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| Thursday, July 29, 2010 |
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| [Wednesday, March 01, 2006] |
| Which type of carpet is best suited for an educational institution (college), modular carpet tile or regular carpet (broadloom)?
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| Carpet/Furniture Care - Robert contreras |
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Answer # 1:
I've been specifying carpet tile for the past 19 years and haven't regretted it. Replacement of stained or damaged tiles is easier than replacing or patching broadloom. Glue-down broadloom can be delaminated in some school settings, particularly in areas with chairs on casters, or where the carpet is over-wetted when cleaning. Tiles cost a little more and drying out after a flood can take time, but on the whole I wouldn't change. I've replaced a lot of damaged tiles by switching the tile with one that's under a file cabinet or cupboard. Also, I’ve reused tiles after a renovation - can't do that with glue-down.
Colin Butterfield, Group B Services Ltd
http://www.groupb.ca
Ph-250 661 8003
Answer # 2:
Generally speaking, carpet tiles allow for more flexibility, but are more expensive and don't "breathe" like other types of carpeting. My advice would be to seek out unbiased recommendations based on the particulars of your needs from an interior designer, architect or independent specifier.
Much depends on the particulars of the installation, such as: budget, traffic and soil load, propensity for various types of damage, and design issues.
Unfortunately the complete answer is more complicated than the question would suggest. For what it's worth, most of the carpet I see in the education market is unitary-back, nylon, broadloom, direct glue-down installation. And the biggest performance variable is based on the quality of the installation and maintenance, not the carpet itself.
John Downey
johndowney@johndowneyco.com
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| ICAN representative |
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