The dictionary gives many definitions for the word ‘design’ including:
A combination of lines or shapes to form a decoration; to invent and bring into being; to prepare plans or a sketch or model etc. of (something to be made); to intend for a particular purpose.
None of these definitions cover all the aspects needed when considering the manufacture of carpets for use in contract situations such as hospitals, care homes and residential homes for the elderly.
Important factors which must be considered in addition to pattern are:
Colour, location and technical requirements
The professional carpet designer with a working knowledge of all the above factors will be able to combine the necessary technical specifications with the desired aesthetics to fulfil the client’s requirements.
Contract carpets fall into several speciality areas including offices, hospitals, nursing and care homes for the elderly. Each of these areas has its own special requirements in terms of colour, pattern and construction.
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Carpets have a number of advantages over other types for flooring for use in hospitals, including environmental, psychological, acoustical, thermal insulation and safety aspects.
There are three main aspects which have to be considered when designing carpets for use in hospitals:-
• Hygiene
• Installation system
• Maintenance programmes
Not every room in a hospital lends itself to carpets. For a number of reasons hard flooring is to be preferred in operating theatres and ‘wet’ areas however, there are many advantages of using carpets in the following areas:-
•The main entrance
•Corridors
•Waiting rooms
•Staff rooms
•Offices
•Wards
One of the main problems with hospital carpets is the spillage of food, blood, urine, vomit and medicines etc. The carpet must therefore be able to withstand regular cleaning and stain removal. In these areas carpets should have a low level pile dense construction to give minimum resistance to wheeled traffic such as trolleys, wheel chairs and beds. An impermeable backing should also be specified to prevent any liquids penetrating to the sub floor.
The pile or face fibre is also important with both nylon and polypropylene, which have low moisture absorbency being most suitable.
As far as aesthetics is concerned carpets for use in bedrooms and patient care areas then patterns and colours should be restful.
Care and nursing homes
The requirements for carpets for care and nursing homes are the same as those for hospitals, in that specific attention must be paid to hygiene and ease of cleaning and maintenance are a priority.
Residential homes for elderly people
In residential care homes as distinct from nursing homes, then the use of carpets can improve the environment and bring warmth and beauty to a room and improve the quality of life of the resident and also the morale of the staff. The benefits, comfort and improvements in acoustics together with safety factors, give carpet many advantages over other types of flooring materials. In these areas the carpets can be a little more luxurious and more like the carpets one would have in a normal domestic home.
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British Standard BS5325. Code of practice for the installation of textile floorcoverings lists a number of different methods of installing textile floorcoverings including:-
• Carpet gripper
• Full adhesion
• Release systems
• Double-sided adhesive tape
• Double- stick systems
• Ring and pin
• Pin and socket
The system used in any situation will depend on the type of carpet being installed and the location. For offices and reception areas the carpet can be fitted over an underlay using the carpet gripper perimeter fixing system. For areas where wheeled traffic is used, then full adhesion of release systems would be more suitable. In all cases the recommendations detailed in BS 5325 should be adhered to. Carpet manufacturers’ recommendation should also be noted.
Care and maintenance
After fitting, carpets are subjected to various agencies and appearance detractors. It is therefore important to have a planned maintenance programme installed from day one. There are five main steps to a professional approach to carpet maintenance:-
• Daily care
• Spotting or stain removal
• Weekly cleaning
• Seasonal cleaning
• Periodic maintenance.
Daily care
It is easier to remove surface soil than imbedded dirt. Therefore a daily cleaning with a good quality suction cleaner should be carried out.
Spotting or stain removal
The golden rule with stains is to act quickly to remove the spilt substance before it penetrates or gets embedded in the surface of the carpet. Stains which are allowed to dry are more difficult if not impossible to remove.
Weekly cleaning
All carpeted areas should be given a thorough suction cleaning at least once a week particularly in heavy traffic areas.
Seasonal cleaning
There is a variety of equipment and systems available to provide an insitu deep clean of installed carpets including:-
• Rotary brush shampooing machines
• Cylindrical dry foam shampooing machines
• Hot water extraction machines
• Impregnated soil absorbent powders
Each of the above machines/systems has advantages and disadvantages. The professional carpet cleaner will usually have more than one type of machine so that all problems can be dealt with.
Periodic maintenance
This is carried out on an ‘as and when’ basis and is the general repair of the carpet caused by wear and tear. It includes the correction of mechanical damage, restoration of burn marks, replacement of loose tufts and the repair of any damaged seams.
Versatility and Flexibility
Of all the materials that are available for floors, carpets offer the greatest degree of versatility and flexibility. In recent years advances in technology has resulted in improved carpet performance in a wide range of colours and designs thus making it feasible in just about any contract situation. Many carpet companies have moved very quickly into the 21st century and have installed sophisticated computer aided design computers and automatic sampling machines.
One manufacturer of specialist health care carpets has over 1000 designs available and special designs can also be arranged to special order.
These developments enable the manufacturer to respond to the needs of the interior designer and architect to ensure that the final carpet in terms of technical performance, colour and design meets the requirements of the end user.
John Hopkins, Chairman of O2H2 Flooring Consultants Ltd.
