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How To

Select Your Carpet

Performance Tests

Carpet Appearance Index This tool uses five key carpet components to compare one carpet against another in terms of soiling and texture retention. You'll find The Carpet Appearance Index on the literature order form.

Or, visit the TCO Calculator online.

To ensure that your carpet will meet the needs of your facility, you can include industry test methods in your carpet specification to cover the majority of performance related issues.

The following guidelines describe the test methods and ratings needed for typical carpet applications. You can write the test method and the minimum standard into a carpet specification to ensure your carpet performance requirements are met.

For more information on carpet specifications, please contact our Design Consultant.

Tuft Bind

Tuft bind is the force required to pull a tuft from the carpet backing.

tuft bind (loop pile)

  • specify a minimum of 4.5 kgs (average)
  • specify a higher level if necessary for extra-heavy traffic

Tuft bind (cut pile)

  • specify a minimum of 2.3 kgs (average)

Delamination

Delamination is a deterioration of tufted carpet when the primary backing and face yarns separate from the secondary backing.

Delamination Test

  • specify a minimum of 550 grms/cm

Texture Retention

Texture retention is a carpet's ability to withstand crushing and matting. Although accelerated test methods do not directly compare with actual floor performance, they do give an indication of a carpet's ability to withstand crushing and matting.

Vetterman drum-ISO/TR 10361
For 5,000 cycles and 22,000 cycles

  • specify a minimum Reference Scale rating of 4.0 after 5000 cycles for heavy traffic areas, and 3.0 after 22,000 cycles

Hexapod drum-ASTM D5252
For 12,000 cycles

  • specify a minimum CRI TM-101 Reference Scale rating of 3

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Colourfastness

Colourfastness is a carpet yarn's ability to retain its original colour. Colour may be lost due to exposure to light or atmospheric contaminants or by rubbing off when wet or dry.

Lightfastness-ISO 105-B02
For conventionally dyed nylon, International Gray Scale for Colour Change rating specify minimum 5 for medium/dark colours and 4 for pastel colours

For solution dyed nylon, International Gray Scale for Colour Change rating specify minimum 4.5

Resistance to Crocking-EN ISO 05-X12

  • specify a minimum rating International Gray Scale for Staining rating of 4 for both wet and dry rubbing

Atmospheric Fading-AATCC 129-Ozone and AATCC 164-Oxides of Nitrogen

  • specify a minimum rating after 2 cycles, International Gray Scale for Colour Change rating of 3

Static Control

Static control is the ability of the carpet to dissipate shock.

Static Control Test-prEN 1815

  • specify a static discharge that does not exceed 2.0 kV*

*In some environments where electronic components are being assembled or where sensitive mainframe computers are used, static control much lower than 2.0 kV may be required. A vertical resistance to ISO/DIS 10965 of less than 10 to the power of 10 ohms will be needed. Generally these areas will also necessitate the use of other static-control measures, such as humidity control, special shoes, wrist straps and antistatic smocks. In these cases, please contact your mill representative for details.

Stain Resistance

Stain resistance is the amount of stain absorbed into the fibre.

Stain Resistance Test

  • specify a minimum AATCC Red 40 Stain Scale rating of 8 after shampoo testing if staining is an important issue

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Soil Resistance

Soil resistance is the ability of a carpet to resist dry soil and maintain its original appearance after intermittent or restorative cleanings.

Fluorine Specification- AATCC 189 (formerly CRI TM-102)
Measures the amount of soil resistance chemical on the fibre.

Initial Fluorine Specification

  • specify a carpet with an average of 3 fluorine analyses of a single composite sample to be a minimum of 500 ppm fluorine by weight

Fluorine Durability Specification

  • specify a carpet with an average of 3 fluorine analyses of a single composite sample to be a minimum of 400 ppm fluorine by weight after 2 AATCC 171 (HWE) cleanings

Flammability

Flammability is the amount of smoke or flames created when a carpet is ignited.

Flooring Radiant Panel Test-ASTM E648 Simulates fire spread from a radiant ignition.

  • specify Class 1 to meet 0.45 watts/cm2 or greater (usually required for exitways and corridors)
  • specify Class 2 to meet 0.22 watts/cm2 to 0.44 watts/cm2

Indoor Air Quality

GuT - "www.gut-ev.de" the association of the European carpet manufacturing industry, provides a licensing scheme for carpets which demonstrate:

  • Environmentally compatible production
  • Absence of products injurious to health
  • Minimal emissions and odours in new carpet
  • Recyclability

Read a complete discussion on Carpet and Indoor Air Quality.

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Test methods in this section are standard tests from