In his May 11, 2012 column titled CARE honors innovators in the Dalton Daily-Citizen, Carpet and Rug Institute President Werner Braun tells Dalton readers about two visionaries in carpet recycling who took the Person of the Year and Recycler of the Year awards at the recent Annual Meeting of the Carpet American Recovery Effort (CARE).

Larry Cook, director of manufacturing initiatives with Beaulieu Group was named Person of the Year, and California-based recycler The Carpet Recyclers took the award for Recycler of the Year.

The article also notes several significant milestones that have been reached since the carpet recycling group was formed in 2002.

• 333 million pounds of carpet wastes were diverted from landfills in 2011.

• CARE has diverted 2.3 billion pounds of waste carpet out of landfills since it was founded in 2002.

• 250 million pounds of diverted carpet were recycled back into carpet and other consumer products.

• The CARE Certified Collectors Program was launched in 2011, and there are now 75 certified collectors across the nation.

• The nonprofit carpet recycling group increased its membership to more than 400, a 17 percent gain.

The article continues,

“Larry Cook has been a steadfast supporter of CARE and CARE’s mission — the landfill diversion of carpet,” CARE Executive Director Georgina Sikorski told the conference attendees. “He is a generous volunteer who has given freely of his time and professional resources to help CARE take advantage of numerous strategic projects and opportunities.

The Carpet Recyclers got its start collecting carpet face fiber and then expanded in 2010 to include processing and recycling of the entire carpet such as backing, filler, etc.

To date, this company has created more than 100 green jobs and achieved a 90 percent processing rate. Its goal is to become zero-waste by 2013, and the company projects that it will process more than 70 million pounds of used carpet during the first year of operations in its new state-of-the-art facility, thereby saving more than seven million gallons of oil.

“As entrepreneurs and visionaries, The Carpet Recyclers invest time, people and finances to increase carpet recycling in California,” Sikorski said during the conference. “Because of entrepreneurs like The Carpet Recyclers and others in California, we are making progress in meeting AB 2398 goals to reduce carpet going into California landfills, and in creating new products for consumers.”

Thank you, Werner.

Carpet Specs;

• 1/10 Gauge
• Polypropylene Primary Backing
• ActionBac® Secondary Backing
• 55 Oz. Total Weight
• 10 Year Limited Commercial Warranty
• 5 Year Unconditional Labour Warranty
• Stain Resitant
• Static Control
• Soil Resistant
• Colourfast & Lightfast
• Made in Canada
• Approved by CRI (Indoor Air Quality Carpet Testing Program)

* Minimum purchase requirement is 50 sq yrd’s (450 sq ft). We offer a FREE job site inspection and estimate if floor plan is provided, a FULL refundable $40 measurement charge may applies (Refundable Against Purchase). Our promotional price does not include removal of existing flooring material, garbage disposal, furniture moving, floor preparation, stairs, special upholstery, carpet baseboard and carpet cushion. Additional labour chargers may apply for evening, night and weekend installations.

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How Carpet Is Made

You walk on it every day. You lay on it. You play on it. But where does it come from? Do patient old women in exotic countries spend months sewing each strand of those little fibers together until they have enough to fill a whole room?

That would be a no.

There are two primary ways to make carpet today. The first is called tufting. The second is called weaving.

Tufting is a technique in which computers direct machines to construct specific densities, patterns and styles of carpet using synthetic yarn materials.

Step one is to weave the fibers into the backing material, which is there to keep the fibers in place. The tufting machine is like a giant sewing machine where 800 to 2,000 needles work together to pull the yarn through. Most tufting machines are about 12 feet wide. As its needles penetrate the backing, a small hook called a looper grabs the yarn and holds it in place. This process results in what is called loop pile construction. For some styles, the looper rocks back against a knife, allowing the small loops of yarn to be cut, creating a cut pile carpet.

Step two is to dye the carpet. Sometimes this is done before the final few processes — and sometimes it’s done afterwards. Carpets dyed prior are usually a single color without a pattern or style. Carpets dyed after typically go through one or more silk screens to obtain the pattern or style that the computer had in mind.

In step three, a coating of latex is applied to both the tufted, dyed carpet’s primary backing, and also to secondary backing. The secondary backing is often made of a woven synthetic polypropylene material. The two parts are squeezed together in a large heated press, where they are held firmly to preserve their shape. Some manufacturers also apply stain protection during this step — a good idea now that red wine has become a new food group.

The final steps are shearing (to remove all the little loose ends) and inspection (to ensure both quality and accuracy to the digital design).

Weaving, on the other hand, can be done by machine on massive looms or by hand. In either case, fibers (called “warps”) are placed vertically on a frame and pulled tight enough to maintain tension while yarn is being woven over, under or around them.

After the weaving is complete, new fibers (called “wefts”) are laid horizontally across the yarn, locking the warps into place.

Woven carpets tend to be more luxurious and higher quality than tufted carpets — a fact reflected in their price.

Ninety percent of today’s carpets are made of synthetic fiber, comprised of one of three materials: nylon, polypropylene or polyester. All three are created by a chemical process that uses oil and natural gas.

The rest is natural fiber — most commonly wool, which is the most durable (and expensive), as well as silk and bamboo.

Which manufacturing process is right for you? That depends on your desired look, the level of expected foot traffic and your budget. A good quality carpet can last a long time — so consider amortizing the cost across the many years that you and your family will enjoy this both timeless and timely choice of floor covering.

With our 0% interest – 12 month payment, there is no need to wait! You can have what you want today, by spreading the payments. Financing starts as little as $1000

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† What is the minimum borrower criteria?

• 657+ Credit Score
• Total Debt Service Ratio maximum 42%
• No significant derogatory on credit bureau during last 12 months
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• Borrowing amount start from $1,000 up to $9,999 (plus $99 administration fee)

Make a statement in comfort and style with a quality stair runner from Victorious Flooring.

We will help you find just the right style at the right price. And with our professional installation, you can be assured of years of enjoyment and safety. Stair Runners are our specialty.
We carry hundreds of styles to choose from.

Runners are art for your home you can enjoy every time you walk up or down the stairs.

Stair Runners:

• Prevent slips, accidents, and injuries
• Provide extra traction allowing a safe way to move freely down your stairs
• Add beauty and practicality to your wood stairs
• Make your stairs quiet and eliminate sound transmission
• Come in a variety of styles
• Any carpet can be made into a custom runner
• Beautiful orientals, berbers, cut-n-loops, and commercial carpet

Learn more about the carpet and rug industry and view CRI’s technical and scientific information on topics ranging from carpet and indoor air quality to cleaning science and carpet installation.

This Guide to the CRI’s Seal of Approval (SOA) Program is the 18th in a series of 18 articles designed to share some of the Carpet and Rug Institute’s (CRI) best online assets – a collection of downloadable fact sheets. Developed as easy-to-use, one-page position statements, the CRI Fact Sheets cover four main carpet-related topic areas: Indoor Air Quality, Asthma and Allergy, Cleaning Products, and Environmental Sustainability.

Each of these topics is addressed from the perspective of various market segments: carpet dealers and consumers; architects, designers and builders; school administrators and facility managers, and healthcare administrators and facility managers. There are also separate fact sheets explaining CRI’s Green Label Plus Indoor Air Quality and Seal of Approval carpet cleaning standards – 18 fact sheets in all.

The fact sheet on the Seal of Approval testing and certification program for carpet cleaning products and equipment begins:

What’s the Seal of Approval Program?
“The CRI Seal of Approval program tests the effectiveness of carpet cleaning products and certifies those products that remove difficult stains or a sufficient amount of soil without damage to the carpet. Not all products clean well enough to earn this distinction. Seeing the CRI Seal of Approval logo on products helps consumers recognize that they are buying quality products.” It continues:

What types of products are tested?
Under the Seal of Approval program, tests are conducted on cleaning solutions and deep cleaning machines. Each product is tested at an independent laboratory against control samples to assess product performance using scientifically accredited cleaning standards.

• Spot removers and pre-spray/in-tank cleaning solutions are tested for overall cleaning effectiveness, pet stain and odor removal effectiveness, rate of resoiling, pH, optical brighteners and colorfastness to light.

• Deep cleaning extractors are tested for soil removal efficacy, amount of residual moisture and appearance retention.

• Deep cleaning systems (which use a specific machine used with a particular cleaning agent, following a set procedure) are tested for soil removal efficacy, resoiling, appearance retention, residual moisture, surface appearance change with repeated cleaning, colorfastness, pH and optical brighteners.

• Vacuums are tested for soil removal, soil containment and wear to the carpet.

Why is the Seal of Approval program necessary?
Not all cleaning equipment and solutions achieve the same results. Independent testing has shown that various cleaning detergents and spot removers clean no better than water. Worse, they can leave a sticky residue that attracts soil at a faster rate. Also, the equipment used to clean carpet varies widely in its ability to remove soil, recover water and maintain a carpet’s appearance.

How does the Seal of Approval program benefit customers?
Effective carpet cleaning helps maintain the life and beauty of the carpet. This means customers get more enjoyment out of their carpet and more value for their investment. Also, helping carpet maintain its life-cycle cuts down on its premature removal to landfills. And that benefits everyone. Finally, some carpet companies require the use of Seal of Approval products as part of their carpet warranties.

What is Space Foundation Certification?
An important feature of the Seal of Approval program is the use of XRF technology to measure the amount of soil removed from the carpet. Because the Space Foundation recognizes the XRF component of the Seal of Approval program as a Certified Space Technology©, companies with certified products are eligible to display the Space Foundation Seal along with the CRI Seal of Approval. This is an excellent way to showcase how space science applies to everyday life.

Why are some Seals platinum, gold, silver or bronze?
The Seal of Approval program utilizes X-ray fluorescence (XRF) technology to measure precisely how much soil a product removes from a carpet sample. Those that meet the stringent minimum requirements for the Seal of Approval qualify for the bronze rating. Those achieving higher soil removal receive a silver rating. Products achieving an even higher level of measurable soil removal are awarded a gold level Seal of Approval. Recently, a platinum level was added for those products that reach the highest level of efficacy.

What else should people know about carpet cleaning?
Today’s carpets are more stain resistant and durable than ever, making them relatively easy to clean and maintain. However, preserving the life and beauty of carpet depends on several factors: the quality of products and equipment used to clean carpets; the frequency which carpets are cleaned; and the skill and knowledge of the people doing the cleaning.

CRI wants to be known not just as the science-based source of information about carpet, but as the first stop for any and all questions about this useful floor covering.

For the complete list of Carpet and Rug Institute Downloadable Fact Sheets, click on this link.