Carpet
Carpet is a wall-to-wall soft floor covering. Carpets are made using many fibers and in a wide selection of colors and textures.
Contents |
Material analysis
MasterFormat Number: 09680
Traditional uses
- Residential: living rooms, bedrooms
- Commercial: offices, hotel rooms, lobbies, corridors
Emerging uses / trends
- Other uses of carpets include car industry
- Walls
- Outdoor
Finish and aesthetic qualities
Most carpets are created using one type of fiber, and can have different textures. The fiber and texture determine carpets’ performance, soft “hand”, resistance to wear and stains, etc.
- Textures
- Cut and loop pile: combination of cut and looped yarns. Provides variety of surface textures, including sculptured effects of squares, chevrons, swirls, etc.
- Cut pile: surface is sheared to one height or multi-level
- Plush/velvet: smooth, level surfaces, tufted close together with a short pile
- Frieze: yarns are extremely twisted forming a curly textured surface (minimizes foot and vacuum marks)
- Level loop pile: lops are the same height. Strong, durable, and resilient, not soft. The most common commercial carpet
- Multi-level loop pile: two to three different heights of lops, durable, casual look.
- Shag (deep pile): tufted tightly, durable.
- Sculptured (embossed loop): multilevel textures that combine plush and level loop textures of different heights
- Random (level-tip): one height, short cut, textures that combine plush and level loop textures
Surface forms / shapes
- broadloom
- carpet tiles
Cost analysis
- Price / SqFt: Cost depends on fiber, texture, manufacturer, and many other factors.
- residential carpets can start from as low as $2/SqFt
- ommercial carpets usually start at $15/SqFt (broadloom), and $3/SqFt (tiles).
Material properties
Primary structural use
N/A
Material performance
Durability depends on fiber and style. Carpets are rated by manufacturers from 1 to 5 (represents the carpet’s ability to withstand extended wear). Carpets rated 4-5 are considered high performance and below 2.5 are low performance.
Dimensional and opening restriction
- broadloom - 12 feet wide on average
- carpet tiles - modular, usually 24" x 24"
Acoustic property
Carpets can absorb noise as efficiently as many specialized acoustical materials. The sound transmission class (STC) rating is used to measure sound absorption. The actual value depends on particular carpet constructions and cushions.
Manufacturing process and assembly
- Asembly
- Direct glue-down: no separate cushion, suitable for any type of carpet
- Pad and tackless strip: pad attached to a thin board with tacks
Environmental Impact
Environmental impact of carpets depends on material used. Many manufacturers are developing efficient methods to reuse and recycle fibers. Initiatives such as Carpet America Recovery Effort promote reducing environmental impact of carpets. Recycled-fiber carpet made either from polyester or nylon. Environmentally-responsible carpet may be also available with recycled-content backing.
LEED
- LEED for Homes:
- Materials & Resources Credits 3: Waste Management
- Materials & Resources Credit : Environmentally Preferable Products
- LEED for Commercial Interiors:
- Indoor Environmental Quality Credit 4.3: Low emitting materials
- Materials & Resources Credit 2: Construction Waste Management
- Materials & Resources Credit 4: Recycled Content Materials
- Materials & Resources Credit 5: Local and Regional Materials
Life Safety & Rating Standards
Flammability rating
All carpets sold in the United States are required to pass "pill test" (U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) FF 1-70). Additional test (standard DOC FF 2-70) is also performed. Carpets that fail the second test must be marked as "flammable."
References
K.J. Nielson and D.A. Taylor, Interiors: an Introduction, McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2002.
Notes
Student contributions
- Kinga Rusiniak, Spring Semester 2010
See also
External links
Additional resources
Leading manufacturers
