Textile floor coverings (carpets) offer the highest possible impact sound improvement of all floor coverings and the highest possible comfort when walking on. They are made from plant, animal or synthetic fibres, also in combination with each other. In addition to the raw material, the way in which they are produced has a significant influence on their properties and appearance. According to DIN EN 1307, they are divided into floor coverings with pile, floor coverings without pile, needle fleece floor coverings, pol fleece floor coverings and flock floor coverings.
This knowledge page deals with textile floor coverings (carpets) that completely cover the floor of a room as carpeting in the form of strips or tiles. Runners, rugs, bridges and also walk-off mats are not the subject of this knowledge page.
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"Cradle to Cradle": Numerous carpets are already certified with the protected "Cradle to Cradle" seal and thus prove their special sustainability and/or freedom from harmful substances. The manufacturers undertake to take back the products and to recycle the individual components, e.g. as yarn for new carpets or as bitumen for the road construction industry. There are Cradle to Cradle certificates with different requirement criteria as basic, bronze, silver and gold versions. For more information, see the encyclopedia article ► Cradle to Cradle.
Suitability for stairs: When using textile floor coverings in the area of stair runs, the respective product must be expressly approved by the manufacturer for this use. To do this, the product must have passed a special wear test. According to DIN EN 1307, textile floor coverings are differentiated with regard to their suitability for stairs
Suitability for chair castors: The suitability of the textile floor covering for chair castors, usually type H according to DIN EN 12529 (castors with hard tread), must be specified by the manufacturer, if necessary. As a rule, this requires the floor covering to be glued to the substrate over the entire surface.
Underfloor heating: In principle, it is possible to combine underfloor heating with a textile floor covering, but the respective product must be approved by the manufacturer for installation on underfloor heating. As a rule, this requires the floor covering to be glued to the substrate over the entire surface.
Base design: In addition to conventional skirting boards made of wood or plastic, which are also used for other types of floor coverings, there is the option of producing a base strip from the floor material for textile floor coverings, in which the upper edge is linked for a permanently stable finish. For an overview of possible plinth formations, see Lexikonbeitrag ► Plinth formation in textile floor coverings.
Suitable for damp rooms: There are also textile floor coverings made of synthetic materials that survive temporary exposure to moisture without being damaged, e.g. in private damp rooms or canteens. The suitability for damp rooms must be specified by the manufacturer, if necessary.
Electrostatic behaviour: In certain applications, antistatic floor coverings with a defined electrical conductivity are required, e.g. if a static charge in potentially explosive areas can become a danger to life and health, or if sensitive electronic components can be damaged or destroyed as a result of a static charge. The electrostatic behaviour of textile floor coverings is assessed in accordance with DIN EN 1815, and the manufacturers provide information on
For further information, see also Lexicon article ► Dissipative (antistatic) floor coverings.
Fire protection: The fire behaviour of a textile floor covering must be classified according to DIN EN 13501-1 (formerly: DIN 4102), i.e. after appropriate testing, it must be assigned to one of the fire behaviour classes contained therein. Without further testing, most textile floor coverings are otherwise classified in accordance with DIN EN 14041 Table 2 under certain conditions (maximum total mass, minimum pile thickness, surface material) in the fire behaviour class Efl (normally flammable).
Accordingly, not every textile floor covering is suitable for areas where there are requirements for flame retardancy of the floor covering, e.g. in necessary stairwells. However, there are many textile floor coverings that also meet the requirements of a flame retardant floor covering.
Emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs): Textile floor coverings, like all other building products for indoor use, may only release very limited quantities of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are hazardous to health. For more information, see Lexicon article ► VOC emission behaviour of construction products.
Further quality criteria for textile floor coverings: There is further information from the manufacturers on individual quality criteria, e.g.
substrates: The substrate must be free of coarse impurities, major unevenness or cracks. The executing company gem. VOB must also report concerns in the event of too damp ground, incorrect altitude or unsuitable temperature of the substrate, an unsuitable indoor climate or a lack of protrusion of the edge insulation strips.
Before laying the floor covering, the substrate must be smoothed with a filler or levelling compound. If more than 1 mm has to be levelled or filled over the entire surface, which is almost always the case with construction site screeds as a substrate, this is a special service for which the executing company is entitled to a separate remuneration according to VOB C DIN 18365. The service should therefore be included in the tender specifications, as far as can be identified, at the time of the invitation to tender.
Readiness for covering: Laying work on a screed may only begin when it is fully ready for covering. More information on this on the bauwion knowledge page ►400 | Construction site screeds.
Impact formation: Textile floor coverings in strips or tiles must be butt-butted, in the case of a repeat, attention must be paid to the pattern uniformity at the joint.
Movement joints: Movement joints made of layers below the flooring, e.g. from the screed or the shell, must be incorporated into the flooring in the same width, see also lexicon article ►Movement joints in floor construction. The joint is then covered either with elastic joint sealant or a corresponding profile.
Cleaning/care: Cleaning and care must be carried out according to the recognised rules of building cleaning, incorrect cleaning measures can lead to hygiene problems, visual impairment and depreciation of the floor covering. Tailored to the respective product, the manufacturer provides cleaning and care instructions, which must be handed over to the customer in writing gem. VOB C DIN 18365. As a rule, this includes instructions for the handover of the property, intensive cleaning (basic cleaning), ongoing cleaning (maintenance cleaning), stain treatment and the appropriate cleaning agents and equipment for this purpose. The effect of chemical substances such as cleaning agents and disinfectants should be tested on a covering pattern or an inconspicuous area of the floor before use, as chemicals of all kinds can cause permanent damage and discoloration.
DIN 18365 VOB Procurement and Contract Regulations for Construction Services - Part C: General Technical Contract Conditions for Construction Services (ATV) - Flooring Work
DIN EN 985 Textile Floor Coverings - Chair Castor Testing
DIN EN 1307 Textile Floor Coverings - Classification
DIN EN 1815 Elastic and Textile Floor Coverings - Assessment of Electrostatic Behaviour
DIN EN 12529 Wheels and castors - Furniture castors - Castors for swivel chairs - Requirements
DIN EN 14041 Elastic, textile and laminate floor coverings - Essential properties
DIN EN 14215 Textile floor coverings - Classification of machine-made fitted pile carpets and runners
ISO 13746 Textile floor coverings - Guidelines for installation and use on stairs
DIN ISO 2424 Textile floor coverings – Terms
DIN EN ISO 10874 Resilient, textile and laminate floor coverings – Classification
Source: bauwion
