Carpet Selection for Christian Schools
By: Todd Wilcox

Any discussion regarding the selection of carpet for Christian schools has to begin with several questions:

•  What is your budget?
•  Is the school K-6, 6-8, high school or a combination of these?
•  How long do you want the carpet to last? ("As long as possible" is not a strategy)
•  Will there be food allowed in the hallways or classrooms?
•  Is this a renovation or a new construction project?
•  Is the project on, above, or below grade?
•  Is there moisture in the slab?

Will the gym be used for other functions? (Meetings, classrooms, seminars)

All of these questions must be answered before a thoughtful selection process can begin.

As with the selection of any products or services for Christian schools, the first priority has to be that of being good stewards. With this in mind, we must move away from the decision-making criteria being driven by low price towards a more responsible set of guidelines, focusing on low cost (total cost of ownership over a long period of time), comfort, safety, noise reduction, energy savings and sustainability.

In the carpet selection process, there is what I like to refer to as the three "P"s. Think of the decision-making process as an iceberg. In this case, 35% of the iceberg is above the water line (what the carpet looks like and how much you paid for it) and represents the first two "P"s. The other 65% of the iceberg is below the water line, usually unseen, and is by far the most important area in the selection of carpet for Christian schools.

1. Pretty
The first "P" stands for " pretty." Far too many carpet decisions have been made based solely on how good the carpet looks when it is brand new. Some schools may even hire an interior designer to help them select the right colors for the facility. "Pretty" carpets tend to be trendy, have a significant amount of texture on the surface and usually don't perform as well as their plainer counterparts.

This is not to say that carpet in schools needs to be unattractive, but stay away from the latest trends in style and design. In most cases, we are trying to select a carpet that will look good and be cleanable 20 years from now. All carpets look good when they are first installed; however, unless the right fiber, in the right construction, on the right backing system have been selected, the "pretty" carpet will soon "ugly out." How do you know what the right choices are? The following guidelines will help you on your way:

A) Carpet material
Always stay with nylon yarn. Premium-branded nylons are preferred depending on your budget. Polypropylenes and acrylics are cheaper but will not maintain their appearance. Unitary or vinyl backings will eliminate the possibility of bubbles, splitting seams and tears. If you are currently experiencing splitting seams, bubbles or unraveling, you have an action back carpet on the floor. Stick with unitary or vinyl backings to eliminate these problems in the future. If the color of the yarn has faded over the years, consider using a solution dyed nylon (the color goes all the way through the fiber like a carrot).

B) Construction
The shorter and tighter the yarn, the longer it will maintain it's appearance. More is not better. The carpet in your home is probably 40 to 60 ounces of yarn, but wouldn't last two years in a school. Something between 18 and 28 ounces of yarn per square yard is sufficient. Stay with a carpet that has a density over 6000.

The gauge is the number of needles per inch on the tufting machine. Stay away from 1/8th or 5/32nd gauge construction. The loops are too large and are subject to compression.1/10th, 1/12th or 5/64th (also known as 1/13th) gauge provide the best performance. Look for carpet with more than 90 tufts per square inch. That is determined by multiplying the stitches per inch by the gauge. Example: 9 stitches per inch x 1/12th gauge (use the 12) =108 tufts per square inch. This carpet will be dense and perform well.

C) Color
Stay in the middle of the color palette. Carpet that is too light shows soil and stains. Carpet that is too dark shows every piece of fuzz and lint. Multicolored carpets help hide spots and allow for a wider variety of color in other interior finishes. Patterned carpet will also help hide trouble, but is more difficult to install. Don't be trendy unless you can afford to replace your carpet every three years.

D) Texture
While multi-textured carpet is certainly attractive, excessive texture is not only a tripping hazard but tends to flatten out over time.

2. Price
The second "P" stands for "price." "Commercial carpet" is available at the big box stores for $5.99/sq. yd. While the price is good, the cost is too high. Less expensive carpets are made with inferior raw materials, loose construction and porous backing structures. This translates into early replacement, high maintenance costs and carries potential health implications.

At Prospect Valley Elementary School in Denver , the properly selected carpet lasted more than 21 years. Compared to the average seven-year commercial carpet, the school saved more than $81,000 in replacement costs alone. A long-term study showed a 40% savings over hard surface VCT (Vinyl Composition Tile) maintenance costs. Not only do cheaper carpets have to be replaced more frequently, the tear up costs ($2/sq. yd.-$4/sq. yd.) should be calculated into the Total Cost of Ownership. Long-lasting, high-performance carpet will cost between $25-$35/sq. yd. installed.

3. Performance
The third, and most important, " P" stands for " performance." This aspect of the selection process represents 65% of the decision-making process and has the greatest impact on the carpet's ability to provide value. Performance is not only determined by the color, fiber system and the construction characteristics of the yarn, but, more importantly, the right backing system is essential in constructing long-lasting, high-performance carpet.

There are many backing systems out there, including the old faithful, action back. This system is constructed of two layers of polypropylene, with an adhesive layer in between to keep the layers stuck together. If you have ever seen carpet that has bubbles or seams coming apart, it is most likely action back carpet. As the carpet ages, the adhesive layer becomes brittle, allowing separation of the two layers, known as delamination. While very inexpensive, this backing system is not designed to hold up to the pounding of a school application.

The next backing system is generically called unitary backing. In order to eliminate the delamination problems associated with action backed carpets, the manufacturers offer a single layer backing with a more tenacious adhesive. This does eliminate delamination and is appropriate for some areas where food and liquids will never be present. The challenge with this backing system is that, like action backing, it is a flow-through construction, meaning that any spills "flow through" the backing, getting trapped underneath the carpet. When the carpet is cleaned, any stains trapped below the carpet "wick back" up the yarn and reappear on the surface.

The benchmark backing system for school carpet is closed cell vinyl cushion (ccvc). This backing system provides the following benefits:

• 20-year non-prorated warranty against edge ravel, zippering, delamination and moisture penetration
• Chemically welded seams create an impermeable barrier
• Stains stay on top of the carpet where they can be 100% cleaned and will not reappear.
• Improved acoustics. Cushioned carpet provides a 40%-65% reduction in noise over hard surface.
• Comfort/safety by absorbing foot traffic impact, reducing leg fatigue. Dense cushion softens unexpected landings, reducing injuries.
• Thermal insulation, which provides nearly five times the "R" value of hard surface
• Available with factory applied adhesive, which eliminates the presence of wet adhesives and corresponding off gassing

While the initial price of closed cell vinyl cushion products is higher, the Total Cost of Ownership is much lower over the long run.

Maintenance
Waiting until your carpet looks dirty is the kiss of death for carpet. That usually means there is so much soil that it is piled up to the top of the yarn. It also means that the soil is being tracked into other areas of the school. Develop a proactive maintenance program, which should include vacuuming daily and extraction cleaning at least four times per year. Make every attempt to stop incoming soil at the entrance using replaceable mats. Spot clean stains as needed.

The right carpet can provide warmth, safety, comfort, noise reduction, cleaner environment and cost savings.

Todd Wilcox is the owner of CarpetForChrist, LLC, www.carpetforchrist.com , which was formed in order to allow schools, churches and other non-profit organizations to save money on the purchase of carpet by allowing them to buy on a National Contract. 

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Product Roundup

KidCarpet.com
KidCarpet.com has a wide selection of carpet and rugs for today's Christian schools. The company offers high quality broadloom carpet and area rugs for everything from playrooms to classrooms. Styles include Circletime Noah, Bible Blocks, Bee-Attitudes and more. The fun flooring is stain resistant for easy cleaning and anti-bacterially treated to protect kids. Dense nylon fibers make the flooring tough and durable.
www.kidcarpet.com

Johnsonite
Johnsonite , a flooring solutions provider for high-performance environments, has introduced five new textures to its rubber flooring line. The new textures will be added to the current six textures and standard 60-color line, and include: Bamboo, Chopped Bamboo, Pebbles, Artistic Square and Cubis. These textures are offered in addition to the round, square, flagstone, hammered, weathered, diamond and smooth textures available in the tile line. All textures are available in solid colors or in a variety of speckled, marbleized and Olio patterns.
www.johsonite.com

Carpetile (photo: CSR, October, p. 14)
Since 1972, Carpetile has been a national distributor of promotional carpet tile products. They buy over-runs, discontinued colors, special orders and seconds from many of the major U.S. mills. These include Milliken, Interface and Lees, among others. They buy by the truckload and sell either individual colors/pattern or in volume. They provide you with samples of their stock for your individual requirements. Prices are usually half those of major mills. They can supply carpet in very small to very large yardage. Carpet tile has long been used in commercial and institutional applications. Carpet tile is the best floor covering choice for high-traffic areas because it is easily replaced and only the worn tiles need to be removed and replaced, eliminating the need to completely replace the entire floor covering. 
www.carpetile.com

Classroom Carpets
A majority of schools believe classroom design is important for creating a good learning environment, and teachers and parents know a comfortable setting is one of the keys to academic success. Classroom Carpets provides classroom flooring to create the right classroom environment. Many styles are interactive, with games and skill building exercises incorporated into the design. The company offers an extensive online store, making the shopping experience quick and easy.
www.classroomcarpets.com

Shaw Contract Group
Shaw Contract Group manufactures carpet to meet the unique requirements of educational facilities. The result is long-lasting products with vibrant colors and distinctive patterns that are safe for human health and the environment.  Shaw Contract Group combines the expertise of one of the world's largest carpet manufacturers with the financial stability of a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary.  The company is built on the values of honesty, integrity and hard work.
www.shawcontractgroup.com

CourtClean (photo: CSR, October, p. 14)
Are slippery gym floors a problem? CourtClean is the answer. CourtClean saves time and reduces maintenance costs by utilizing a new Velcro towel fastening system. With CourtClean, while your team is stretching, in less than five minutes, one person can easily wet-mop your entire floor and you can start using your floor immediately. CourtClean is easy to use. It is 8 feet wide and weighs 37 pounds. Simply dampen the supplied 8-foot custom towel and attach it to the CourtClean. Then, instead of pushing that old dust mop with wet towels wrapped around it, which took 30 minutes or more, pull the CourtClean up and down the floor. To clean, simply remove and launder the towel. As an added extra touch, they recommend and distribute Hillyard's Super Shine-All . It's a neutral pH concentrated cleaner that has been in use on all types of floors since 1907. Just four ounces in four gallons of water is enough to clean your entire floor.
www.courtclean.com

J&J Invision
For almost 50 years, J&J Invision has manufactured carpeting for schools, universities, libraries and other educational facilities, offering a wide range of commercial broadloom and modular products engineered to resist soiling and to clean easily. Customers can match fiber and backing to meet the general, special or advanced performance criteria of a particular project. Selections are available in a variety of texture and colors, in various price ranges.
www.jj-invision.com

Taraflex Sports Flooring by Gerflor
Taraflex Sports Flooring by Gerflor has introduced four new sports flooring products. Taraflex Multi-Use 5.0 and Multi-Use 3.0 meet the demands of multipurpose uses. These synthetic floors feature outstanding comfort, shock absorption and no vibration. They also resist indentations. Both floors are durable, maintenance simple, good looking and economical to purchase, install and maintain. The Multi-Use line comes in 17 choices including maple and oak designs, six solid colors and nine mixed-color patterns. Multi-Use 3.0 provides a 3-millimeter thick wear layer, and Multi-Use 5.0 offers 5 millimeters of thickness. Taraflex Sport Performance Plus and Taraflex Sport M Plus bring enhanced shock absorption rates to gymnasiums and sports facilities that exceed those of thicker floors made from other materials. These performance floors benefit the user because they deform only around the point of impact.
www.gerflortaraflex.com