Commercial

Specifying Carpet

In any particular installation, there will be a wide variety of requirements and carpet performance expectations.

The following is a useful check list when considering these requirements:

Choice of texture/style e.g. cut pile, loop pile, cut-loop pile
Colour
Design
Number of people using the carpeted areas
Most heavily trafficked areas e.g. lift lobbies, apartment/hotel corridors
Use of wheel chairs, walking frames, other wheeled traffic
Cleaning maintenance programme
Floor plan e.g. open plan, office partition positions
Carpet construction – tufted, woven, modular or broadloom
Steps or stairs included
Walking traffic flow
Expectation of performance life
Fibre type preference
Finishes applied – soil/stain treatment, antistatic
Cost
Other environmental considerations e.g. acoustic and thermal insulation requirements, and VOC emissions
Building Code of Australia performance requirements for carpets – fire resistance, slip resistance and disability access.
Australian Carpet Classification Scheme (ACCS) and Environmental Certification Scheme (ECS) gradings.

Listing of ECS Graded Carpets

Please click on this link to view an up-to-date listing of ECS graded carpets:

Building Code Compliance

Fire Safety

Fire Safety Regulations for Floorcoverings (pdf, 452 kB)
Frequently Asked Questions on Testing to AS ISO 9239.1 (Fire Safety) (pdf, 522 kB)
CSIRO Report: Fire Engineering assessment of Wool Rich Carpets for Compliance to the Building Code of Australia (CMMT(C)-2007-120 Rev AG – re-issued May 2023) (pdf, 800kB)

Slip Resistance

Slip Resistance Fact Sheet(pdf, 479 kB)
CSIRO Report: Slip Resistance (pdf, 782kB)

ABR Bulletin article – The Carpet Industry’s Approach to BCA Compliance for Slip Resistance (The Australian Building Regulation Bulletin, Issue 15, August 2015) (pdf, 1,595 kB)

Further information

Click here to find more information from a carpet Manufacturer, Retailer or Product & Service Suppliers

Guidelines

ACCS User Guide – Long Version

Download this PDF document

Technical Specification of Contract Carpets Version 1, 2014

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FACT SHEET

Australian Carpet Classification Scheme

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FACT SHEET

Environmental Certification Scheme

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FACT SHEET

Thermal Insulation Performance of Carpet

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FACT SHEET

Acoustic comfort

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FACT SHEET

Slip Resistance

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FACT SHEET

Light Reflectance

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FACT SHEET

Fire Safety Regulations for Floorcoverings

Download this PDF document

Frequently Asked Questions on Testing to AS ISO 9239.1 (Fire Safety)

Download this PDF document