record of providing safe conditions for and fair treatment of workers,” Murray says. Over the past decade, carpet manufactur-ers have allocated tremendous resources of money and manpower to improve sustain-ability within their individual companies as well as the industry overall. They’ve made great strides in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, water consump-tion and reliance on fossil fuels; in some cas-es substituting renewable energy sources. And they’ve increased the use of both post-industrial and post-consumer waste materials in carpet production. According to Murray, transparent manu-facturers readily provide this information on their websites — in the form of a company’s annual Sustainability Report or eco-specs available per product. In addition, there are third-party certifica-tions, such as CRI’s Green Label Plus Indoor Air Quality standard and ANSI/NSF 140 Sus-tainability Assessment for Carpet, that can be used to evaluate one or more aspects of a product’s sustainability. Sustainability also has a great deal to do with purchasing a product that is durable and will perform well for years to come. A carpet that performs as needed throughout its intended use cycle is a de-cision that facility managers and building owners can feel good about. As a purchaser, getting the most bang for your buck when choosing carpet really boils down to three things: ● Selecting the right carpet for the right space ● Installing that carpet properly and efficiently ● Maintaining that carpet via regular and specialized cleaning and maintenance over its lifecycle. improved as more durable fibers, comple-mented by improved primary and second-ary backings, have become available. And design and performance options have in-creased as well,” Carrier added. This is particularly beneficial in settings like schools, from preschools to the gradu-ate level, where carpet or modular tile floor-ing results in improved acoustics, creating a better learning environment for students and teachers alike. In healthcare facilities, ranging from nursing homes to intensive care units, the reduction in noise level from carpeted floors may improve patient outcomes by improving the likelihood that a patient may rest undisturbed. The benefits of sustainable carpeting are invaluable in stores and office buildings as well, where carpet provides a soft landing and reduces slip-and-fall accidents that can occur on vinyl, tile, wood or other hard sur-faces. Many of these commercial venues are now opting for modular tile carpeting be-cause tile installation provides the ability to lift, remove and replace an affected tile when it needs to be, without disruption to the occupants of the space. This can be particularly helpful for facili-ties with high-traffic areas. Modular tiles can be removed for clean-ing and reused or removed and replaced as needed. After the “right carpet for the right space” has been determined, next comes the in-stallation process. Installation And Upkeep While installing carpet in commercial set-tings is no job for a layman, proper installa-tion of your carpet can be achieved “seam-lessly” by hiring an installation contractor that adheres to high standards for all as-pects of the installation. The CRI Carpet Installation Standard, a document that establishes minimum indus-try standards for commercial carpet installa-tion, is a good place to start. Once installed, it’s essential to keep your carpet well maintained through regular and intermittent deep cleanings. That’s the key to maintaining your invest-ment. The Selection Process “We all know that carpeting and carpet tiles have many advantages over hard surface flooring when it comes to easy mainte-nance, superior acoustic value and safety features,” says Jeff Carrier, CRI director of regulatory systems. “But what’s exciting about choosing the right carpet for the right space these days is that the selection of products — particularly commercial carpet and modular tiles — has These days, keeping carpets clean has been simplified thanks to the prolif-eration of stain-resistant fibers in carpet products and because of the availability of excellent cleaning products and clean-ing systems. Even so, carpet products still benefit from regular vacuuming, which is the single most effective and economic means of keeping carpet in schools, healthcare settings and other public venues clean. Vacuums are designed to remove dry soil, which accounts for 85 percent of soil tracked into a building. Frequent vacuuming captures the dirt at the surface before it settles into the fibers and becomes difficult to remove. “The majority of dry soil can be removed from carpet through routine vacuuming procedures, but occasional use of cleaning systems, such as a low moisture encapsula-tion system, will efficiently improve your carpet’s appearance with limited downtime for cleaning and drying. The cleaning agent is applied to the carpet pile, allowed to dry and then vacuumed to remove encapsu-lated soil,” says Murray. “And, twice a year or so, carpet should undergo hot water extraction cleaning by trained custodians or professional cleaning services. This process cleans deeply em-bedded soils and oily materials that vacu-ums can’t remove, which account for about 15 percent of all soil,” Murray noted. Using the best cleaning equipment and cleaning products, such as those recom-mended by CRI’s Seal of Approval (SOA) program, is definitely the way to go. The Seal of Approval program identi-fies effective carpet cleaning solutions and equipment that clean carpet right. Not all products clean well enough to earn the SOA distinction, so be sure to look for the blue and green CRI Seal of Approval as proof that you are purchasing or using a quality product. It’s easier than ever before to enjoy the benefits of making sustainable choices when it comes to flooring. And, in terms of providing sustainable options for high-traffic public venues, it’s fair to say that carpet is not only getting the job done, but it’s doing so with remarkably good grades. www.CMMOnline.com 31
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