by Chris Moline, LEED AP
Flooring can be made from a seemingly endless variety of materials – synthetic fibers, used wood from old buildings, recycled auto glass… even leather. It’s refreshing to be able to offer flooring from the “greener” side of the aisle and I refer specifically to the Fibreworks line. As an industry leader in natural fiber carpet, many of their products are labeled as “Grown Green.” This means they are “grown by, sustained in, and bio-degrade with nature”. From my perspective, they’ve made it quite simple to fulfill the needs of a client looking for natural materials for any of a number of reasons. This is especially important when working on a project with LEED certification as the goal, or if one prefers to use natural materials in the home for health or earth-friendly reasons.
Natural fiber products can be described as those made from plant, animal, and mineral sources. The Fibreworks line consists of several natural fiber products that meet their standards of Grown Green and my standard as a go-to line. Here is a breakdown of materials used and description of each:
Sisal
A durable plant fiber harvested from the mature leaves of the agave sisalana plant. The sisal fiber is extracted from the leaves through a process known as decortication, in which the leaves are rolled and crushed until only the fiber remains. The fiber is then dried, brushed, and baled. Because most weeding is done by hand, no pesticides or chemical fertilizers are used in sisal production.
Jute
The fiber is collected from the skin, or bast, surrounding the stem of the plant. Jute matures and is harvested in about 4 months. The stalk is cut off close to the ground, tied into bundles and soaked in water for 20 days. The fiber is then stripped from the stalk in long strands, washed in clear water and hung to dry. After 3 days the fibers are gathered into bunches and are ready for market. Jute is a Grown Green fiber that is free from pollution and completely biodegradable. It used to be the primary component of all broadloom carpets until “action back” came to the fore. Finer carpets still use a jute backing, however.
Coir
The fiber is extracted from the skin of the coconut fruit. The ripe fruit is harvested and husked. A curing process then takes place, allowing the coir fiber to be separated from a residue known as pith. The fiber is cleaned, dried, and spun into bundles to be used as yarn. The remaining coir pith is combined with other organic materials and used as compost in soil treatment.
Seagrass
A plant fiber from thick, rigid reeds that are non-porous and smooth to the touch. The reeds are harvested, dried and spun into yarns. The yarns are woven into rugs creating great textural patterns. Seagrass is not dyed and comes in its natural color which will change with age.
Wool
An animal fiber sheared from the hairy coat of a sheep. It is luxurious and soft to the touch. Wool carpets and rugs are completely natural, and much preferred over petroleum based carpet products such as nylon. Wool is naturally durable, renewable and biodegradable.
Many of Fibreworks products also contain natural carpet backings. Some of the most common backings include jute, natural latex, and natural rubber. Natural rubber and latex backings are extracted from the Hevea rubber tree and contain a mixture of more than 200 natural proteins. Unlike synthetic latex, natural latex is not produced by chemical polymerization.
For all questions or comments about natural flooring, give me a call or send an email. As a LEED AP and someone who just cares about the environment and our energy independence, it’s my pleasure to talk with you.
More information:
Because Fibreworks floor coverings are woven from natural fibers, they have normal irregularities that are considered part of their charm. Variations in weave and shading, for example, create a distinctive, interesting character that makes natural fiber floor coverings unique. What you won’t find anywhere is a perfect natural fiber floor-covering.
Expect these common irregularities:
A few ‘plugs’, i.e. fibers that have been tied off during the manufacturing process.
Some irregularity in the ribs: some will be closer together, some farther apart.
Slight bowing and variation in loop size, particularly in Taj, Palm Tree II, Colony and Cheyenne collections. We allow up to 2″ bowing on Natural Fiber Broadloom Carpet and Bordered Area Rugs.
Visible installation seams, especially in patterns that are difficult to seam (e.g. Herringbone, Panama and Diagonal).
Color changes: All natural fibers eventually return to their original colors. Bleached products darken over time, and colored fibers fade – so avoid direct sunlight on natural fiber rugs.
Expansion and contraction: The hydroscopic nature of natural fibers means that they adjust to environmental conditions. They’re constantly moving! If broadloom (wall-to-wall) floor covering is purchased, it should be loose-laid for 24 hours in the room in which it will be installed, and at the temperature it will typically experience. This will let the fibers get used to their new surroundings. Customers often try to install carpeting as soon as they get it, only to find that they have to tell the installer to come back 24 hours later! Color variance: showroom samples may not match current inventory. Call for current dye lot cuts. Dye lot differences are more significant with Natural Fibers than with synthetic ones.
Customer’s Responsibility: It is your responsibility to inspect the goods before any cutting, fabrication or installation occurs. Under no circumstance will an allowance be made after the goods have been altered.
Fibreworks Bordered Area Rugs are made from Broadloom Carpet. Cuts are generally made by following the valley of the ribs and along the ‘buried’ thread. Rugs can be slightly out of square due to the natural imperfections of the roll.
Ribs of pattern can be horizontal or vertical due to the size of the rugs or the material. In some areas backing may not extend to the edges of the rug to achieve exact size.
For Indoor Use Only and should not be used in areas where moisture is present or ventilation is inadequate. Never use steam or wet shampoo cleaning methods. For outdoor use, try we recommend the Lanai Collection or Cabana Collection
Well, if you are considering wool carpet, you have even more reason. Read the following from Wools of New Zealand:
One of consumer’s primary concerns when purchasing carpet is the installation process. And for good reason. A qualified installer can extend a pleasant carpet purchase into a successful installation with expert measuring, seam placement and pattern alignment.
Because wool lends itself to more intricate patterns and textures, a higher degree of skill is required for most installations.
To protect the image of your store, Wools of New Zealand recommends the use of a certified Master Installer from the International Certified Floorcovering Installers Association (CFI).
This non-profit organization certifies installers according to individual skills. By passing rigorous written and hands-on testing, installers can qualify for the following levels of certification: Residential I- Lightweight base-grade, tufted carpet Residential II – Berber, dense-cut pile, patterned carpet Commercial I- Lightweight, base-grade Commercial II – Double Glue Installations, patterns Master Installer – Excels in Residential II and Commercial II skills.
CFI Master Installers have at least seven years experience and are skilled in the seaming and hand-sewing of sisal, woven and specialty carpets.”
Wools of New Zealand encourages its retailers to get their local installers certified and we have done just that. After 37 years in business, you can count on us and our certified Master Installers to get your project installed properly and professionally. And we guarantee it!
Now that we’ve established that, here is a link to some fun facts about sheep:
Sheep Facts
For all questions about wool carpet and its eco-friendly qualities, feel free to call or send an email.
I was talking with a manufacturer’s representative in my office a few weeks ago about “green” carpet cushion. The information I got was, to put it mildly, wrong. Had I been working on a project with LEED certification as the goal, reliance on this one bit of mis-information could have cost me endless hours and many thousands of dollars, not to mention failure to get certified. In my case, I could have relayed that incorrect information to a customer and caused them to lose faith in me and my company, or worse.
As retailers, both commercial and residential customers may approach us with LEED-specific questions. The LEED for Homes certification program impacts homeowners directly and in this economy, savvy builders can stand above the crowd by building a LEED-certified homes. Retailers can stand above their crowd by taking time to get certified or at least understand where the products and services they offer tie in to specific rating systems.
Our customers are growing in their eco-awareness and we stand out by knowing what we’re talking about. They can, and frequently do, verify what we say, most often online. Get it right, and we’re on the road to a deal. Get it wrong and we lose credibility, making it more difficult to work with a client on all fronts.
Since most knowledgeable end-users have been exposed to green-washing (unrealistically stretching the green attributes of a particular product or service), they understand and trust the information they’ll get from us. It can make our job easier in that they may approach us with one less guard up.
If you are interested in the LEED for Homes process, this video may be useful.
Some homes can make you stop in your tracks. And there is an entire industry based on giving you just that look for your home… just ask Martha Stewart. But how do you describe the look you want if you are dealing with someone who has no concept of style or even seems to be focused solely on performance?
The answer? Speak up and don’t waste your time. In our showroom, we have many different experience levels and senses of style reflected in our people. If at any time you don’t feel comfortable, be gracious and ask the manager to step in (unless you get the perfect sales person who realizes it first and offers to direct you towards someone with a vision more in-line with yours. It’s more than “ok,” it’s the best way.
The manager should know the people on the floor well enough to discern who will work best with whom. If you can answer a few questions, you can make sure you get just the right service. And it will only make your shopping experience more pleasant.
If you are not getting this kind of service, call or email me. It’s what we do here, it’s our pleasure.
Chris
Now, here are some pictures of beautiful homes we’ve had the pleasure of working in.
My own sunroom with cork flooring installed over radiant subfloor heat.
Founded in 1973 as a retail store, Commercial Carpets of America, Inc. has grown to become the largest independent flooring dealer in Northern Virginia. Commercial Carpets of America, Inc. is a flooring company that provides and installs a wide range of flooring products for commercial and residential use. From company headquarters located in Alexandria, VA, Commercial Carpets of America, Inc. provides selection, design consulting, installation and the quality assurance that have come to define the industry standards.
I’ve wondered about many things over the years in the flooring business, and have seen some very-trashed carpet that made me wonder how anyone “could live like that.” But this takes the cake.
At Alexandria Carpet One Floor & Home, we specialize in SmartStrand carpets by Mohawk – Horizon, Aladdin, Karastan, and have installed it in our showroom to make a point.
What’s the point?
We wanted to put it to the test in our very-busy showroom in the metro-DC area to see if it stands up. And, to make it a “deal with teeth,” I installed multiple pad types underneath it.
How’s it holding up?
Well, while we don’t have a 2800-lb rhinoceros named Ricko trouncing around on it, we do give it a run for its money… and it’s holding up very well. In fact, when my rental property is up for a re-carpet, no other fiber is going to be installed except SmartStrand.
Stay tuned for more videos from Ricko the Rhino.
Enjoy the show.
Following is the Mohawk press release with more information:
” The grudge match is over and the winner has been crowned in the battle between Mohawk(R) SmartStrand(R) carpet made with DuPont(TM) Sorona(R) renewably sourced polymer, and Ricko The Rhino. The beige carpet emerged victorious in the SmartStrand Rhino Challenge… after two weeks of exposure to Ricko, the 2,800 pound black rhinoceros, the SmartStrand triexta carpeting came clean.
This revolutionary carpet stood up to everything Ricko the Rhino could dish out: the constant tracking in of mud, dirt, and even nastier stains, as well as being trampled on by the animal who weighs in at a staggering 1-1/2 tons.
“I never had a doubt,” said David Duncan, Mohawk’s Vice President of Marketing. “SmartStrand’s stain resistance and durability is no match for any stain-maker, whether it’s a rhinoceros or your own pets.”
After more than 14 days, the light-colored carpet showed some severe staining. The Birmingham Zoo’s Ricko, a 12-year-old, Eastern Black Rhinoceros, soiled the carpet in many ways. In the last two weeks, a tropical storm had passed through the Birmingham area, forcing the very muddy rhinoceros into spend an extended amount of time in his enclosure for safety reasons. It was during that time Ricko generated some of his most difficult stains.
“To be honest, I didn’t expect it to come so clean,” said Billy Cochran, a zookeeper who helps care for Ricko. Billy witnessed the cleaning by a crew from Issis & Sons Carpet, a Mohawk Floorscapes retailer from nearby Pelham, AL. “This carpet was really a mess but now the cleaned sections look like new,” Cochran said.
Using only hot-water extraction and Mohawk FloorCare Essentials Carpet Stain Remover, the dingy, dirty spots washed away. Time-lapse video from the cleaning will be provided later this week in updates on SmartStrandChallenge.com and YouTube.com/MohawkFloors.
“We used the same formula, at the same strength, available to every consumer who purchases Mohawk FloorCare Essentials from their local retailer,” Duncan said. “Because this was designed to be a true test of our carpet, we didn’t clean it using any extraordinary means. And it didn’t need anything outside the norm because SmartStrand triexta proved itself to be that amazingly stain resistant.”
The entire piece of carpeting was not cleaned. As will be visible on the video, sections of carpet were selected for “before and after” displays so that the clean sections would be clearly identifiable.
“We tried to choose areas where you could see a distinct muddy footprint,” said Bart Rich, Mohawk’s Director of Brand Management. “It will be the same piece of carpet, just half of it cleaned and the other half not so you can see the distinct different.”
During the two weeks experiment, one of four webcams broadcast the adventures of Ricko the Rhino living on carpeting live at SmartStrandChallenge.com. During that time, tens of thousands of visitors witnessed every stain and stomp by the Rhino. A Facebook page for Ricko also garnered thousands of fans who became friends of the Rhino.
“Sure gonna miss watching you play around,” wrote one fan. Another asked, “Are you just going to go away now that the carpet’s gone?”
Ricko the Rhino’s Facebook postings will continue, promised Michael Cheek, Mohawk’s Manager of Internet Technology. “We’ve got a lot more to hear from Ricko and the SmartStrand Challenge.”
SmartStrandChallenge.com will continue to be updated with videos, as will Mohawk’s YouTube.com account. A highlight video from thousands of hours of webcam footage will be assembled for posting along with a wrap-up showing the entire project, Cheek said. Additional information will continue through “tweets” on Twitter.com/MohawkFlooring and postings to MohawkFlooring.com.
There are currently less than 500 Eastern Black Rhinos left in the wild and Mohawk is committed to helping Ricko’s brothers and sisters. To support rhinoceros conservation efforts, SmartStrandChallenge.com will continue selling the popular “Save the Black Rhino” t-shirts and “Ricko the Rhino” stuffed animals. Profits from both products will be used to benefit The Birmingham Zoo and the International Rhino Foundation.
“We are proud of our preservation efforts in combination with providing a compelling demonstration of SmartStrand’s attributes,” Duncan said. “Just because the Challenge is over doesn’t mean everything ends. Mohawk has a lot more to tell about this extraordinary carpeting.”
The issue of global warming has proven divisive to many liberals and conservatives. Some folks believe that global warming is a myth and that is none of my business. On a daily basis, we sell any number of floor types, and some have varying shades of “green” associated with them. My personal goal has been to foment dialogue to bring focus to commonalities between the camps and redirect discourse to the effect of energy independence on national security issues. I’m Chris Moline, LEED AP, a former Marine Corps 0351 Combat Assaultman, entrepreneur and journalist with one motivation for being a “tree hugger” - to divert dollars from the support of terror and minimize the impact to our national security. I no longer carry an M16 or .45, but upon swearing in to the US Marine Corps, I took an oath with no expiration date to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same… So help me God.”
There are several ways to position a conversation and here are just a few (all with the goal of being “greener” in mind, no matter the reason):
1 Operationally-Deployed Forces
Not depending on a local grid to supply power to an FOB (Forward Operating Base) is a matter of green security. In fact, take it another step by reducing that installation’s dependence on oil to generate electricity by making it more efficient, and you’ve put fewer “Motor T” folks at risk with fewer trips that would expose them to IED’s or ambo (ambush).
Consider also the increased reliance on technology in the field and how the use of solar chargers can extend the effectiveness of an op.
2 Military Bases, Domestic & International
Every new base is being built with LEED standards as a benchmark. While many do not attain actual certification, thus making the use of the acronym a bit watered-down, it still shows a level of commitment on the part of DoD to green up their act. The ramifications of having a greener base are many – improved community relations at home, decreased or eliminated reliance on host-country infrastructure.
3 Overall Budgetary Ramifications
With less money spent on fuel (hundreds of millions annually), our military can focus saved funds on developing safer vehicles, better healthcare and more.
In our daily role, we provide all different types of flooring to many military end-users and are pleased to see the “greening” of specs. If you are in the camp of global warming nay-sayers, I say just go green for whatever reason. As a former Marine, the thought of diverting oil revenue away from potential support of terror ops is all the motivation I need.
LEED Commercial Interiors (CI) EQ 5 – Indoor Chemical & Pollutant Source control - specifically addresses the need for walkoff mats at all exterior entry points to the tenant space. These mats serve to clean off shoes to prevent tracking outside contaminants into the space. They also preserve the floor by absorbing much of the initial abuse that would otherwise shorten the floor’s useable life.
Click HERE to learn more than this graphic can tell you.
Merscom and National Geographic Launch Plan It Green on Earth Day.
Merscom and National Geographic Games announced today’s release of Plan It Green, a building sim that integrates green technology in a fast-paced casual game.
As the Mayor of Greenville, players have the opportunity to create a green city in Plan It Green. As mayor of your hometown, you have vowed to bring about a new green future by changing the ways of the past. You are working with close supporters to restore Greenville to its former glory and beauty. Watch as Greenville transforms before your eyes as you build eco-homes, apply green upgrades and bring new clean jobs and industry to your hometown! Plan It Green is the first game that leverages the resources of National Geographic, an organization that was green when green wasn’t cool
The first green casual game, Plan It Green features:
~ Transform Greenville from an eyesore, into a beautiful green city!
~ First casual game that leverages the knowledge and resources of National Geographic, an organization that was green when green wasn~t cool.
~ Hours of gameplay in both campaign and free play mode!
~ Improve 8 neighborhoods across 45 levels!
~ Upgrade your hometown with parks, eco-homes and environmental upgrades
~ Build eco-friendly houses, stores and businesses
~ Pick the latest eco-upgrades
“This is the right product for the times. Not only is it a fantastic game, but it integrates a theme we all hear hundreds of times a week,” said Kirk Owen, Merscom’s CEO. ”By working with National Geographic, we were able to go beyond pop green ideas and make a game that truly conveys the possibilities of the future.”
I’ve been convinced for years that to be green does not mean you have to fit any “granola” stereotype (although there is nothing wrong with Birks and bio-diesel). This hotel is just one more feather in the green-is-for-everyone cap. I’ve been seeing it in our clients’ requests for green luxury flooring and, as a LEED AP, am heartened by it.
But this is downright dreamy!
Pardon me whilst I swoon…
Here is a short breakdown of the credits achieved by the Montage team that led them to the project’s Gold certification:
Each project certified under LEED for New Construction V2.2 rating system earns credits for factors that are assessed by the USGBC against desired performance goals in six environmental categories.
Montage Beverly Hills earned a total of 39 credits in these environmental categories:
8 credits for Sustainable Sites, including offering public transportation access, bicycle storage and carpooling van parking for employees
1 credit for Water Efficient Landscape, installing an irrigation system that reduces potable water consumption by 54%
12 credits for Energy & Atmosphere, including selection of highly efficient heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration systems that minimize or eliminate emission of compounds that deplete ozone or contribute to global warming
5 credits for Materials & Resources, including effective construction waste management, use of recycled building materials and use of materials from within 500 miles of the project site
8 credits for Indoor Environmental Quality, including use of eco-friendly and low-VOC paints, sealants and adhesives; efficient lighting systems, and specific seasonal temperature and humidity controls that ensure personal comfort
5 credits for Innovation in Design, including adopting an Environmentally Preferred Purchasing Plan, locating all parking underground and developing a Green Housekeeping Program
And when you look at their website, the LEED information is quietly tucked away under the “Hotel Overview” tab. It’s not in-your-face, it’s quite classy as one would expect.
Christopher Moline, LEED AP
Residential Group Manager
Commercial Carpets of America
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