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

2. History As early as 7000 B.C were signs of carpet making
From 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.

3. 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. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

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

14. Construction Detail

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. Stair Installation

25. 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

26. 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

27. 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.

28. 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

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

30. 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