilities (for the warmth and comfort), and
almost exclusively in elementary and pre-school classrooms
in educational facilities.
Construction specifications deal with appearance
or the look that is desired. Construction specifications
inform the carpet mill or manufacturer, in exact terms, how
the carpet must be made. The specifications will determine
the floor covering’s look, size, weight, construction type,
and coloring method.
A dense, low pile height, loop-pile carpet is most often
used in heavy-traffic areas. In offices and other areas with
lighter foot traffic, cut-pile can be a good choice. Either
cut-pile, loop-pile, or cut and loop is appropriate for use
in areas that receive a moderate amount of traffic.
Performance specifications deal with appearance
retention. For a carpet to retain its new look, a specifier
must match face weight and density to the amount of foot
traffic, in other words, its performance level.
Carpet performance is associated, in part, with pile yarn
density. Density, the amount of pile yarn in unit volume of
carpet, is influenced by many factors, such as gauge --
stitches per inch across the width -- yarn size or
thickness, and pile height. A "fat" (larger) yarn can be
tufted at a wider gauge and receive the same density as a
fine yarn at a small gauge. For areas where heavy foot
traffic is likely, a density of 5000 to 7000 or more may be
necessary.
Performance considerations are especially important for
the demanding environments of educational and health care
facilities. For wear and tear, loop-pile with a
moisture-resistant or impervious backing will keep beverage
spills on top of the carpet. Loop-pile with a vinyl backing
is effective for corridor and entryway carpet, but is not
necessary in administrative offices that receive little
heavy foot traffic.
Building owners and facility managers have several options
when specifying carpet: traditional 12-foot broadloom plus
6- and 15-foot broadloom and square modules or carpet tile
(varying in measurement from 18 inches to 36 inches square).
- Twelve-foot (and 15-foot) broadloom is versatile
whether it's seamed in large rooms or cut into shapes.
- Six-foot broadloom is often used in areas with
limited space, for example, in the corridors. Six-foot
can be transported in limited size elevators in
high-rise buildings.
- Tile can duplicate seamed broadloom or produce a
stylized look by using tiles in contrasting colors or by
giving every other tile a quarter turn. Colors and tile
directions can be moved around like using puzzle pieces.
Alternative installation systems offer the flexibility of
a non-permanent fixture that can be selectively replaced.
Tile and broadloom can be installed with a releasable
adhesive or a hook-and-loop fastening technology. With both
methods, carpet can be easily removed, allowing access to
wires and cables underneath a raised floor. When removal is
easy, that area of carpet can be easily replaced.
After looking at construction and fiber type, a specifier
must consider how the carpet is dyed. Solution-dyed yarn is
becoming a popular option. In solution-dyed yarn, the color
pigment is inserted into the melted polymers during
extrusion. The color is throughout the yarn, offering
excellent cleanability and colorfastness.
Other dyeing methods are:
- Stock Dyeing – color applied after extrusion but
prior to spinning;
- Yarn Dyeing – the finished yarn is dyed;
- Printing – color is applied after the carpet has
been tufted.
- Piece or continuous dyeing – after the secondary
backing is applied, dye is injected into the face of
carpet in a continuous process.
For the inevitable give and take of a facility’s budget,
various grades of carpet allow specifiers to install, within
budget, the most appropriate floor coverings for each area
and still have money for computer and security equipment.
Facilities on even the tightest of budgets can have durably
constructed carpet that will stand up to wear, soil, and
foot traffic even under harsh conditions.
The right cushion can extend the life of a carpet. It also
provides additional resilience, additional acoustical and
thermal insulation properties, and walking and standing
comfort. Cushions should be selected according to the
traffic patterns of the application area and the
manufacturer's requirements for thickness and density. An
improper choice can result in accelerated loss of
appearance, wrinkling, buckling and separation of the carpet
backing or seam.
Attached cushion may be an appropriate choice. Various
types and densities address assorted performance needs. |
