M51 Edge Fixed Carpeting Checklist

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M51 Edge Fixed Carpeting Checklist
About:

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

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)

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:

If you have to use PVC backed carpet:

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

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)

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.

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

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 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

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

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