CommercialSpecifying Carpet

In any particular installation, there will be a wide variety of requirements and carpet performance expectations.

The following is a useful check list when considering these requirements:

• Choice of texture/style e.g. cut pile, loop pile, cut-loop pile
• Colour
• Design
• Number of people using the carpeted areas
• Most heavily trafficked areas e.g. lift lobbies, apartment/hotel corridors
• Use of wheel chairs, walking frames, other wheeled traffic
• Cleaning maintenance programme
• Floor plan e.g. open plan, office partition positions
• Carpet construction – tufted, woven, modular or broadloom
• Steps or stairs included
• Walking traffic flow
• Expectation of performance life
• Fibre type preference
• Finishes applied – soil/stain treatment, antistatic
• Cost
• Other environmental considerations e.g. acoustic and thermal insulation requirements, and VOC emissions
• Building Code of Australia performance requirements for carpets – fire resistance, slip resistance and disability access.
• Australian Carpet Classification Scheme (ACCS) and Environmental Certification Scheme (ECS) gradings.

Please click on this link to view an up-to-date listing of ECS graded carpets:

Building Code Compliance

Fire Safety

Slip Resistance

ABR Bulletin article  – The Carpet Industry’s Approach to BCA Compliance for Slip Resistance (The Australian Building Regulation Bulletin, Issue 15, August 2015) (pdf, 1,595 kB)