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M51 Edge Fixed Carpeting (Checklist) G#1554 N#1495

By 8 July 2014November 10th, 2020Checklist, Code, Encyclopaedia
GBE Checklist 16 CPD Cover JPG

M51  Edge Fixed Carpeting Checklist

GBE > Encyclopaedia > Code > Checklist > Entry > M > G#1554 N#1495

M51 Edge Fixed Carpeting Checklist
About:


Design:

Cradle to Cradle:

  • design carpets using only natural bio-based materials
  • design carpets to avoid mixing natural (bio-based) and technical (Plastics petro-chemical chemicals) ingredients
  • design carpets to enable easy separation of composite construction carpets
  • design laying/securing method to simplify reclaim for reuse

Resource Efficiency:

  • Consider multiple carpet roll widths when planning room or space or corridor sizes
  • Select carpet roll width (and multiples) to fit room, space or corridor size

Ensure:

Preparation & Conditioning

  • Ensure substrate (bases and backgrounds) screeds and concrete floors have dried out to recommended level
  • Follow the correct sequence and duration, not the over optimistic programme
  • Test with moisture content test kit
  • Ensure space and materials are conditioned in the right temperature and humidity to manufacturer recommendations for the correct duration
  • Ensure all preparatory work by others is complete
    • (e.g. electrics and plumbing)
  • Ensure all pipes and cables are made air tight through external walls with grommets
    • (air leakage, smoke (potentially fire) and acoustics) at abutments
  • Ensure all pipes and cables are made fire tight through fire resistant construction
  • Ensure all air leakage air passage routes are stopped or closed with tapes, sealants or filled with thermal insulation
    • (make airtight behind finishes not at finishes)
  • Carryout any recommended preparation (drying, sealing or priming) to receive finish
  • Any underlayment that creaks before laying finish will creak after laying finishes, secure it first
  • Acoustic insulation battens create batten zone voids
    • (insulate to avoid air movement, thermal flanking, thermal bypass, heat loss)

Consider:

Materials:

  • Natural fibre carpets and backings
  • Sheep’s wool from small flocks which are not dipped and other non-dipped flocks.
  • Switzerland keeps its flocks small to avoid need for dipping.
  • Cellulose fibre underlayment boards
  • Rubber crumb sheet underlay
  • Wood Fibre reinforced dense gypsum boards (as screed replacement)
  • Absorption of UV light

Underlayment

  • Reclaimed, locally grown UKWAS or FSC temperate species Plywood
    • or other equivalent timber panel products
  • Cellulose fibre underlayment boards (thermal and acoustic properties)
  • Aerogel thermal insulation quilt or laminated to timber panel products
  • Vacuum Insulated panels (in modular resource efficient floor plans) No nailing!
  • Rubber crumb sheet underlay (acoustic isolation impact sound)
  • Rubber sheet (acoustic barrier airborne sound)
  • Low-smoke halogen-free plastics in underground public transport projects
    • (London Underground has a list of permitted materials)

Finish

  • Plant fibre carpets and backings to avoid plastics and petro-chemicals
  • Sheep’s wool from small flocks which are not dipped and other non-dipped larger flocks
    • Swiss flocks are kept small to avoid need for dipping
  • Smooth flat surfaces for ease of cleaning and avoidance of dirt traps
  • Dense close pile carpets (Pee, Poo and Puke resistant top surface for nursery schools)

Accessories:

  • Phthalate-free PVC backed carpet
  • Solvent-free adhesives
  • Low VOC adhesives
  • Water based adhesives

If you have to use PVC backed carpet:

  • Phthalate-free PVC backed carpet

Avoid:

Finishes

  • Plastics in carpets and carpet backing
  • PVC in carpet backings See Z50
  • Bitumen in carpet backings See Z50
  • Polymer migration between plastics
    • adhesives to coving and capping
  • Carpet and underlay over underfloor heating: it will act as a thermal insulator and underfloor heating relies on radiant heat to warm objects in the space
  • Carpet and underlay over concrete floors if thermal mass is to be exploited.
  • Floor finishes which will affect the exhibits in museums and art galleries
    • Polymer migration between floors and exhibits
  • Sheep’s wool carpet where organophosphates and other ingredients from sheep dipping are still present.
    • See M50 and http://www.pan-uk.org/briefing/sheepdip.htm

Minimise:

  • Virgin plastics:
    • Petro-chemicals are non-renewable
    • Instead use recycled content products, which are becoming increasingly available. See Z50
  • Use of PVC: because of potentially high phthalate content
  • Recycled plastics containing PVC
    • (older PVC is probably not REACH compliant)
    • (sadly new PVC may not be REACH compliant)

Substitute:

REACH REGULATIONS

  • All materials and ingredients fit for purpose and not identified and/or restricted by REACH or its supporting lists and guidance.
  • SVHC Substances of Very High Concern
  • SIN-list Substitute It Now list
  • Not classified as dangerous under:
  • Dangerous Substances Directive 67/548/EEC or
  • Dangerous Preparations Directive 1999/45/EC
  • Not classified as hazardous under the CLP Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008; or
  • Not a substance that is: (as defined in Annex XIII of REACH)
    • persistent, bio-accumulative and toxic (PBT), or
    • very persistent and very bio-accumulative (vPvB); or
  • Not a substance that included in the European Chemicals Agency’s ‘Candidate List’ of substances of very high concern for reasons other than those listed above.

Precautionary principle:

  • Avoid Phthalates in PVC Plasticisers
  • Avoid PVC (recent testing for REACH-compliance found blatant breach of % content rules)

Resource Efficiency:

  • Reduce:
    • Match component size or width (and multiples of them) to the size of the space to minimise waste due to off cuts
    • Reduce component size or width at perimeters to minimise off cut waste
  • Reclaimable:
    • Use dry laying technique
    • Lay without adhesive,
  • Reuse:
    • Reclaimed materials
    • Off-cuts to minimise use of more cutting of whole tiles
  • Recycle:
    • Off cuts
    • Use in recycled textile underlay
    • See Carpet Recycling UK (CRUK)
    • Interface Europe (US) and Milliken (US) offer recycling services for petrochemical based carpets
    • Acoustic isolation: recycled rubber chip sheet underlay to minimise impact noise transmission from above to below
  • Recover:
    • Nutrients from bio-based materials
    • Avoid combustion of plastics due to highly toxic pollution potential
    • Never burn PVC to avoid dioxin release
  • Remanufacture
    • See Centre for Remanufacture and Reuse (CRR)
    • Interface will take any manufacturer’s products and refurbish, retexture, reprint and resell or give to charity

Waste Issues:

  • Waste Category: Carpets: Textile
    • Textile ban from landfill is in place
  • Waste statistics:
    • 30 m tonnes (33% of 90 m. tonnes/year) of waste is offcuts (not all floor finishes, carpet or underlay)
  • End of Life options:
    • reclaim and reuse as much as possible
    • reclaim and remanufacture
    • reclaim and recycle

Health and safety issues:

Sheep’s wool carpet

  • If organophosphates from sheep dipping are still present.
  • Organophosphate compounds (OPs) were developed as chemical warfare agents because of their action in inhibiting blood cholinesterase activity: this means that in effect they can cause continual and uncontrolled stimulation of organs and muscles.
  • There are a number of recent reviews of OP toxicology.
  • The World Health Organisation estimates that there are about 3 million acute severe incidents of pesticide poisoning every year.
  • Up to half of these may be due to OPs.
  • Dipping is no longer compulsory in UK but it continues.
  • Reports of adverse effects following dipping come from many parts of the UK, Australia and New Zealand as well.
  • See http://www.pan-uk.org/briefing/sheepdip.htm

Maintenance issue:

  • Textured flooring can create dirt traps that the cleaners may not reach.
  • There are densely packed fibre carpets and water proof backing that are pee, poo and spew resistant

Information sources:

  • REACH
  • PAN

Liability avoidance:

Consider use of the following in contract specifications:

  • NGS DoC Declaration of Conformity
  • NGS DoEM Declaration of Excluded Materials
  • NGS DoRR Declaration Of REACH Requirements
  • NGS Appendix of Approved Installer/Applicators

© GBE GBC GBL NGS ASWS Brian Murphy aka BrianSpecMan **
7th July 2014 – 10th November 2020

M51 Edge Fixed Carpeting Checklist
Images:


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CFJ Logo png

Carpet Recycling UK EcoBuild 2013

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© GBE NGS ASWS BrianSpecMan aka Brian Murphy
7th July 2014 – 17th December 2017

M51  Edge Fixed Carpeting Checklist
See Also:


GBE JARGON BUSTER

  • CFA
  • CFJ
  • CRUK
  • FSC
  • FSP
  • PVC
  • REACH
  • SIN
  • UKWAS

GBE DEFECTS


GBE SOLUTIONS


GBE CPD

  • Resource Efficiency: Flooring
    • CRUK at EcoBuild 2013
    • Flooring Show
  • Resource Efficient Flooring Project

GBE CHECKLIST

  • M10 Screeds
  • M50 (This page)
  • Z20 Adhesives
  • Z50 Plastics

GBE LINKS

  • Carpet Recycling UK (CRUK)
  • Contract Flooring Association (CFA)
  • Contract Flooring Journal (CFJ)
  • Flooring Sustainability Partnership (FSP)

GBE PROJECTS


GBE CALCULATOR


GBE CAD

  • 2D and 3D SketchUp Product files
  • SketchUp files of Construction Sections

GBS GREEN BUILDING SPECIFICATION

  • Robust Specification Clause
  • Robust Specification Work Section

GBS ROBUST SPECIFICATION


GBE PRODUCTS

Underlay

  • 79% – 88% recycled tyres and car window seals natural rubber and cork
  • Supplier: Construction Resources
  • Product Reference: Regupol

GBE ACCESSORIES


GBE MANUFACTURERS


GBE SUPPLIERS


GBE INSTALLERS APPLICATORS


© GBE GBC GBL NGS ASWS Brian Murphy aka BrianSpecMan **
7th July 2014 – 10th November 2020

M51 Edge Fixed Carpeting Checklist G#1554 N#1495 End

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