Carpeting
As carpeting (including carpets , carpeting ) refers to a textile floor covering . Any textile floor covering that can be laid across the entire surface of a room is called a carpet. Carpets differ in their material, their structure and the nature of the back.
history
The history of the carpet develops from the history of the carpet , which dates back to 550 BC. Goes back. The carpet as a full-surface textile floor covering was not created until the 1950s as a “wall-to-wall carpet”.
The introduction of synthetic fibers in carpet production after the end of the Second World War led to the development of carpets made of synthetic fibers such as polyamide and nylon. The carpets made of nylon fibers that are widespread today were first produced in 1952 by the Longlife company in Nettetal / Germany, a former velvet weaving mill. One of the well-known carpets made of polyamide is Perlon Rips, which was introduced in 1959 by the ANKER-Carpeting company in Düren / Germany.
construction
A carpet consists of the carrier layer, the middle layer and the wear layer.
The top layer, the wear layer, also known as the "pile", consists of fibers or yarn. The fibers can be synthetic, natural or a mixture. A distinction is made between loop carpets and velor carpets in which the loops are cut open.
This is followed by a middle layer with adhesive on some carpets, which connects the fibers to the carrier fabric.
The lower layer (carrier layer) is the carpet backing, which can also consist of natural or synthetic materials. The back of the carpet gives the carpet its shape and often also serves as thermal insulation and footfall sound insulation .
material
Carpets are made from natural, vegetable fiber materials such as cotton , jute , flax , coconut , hemp and sisal , or made from natural, animal materials such as wool , hair and silk . Chemical-cellulosic fiber materials for carpets are viscose and rayon , or synthetic fibers such as polyamide and polyester . Acrylic and polypropylene are used for carpets in the lower price segment.
properties
Important characteristics for assessing the quality of a carpet are:
- Weight and pole weight
- material
- Number of knobs (for tufted carpets)
- Wear layer thickness
- suitable for underfloor heating
- hardly inflammable
- dirt-repellent
- soundproofing
- antistatic
These properties are included as a requirement in various seals and in the EN 1307 standard . Carpets that are standardized or have been awarded a seal (e.g. GUT seal) have a tested quality.
Environmental behavior
A study published in 2018 identified 59 chemicals of very high concern that carpets may contain on the EU market . The list includes phthalates , perfluorinated compounds ( PFAS ), flame retardants and toxic heavy metals . These compounds can harm consumer health and prevent carpet recycling . Therefore, the DUH calls for a ban on harmful chemicals in carpets and the introduction of the principle of product responsibility for manufacturers. In Germany alone, around 400,000 tons of carpets are disposed of every year . There are no restrictions or bans on at least 37 chemicals of concern that may be found in carpets in the EU . In a new investigation, pollutants (the ones we were looking for) were found in twelve of fifteen carpets .
Manufacturing
A general distinction is made between flat carpets and pile carpets.
Most carpets are made using the tufting process. The sewing thread is worked into the carrier material over the entire width with needles arranged next to one another. Further processes are weaving , gluing and knitting . Woven carpets are particularly high quality and durable, but they are also expensive.
Embarrassed
Carpet can be laid loosely, glued , fastened with Velcro fasteners or tensioned .
Carpeting is usually limited on the walls by a two to three centimeter wide skirting board. This often consists of plastic, into which a strip of the material is glued, or only of the goods that are chained around the visible edge above .
In Germany, carpeting is the most common floor covering in terms of square meters. It is sure-footed and sound-absorbing and can create a cozy room atmosphere. Bleach-resistant special carpets (e.g. made of pigment-dyed fibers) can also be used in conjunction with a liquid-impermeable back coating in areas with high hygiene requirements - e.g. B. Hospitals - provided that they are properly cleaned and disinfected.
Special form: trade fair carpet
A special form of carpet is the trade fair carpet (in short: trade fair carpet). In contrast to conventional carpeting, a trade fair carpet is usually only laid for a limited time and then disposed of. Trade fair carpets are not so much laid in the private sector, but v. a. as a floor covering at trade fairs and events.
material
Trade fair carpets are mainly made of synthetic fibers such as polyamide, polyacrylic and polyester because of the high levels of wear and tear. In addition to the properties of normal carpeting, trade fair carpeting also includes the following:
- UV-resistant
- hardly inflammable according to DIN 4102
- non-slip
- sound absorbing
Above all, the fire behavior of the trade fair carpet is decisive when used at public events: in order to meet the fire protection regulations, the trade fair carpet must be flame retardant.
Executions
Trade fair carpets are available with different surface structures that result from different manufacturing processes. The most common structure forms include:
- Rep
- This trade fair carpet has a rib-like surface that runs roughly or finely in one direction.
- Needle felt
- Needle felt , also called flat felt, has a felted, interwoven structure. Needle felt trade fair carpets can have one or two layers.
- Trade fair events
- In contrast to conventional velor carpets, trade fair velor is felty and rough, but the look of the trade fair velor is similar to living velor.
Embarrassed
Trade fair carpets are usually not laid permanently. Therefore, the carpeting is often only glued or rolled out with double-sided adhesive tape and fixed at the edges with adhesive tape or skirting boards.
Disposal and pollutants
In Europe, more than 700 million m² of carpeting were produced and placed on the market in 2016. Around 1.6 million tons of old carpets are disposed of every year, 400,000 tons of which are in Germany. After the end of the product life, almost all carpets in Germany are burned. In Europe, around 60% of carpets are landfilled and the rest are almost completely incinerated. It is believed that less than 3% is recycled.
In a 2018 study of 15 carpets from eight manufacturers, hormonally active, carcinogenic or fertility-impairing substances were found in 12 floors. Were found phthalates diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl compounds (PFAS) and flame retardant tris (1,3-dichloroisopropyl) phosphate (TDCPP). Only three products were free of harmful substances.
See also
- RAL 991 A3 , RAL agreement for regulating the cleaning of textile floor coverings
literature
- Klara Löffler: The carpet. In: Peter Assmann, Herbert Nikitsch (Red.): Things of everyday life. Objects on culture and way of life in Austria since 1945. (= catalogs of the Upper Austrian regional museums , NS 17), Weitra 2004, ISBN 3-85474-123-5 , p. 42ff.
- Daniel Zaugg, Hans-Jürgen Knappheide: Material science for interior design , Cosmos Verlag AG, Muri bei Bern 2012, ISBN 978-3-85621-208-7 , pp. 465–503.
Web links
- Stiftung Warentest on the seal of approval for carpets (link checked on March 12, 2015)
- daab.de Study by the German Allergy and Asthma Association
- Sabelstein Event Lexicon Interesting facts about trade fair carpets
Individual evidence
- ↑ Dr. Mechthild Hempe: 150 years of ANKER carpets. (PDF; 11.5 KB) Retrieved January 29, 2015 .
- ↑ Carpet knowledge - structure of the carpet. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on January 31, 2015 ; accessed on January 29, 2015 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Deutsche Umwelthilfe calls for pollutant-free and recyclable carpets Deutsche Umwelthilfe , March 5, 2018, accessed on March 5, 2018.
- ↑ Pollutants in European carpets: Deutsche Umwelthilfe calls for product responsibility for manufacturers and a ban on hazardous substances. In: dhu.de . October 30, 2018, accessed November 18, 2018 .
- ↑ Parquet, tiles or carpet? In: Dresden Official Gazette. June 18, 2014, accessed January 29, 2015 .
- ↑ Ordinance on the construction and operation of meeting places (VStättVO NRW) dated September 20, 2002, §33 . (PDF; 177.8 Kb) Accessed May 4, 2015 .
- ↑ The Big Disposal Problem - A Study by Deutsche Umwelthilfe (2017)
- ↑ Pollutants in European carpets - A study by Deutsche Umwelthilfe (2018)
