Carpet on the Horizon

First impressions are lasting ones. Carpeting plays a crucial role in an interior's visual appeal - but only as long as it holds up well. For years, evaluating carpet was straightforward: Pick the right color and, for an indicator of performance, the total ounce weight. However, up-to-date information from carpet manufacturers suggests that the selection process is shifting. It's no longer a matter of simply finding a carpet that looks good, it's a matter of finding one that will look good longer.

Performance Anxiety
Once it seemed logical that the heavier the carpet, the greater its durability. And carpet specifications were traditionally based upon the thickness of yarn: The thicker the yarn, the greater the weight and density. But a new study conducted by manufacturers Interface, Lees, Milliken, Mohawk and Shaw, in conjunction with the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) for the Government Services Administration (GSA), finds that clients are ready to change that way of specifying carpet. The comprehensive study combines and correlates lab and floor tests on existing modular carpeting products to produce a matrix of ratings. The results of this joint effort produced a new performance and GSA appearance retention classification system that will soon be published by CRI.

"This research began four years ago, when [the industry] realized that GSA's specifications were based on outdated information and perceptions about carpet," explains Bill Gregory, director of government and education markets for Milliken in La Grange, Ga. "Technology has changed so that weight and density are not the only indicators of performance. Now we have denser, higher-performing carpets at lower weights than we did 10 years ago. Today, a 20-ounce carpet can outperform a 28-ounce carpet because the yarns might be heat-set or twisted in a way that offers higher appearance retention." (Heat-setting is the process that stabilizes and sets the memory of a yarn's twist.)

Because the GSA is historically the largest end-user of contract carpet in the United States, Gregory says the research results will likely be heeded. He also expects them to be widely adopted by other contract markets.

The Flip Side
A good-quality backing improves a carpet's appearance retention by securing yarns so they can't be pulled up; it also acts like a shock absorber for fibers constantly pounded by feet. But new research finds there are more benefits to carpet backing than meet the eye. "Indoor air quality can be severely affected by carpet backing," says Michael Hilton, technical manager for Collins & Aikman, a manufacturer of contract carpeting in Dalton, Ga. "Synthetic latex backing is highly porous and acts like a sponge when it gets wet. This means mold and mildew can grow if expeditious drying does not occur." Hilton explains that this is especially true with carpets that take more than 12 hours to dry. To test its "vinyl versus latex" theory, Hilton's team recently conducted research on its Powerbond® vinyl-backed carpeting system. Collins & Aikman's drying study took six comparable samples of the same size and weight, three of a latex-backed carpet and three of vinyl-backed Powerbond, then added water. Each dry sample was weighed before adding the same amount of water to each product. The result was the equivalent of 20 percent humidity. Each product had one pass with a steam cleaner.

Next, technicians timed how long it took each sample to return to its original dry weight. The latex-backed carpeting, at 20 percent humidity, took 10 hours to dry while the vinyl-backed Powerbond at the same humidity level took four hours to dry. "The 20 percent humidity level was low compared to the more typical 60 percent levels that carpets generally experience," Hilton notes. Collins & Aikman's research indicates that even at 60 percent humidity levels, it takes fewer than 12 hours for a carpet with vinyl backing to dry, eliminating the concern about unhealthy biological growth related to extended drying time.

Neo Nylon
Since synthetic fibers debuted in the 1930s, nylon has become the main fiber used in commercial carpets. But nylon producers are always researching ways to keep the product fresh and appealing. For example, DuPont's 6.6 nylon performance fiber, Dupont Antron® nylon, was created in 1967, but its two products, Antron® Legacy nylon and Antron Lumena® solution-dyed nylon, are constantly being enhanced, thanks to key research findings.

Every month, Dupont holds educational seminars in cities around the country where the architecture and design community gathers to offer feedback. In addition, the Dupont Antron nylon Web site, www.dupontcommercial.com, gives designers an opportunity to ask for certain products they anticipate will be needed.

"Based on research findings, we now offer Antron Legacy nylon with improved dyeability and a brighter luster. The yarn is clearer and more saturated with color," explains Lisa Dunbar, technical specialist with Dupont Antron nylon in Kennesaw, Ga. "By combining luster levels in carpet, we can also add textural interest." Often designers request a product that mixes different luster levels for cost-efficient perceived texture.

Feedback on Antron Lumena, the solution-dyed nylon product with 10 percent recycled content, led DuPont to create a 650-denier product three years ago that allows carpet to be manufactured with smaller and finer patterns. A carpet's denier number indicates the size of the yarn bundle. The higher the denier, the larger the yarn strand; the lower the denier, the finer the yarn. Low-denier carpets can employ finer and more precise patterns as the yarns are thinner, allowing manufacturers to use a finer-gauge machine. For example, "Manufacturers are combining larger 1,245 denier with 650 denier to create a tone-on-tone look," Dunbar says.

Targeting Color Trends
"Designers told us they are looking for anything that will help them to visualize the future," says Chris Ramey, vice president of the International Design Guild, an organization of more than 80 floor covering showrooms in North America and Canada, based near Atlanta. "As of last year, we began to offer designers free color forecasting services put together by DuPont."

Ramey found that the contract carpet color palette evolves faster than the residential one. "Contract projects require longer-term performance from carpeting, so designers are more forward-thinking in terms of color possibilities," he explains. Ramey notes that one of the strongest color trends in residential furniture is chocolate and blue. "That's what we saw at the High Point show in October. Any time you see a color trend in the residential area, it will quickly turn up in contract carpet."

Test Your Carpet IQ

Do you know the dirt on carpet? Answer true or false to the following statements:

Q: Tufted carpet accounts for 47 percent of all carpet construction.

A: False. Tufted carpet accounts for nearly all carpet construction (95 percent, to be exact).

Q: Dark tones are best for high-traffic areas, especially near entrances.

A: False. It is better to use mid-range tones or the color of local soil in high-traffic areas, especially near entrances, to cover dirt more effectively.

Q: Loop-pile carpeting is "fuzzier" and more sound-insulating than cut-pile carpeting.

A: False. Cut-pile carpeting is fuzzier and more sound-dampening.

Q: According to the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, carpet can have a pile height of no more than one-half inch as measured from the bottom of the tuft. A difference of more than one-half inch requires a ramp at the threshold.

A: True. It is important that carpet pile height is accurate to this measurement due to the use of medical-aided devices. If the height requirement is not followed, it can impair disabled individuals.

Marilyn Zelinsky has authored two books on office design, New Workplaces for New Workstyles and Practical Home Office Solutions, both published by McGraw-Hill. She is also the former senior editor of Interiors magazine, where she reported on contract design and products.