Allison Albanese - Construction & Materials II Spring 2014 Carpet Allison Albanese - Construction & Materials II Spring 2014

History As early as 7000 B.C were signs of carpet making From 470-1200 carpets were used in homes usually in wool. In 1791 William Sprague started the first woven carpet mill of the United States in PA. 1839, Erastus Bigelow invented the power loom for weaving carpets. 1930s, Glen Looper Foundry of Dalton first mechanized tufting machine. Over 1.5 billion square yards of carpet are installed annually. Over 70% of all floors in the US (includes both commercial and residential). Very few materials can compete with its acoustical, thermal and aesthetic values.

Materials and Characteristics Provides sound absorbency and thermal insulation Considered to be a textile (same materials) Fibers are usually natural or man-made 4 Yarn characteristics Denier (thickness) Degree of twist Number of piles Looped or cut

4 Types of Natural Fibers Natural fibers come from animals (silk and wool) Or plants (cellulosic fibers) Manufacturers try to mimic the aesthetic values of wool Wool Silk Linen Cotton

Types of Natural Fibers - Wool Comes from sheep Relatively expensive compared to other fibers Soft and resilient which is easy to bleach and dye Stain resistant Subject to static electricity Comes from sheep Relatively expensive Easy to bleach and dye, stain resistant but not stain proof and naturally flame resistant Subject to static electricity, so some installations may require special treatment

Types of Natural Fibers - Silk Also expensive and naturally flame resistant If found in broadloom, typically part of the patterning in wool carpet Luster and fine denier are used decoratively as a contrast to wool carpet Not used for commercial environments Should be dry cleaned Not typically a carpet fiber Strong fiber, but its not resilient Flame resistant because it shrinks away from flame and becomes difficult to ignite Denier - THICKNESS

Types of Natural Fibers – Linen/Cotton Used in limited quantities Combination with wool Strong Must be carefully cleaned Cotton Soft, dyeable, subject to wear and will stain easily Must be cleaned how manufacturer suggests Water will make the cotton fibers clump together Something of a luster and includes dyes as well

Synthetic Fibers Man-made fibers Plastic pellets that are melted into a solution then filaments Nylon Polypropylene Acrylic Polyester Plant fibers These filaments could be spun into yarn or get bulked and crimped Made to imitate wool

Synthetic Fibers - Nylon Most durable fiber when it comes to abrasion resistance Hydrophobic – doesn’t easily absorb water Has been around since 1940’s Metallic fibers can be incorporated to reduce static Resists mildew, moths, and mold. More likely to crush in traffic zones, flatten As years go on manufacturers continue to invest in making nylon better

Synthetic Fibers - Polypropylene Also called olefin Good stain resistance Fade resistant due to solution dyed Used in indoor and outdoor carpeting Inexpensive Good stain resistance because of its hydrophobic properties Flattens in traffic areas or under furniture Blended with wool to reduce cost

Synthetic Fibers – Acrylic/Polyester Acrylic fiber is soft and resilient Can be dyed, resistant to fading Usually component in blends Polyester Polyester dyes well, resists fading, soft and wear resistant Has poor resilience Relies on high density to overcome its weakness Manufacturers tend to make polyester carpets with low density which causes the yarns to “fall over” which makes their appearance not very nice

Plant Fibers Sisal, abaca, seagrass, jute, and core Typically woven flat due to poor resilience Can be dyed but more used in natural state Become browner in sunlight If these products are installed wall to wall they should be glued down Sisal Abaca Seagrass

Ply: number of yarns twisted together Degree of Twist: affects appearance and performance. Higher twists maintain a more acceptable appearance.

Construction Detail

Construction Methods Gauge – distance between needles Stitch rate – defines number of times per inch a stitch occurs Pile height – length of the tuft from primary backing to tip Pitch – number of tufts or warp pile yarns per inch Tufting Starts with primary backing (usually polypropylene mesh) Face yarns are poked down through the backing and sealed in place with latex or an adhesive

Construction Methods Weaving Preferred in high traffic Two main weaving methods Axminister Complicated designs, usually cut-pile Produce a stiffer product, can be wool or a blend Wilton Made of worsted wool Most durable and expensive construction Complex patterns are possible Worsted wool – longer hair fibers that are tightly twisted and are made in finer deniers

Construction Methods Flocking Short fiber glued using electrostatic process making the fibers stand up Short pile, velour texture Resist crushing, used in cars, planes or buses Fusion Bonding Yarns inserted into liquid vinyl, hardens locking yarn in place Carpet tiles Flocking can also be used in bedroom or bathroom carpeting

Construction Methods Knitting Used in a very small portion of carpet market Similar to hand knitting Possibilities include variation in color, pattern and texture Needle-Punched Made by barbed felted needles that punch into the base fabric Forms flat felt like carpet (can be printed or embossed) KNITTING Similar look to tuft carpeting NEEDLE PUNCHED Weather resistant latex is applied to backing

Construction Methods Modular Tiles 18” -36” squares Used mostly in environments where there is a lot of traffic, spills, etc Allow for easy replacement Provide moisture barriers

Colors and Patterns - Predyed Predyed – process that occur prior to construction There are four different methods of predyeing a carpet Solution dyeing Stock dyeing Skein dyeing Space dyeing Solution dyeing – the material that makes up the synthetic fibers is colored Stock dyeing – fiber gets dumped into a vat and dyed before its made into yarn Skein dyeing – yarns get dyed. More expensive Space dyeing – random color distribution as yarn is used

Colors and Patterns – Postdyed Postdyed – occurs after the construction of carpeting There are five different ways of postdyeing a carpet Beck dyeing Piece dyeing Continuous dyeing Printing Differential dyeing Beck dyeing – used in solid colors. Occurs after tufting but before backing is added Piece dyeing – dyed after tufting and backing, common in residential carpeting Continuous dyeing – rinsed and passed under dye applicator, evenly sprays width of carpet. Printing – similar to an ink-jet printer, patterns can be changed on computers Differential dyeing – tufted carpet with yarn that’s either treated chemically or have blended fibers dye differently. Placed in dye bath where each yarn reacts differently created different shades

Backing Pads Rebond Waffle Rubber Slab Rubber Foam Padding Fiber Frothed Foam Pads – comfortable to walk on, but cheap pads are usually harder and not very good Rebond – made from scraps of high density foam Waffle rubber – waffle patterning gives thickness, mostly air. Cheaper padding can crumble if it is worn Slab rubber – similar to rebond padding, not easily crushed Foam padding – availible in different densities and thicknesses, made from urethane foam Fiber – made from fibers or sometimes animal hair, lowest toxicity Frothed foam – super dense urethane, very durable

Installation When installing you will want the least amount of seams as possible Tackless Installation Thin strips of wood nailed or glued to perimeter Glue Down Installation Typically glued directly to floor

Stair Installation

Safety Pros Cons Provide cushion when walking Those who have allergies can find carpet problematic Things dropped are less likely to break Some contain many chemicals and VOC’s Safe for elderly and children

Codes Flammability Pill Test Must pass this test or be properly labeled on product if it does not Flammability Radiant Test Static Electricity Not exceed 3 kilovolts (commerical) Not exceed 5 kilovolts (residential) Colorfastness Tuft Bind Pile Face Weight

Karastan NEW GLAMOUR SURFACE TEXTURE Patterned Cut and Loop PATTERN REPEAT 18" W x 41.67" L NUMBER OF COLORS 10 WIDTH 12' FIBER Solutia Ultron Also have carpets called “smartstrand” which are very durable and materials that are green. www.karastan.com

Blue Ridge Carpet Commercial Tile Carpet -easy to install and replace -unique combination of aesthetics and design concepts -mix and matching a variety of patterns can change the way a carpet is viewed Material of Yarn: 100% Advanced PP Construction: Loop Pile Size: 50*50cm Backing: PVC www.blueridgecarpet.com

Manufacturers Karastan Shaw Floors Royalty Carpet Mills Mohawk Flooring Hokanson Carpet Blue Ridge Carpet Patcraft Commercial Carpet Stark Carpet Home Depot Masland Carpets

Material Summary Material name: Carpet Choice photo: CSI section: 16500 Application: glued or tackless Cost and method of procurement: varies Supply concerns: seams of carpet, as well as transitions to another flooring Specifications: Relative sustainability: use high efficiency LEDs Code requirements: Flammability Pill Test and Flammability Radiant Test