The Carpet And Rug Institute Blog

The 4 Step Carpet Maintenance Program

2012-05-24T06:30:00.000-04:00

Four Steps to Keep Carpets Clean: Implementing a Carpet Maintenance Program

In his April 20, 2012 column titled "Implementing a carpet maintenance program" in the Dalton’s Daily-Citizen, Carpet and Rug Institute President Werner Braun offers advice on making carpets last longer and look better in our homes and offices.

If an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, the article says, then a four-step maintenance program is just what the doctor ordered for your carpets. The article quotes Jeff Bishop, administrator of Clean Care Seminars, who describes how small, but regular, cleaning is better than an occasional ‘Herculean” effort.

“‘If you maintain and vacuum the carpet regularly, you’ll get the dry particle soils out,’ Bishop says. ‘If you can avoid soil buildup, you’ll avoid permanent stains.’

The first step in carpet maintenance is regular vacuuming, and ‘vacuuming daily is ideal,’ says Bishop, ‘even if the dirt isn’t yet visible to the naked eye.’

The second step is to conduct interim cleanings. Bishop recommends using minimal-moisture techniques to improve the appearance of the carpet between ‘restorative,’ otherwise known as extraction, cleanings.

The third step in a carpet maintenance program is “restoration,” which is basically deep cleaning using hot water or dry methods of extraction. This works best if it’s done regularly. At CRI, we recommend deep cleaning every 12 to 18 months.

The fourth step in your carpet maintenance program is to “think prevention.” Consider adding mats to heavily trafficked areas or add a scraper mat outside the entryway. You should also check your HVAC system regularly to make sure that it filters soils out of the air instead of letting them filter onto the carpet.

“Look at the building holistically,” says Bishop. ‘You can’t look at carpet without considering the other aspects of the building. Make sure that grounds are maintained and that you are conducting daily maintenance on your floorcovering to make it last longer.’”

Thanks, Werner.

Bethany

2011 CARE Annual Report: Carpet Recycling Milestones

2012-05-22T06:30:00.000-04:00

Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) in 2011: Carpet Recycling Rate Drops Slightly, Membership Soars, Many Milestones

The Carpet America Recovery Effort, or CARE as it is more commonly known, held its Annual Conference in San Diego in late April. This marked the ninth year the non-profit carpet recycling group has convened to survey past successes and plot a path forward.

The big news every year is always the presentation of the Annual Report. The 2011 CARE Annual Report showed that CARE members diverted 333 million pounds of carpet from the landfill in 2011, a decrease of approximately one percent versus 2010. In contrast, the non-profit carpet recycling group increased its membership to over 400, a 17 percent gain. Of the carpet diverted, 250 million pounds were recycled back into carpet and other consumer products. To date, CARE members have kept 2.3 billion pounds of waste carpet out of landfills since CARE was founded in 2002.

Other milestones for CARE in the past year:

• Development of a more accurate formula for calculating diversion and recycling rates based on actual carpet sales in the U.S.

• The CARE Board of Directors updated its mission, vision, and core values statements, as part of the process of completing the original MOU 2002 and moving onto CARE’s next chapter of growth.

• Creation of the CARE Certified Collectors Program. Launched at the 2011 Annual Meeting, there are currently 75 certified collectors listed on the CARE website.

• Creation of CARE Marketplace buying group offering significant discounts to CARE members on office supplies and equipment.

In addition, 2011 was the first year CARE served as the stewardship organization for California’s AB 2398 carpet recycling law. During the reporting period of July 1 through December 31, CARE reported that in California:

• 80 carpet manufacturers participated in the CARE Stewardship Plan

• 385 million pounds of post-consumer carpet were discarded; of that amount, 60 million pounds were diverted from landfill and 36 million pounds were recycled.

• The diversion rate for carpet was 15 percent, four percent higher than in 2010

• Qualified processors received $703,454 in payments

Even with the slight decline in carpet diversion, CARE Executive Director Georgina Sikorski said the results were excellent, especially in light of weaker demand for recycled material in both the U.S. and internationally. “CARE members continue to invest and expand their facilities in anticipation of future growth and demand for new products made with post-consumer recycled content.”

~ Bethany

CARE Honors Carpet Recycling Innovators

2012-05-17T06:30:00.000-04:00

In his May 11, 2012 column titled CARE honors innovators in the Dalton Daily-Citizen, Carpet and Rug Institute President Werner Braun tells Dalton readers about two visionaries in carpet recycling who took the Person of the Year and Recycler of the Year awards at the recent Annual Meeting of the Carpet American Recovery Effort (CARE).

Larry Cook, director of manufacturing initiatives with Beaulieu Group was named Person of the Year, and California-based recycler The Carpet Recyclers took the award for Recycler of the Year.

The article also notes several significant milestones that have been reached since the carpet recycling group was formed in 2002.

• 333 million pounds of carpet wastes were diverted from landfills in 2011.

• CARE has diverted 2.3 billion pounds of waste carpet out of landfills since it was founded in 2002.

• 250 million pounds of diverted carpet were recycled back into carpet and other consumer products.

• The CARE Certified Collectors Program was launched in 2011, and there are now 75 certified collectors across the nation.

• The nonprofit carpet recycling group increased its membership to more than 400, a 17 percent gain.

The article continues,

“Larry Cook has been a steadfast supporter of CARE and CARE’s mission — the landfill diversion of carpet,” CARE Executive Director Georgina Sikorski told the conference attendees. “He is a generous volunteer who has given freely of his time and professional resources to help CARE take advantage of numerous strategic projects and opportunities.

The Carpet Recyclers got its start collecting carpet face fiber and then expanded in 2010 to include processing and recycling of the entire carpet such as backing, filler, etc.

To date, this company has created more than 100 green jobs and achieved a 90 percent processing rate. Its goal is to become zero-waste by 2013, and the company projects that it will process more than 70 million pounds of used carpet during the first year of operations in its new state-of-the-art facility, thereby saving more than seven million gallons of oil.

“As entrepreneurs and visionaries, The Carpet Recyclers invest time, people and finances to increase carpet recycling in California,” Sikorski said during the conference. “Because of entrepreneurs like The Carpet Recyclers and others in California, we are making progress in meeting AB 2398 goals to reduce carpet going into California landfills, and in creating new products for consumers.”

Thank you, Werner.

Bethany

Unified Carpet Installation Standard from IICRC, CRI Working Together

2012-05-15T06:30:00.000-04:00

A Unified Installation Standard is On the Way. CRI, IICRC Working Together on Carpet Installation, Inspection Standards

A series of three interviews that aired on the TalkFloor.com website flooring news website details cooperative initiatives between the Carpet and Rug Institute and the IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration).

The first CRI & IICRC interview features comments from IICRC President Patrick Winters on recent changes to that organization, including the group’s decision to keep the name “The Clean Trust” as a service mark similar to the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. Currently, the IICRC is a standards development organization for ANSI, the American National Standards Institute and has plans to become an ANSI certification body, Winters said.

Part Two of the interview features Lew Migliore with an update on the IICRC’s S800 comprehensive standard for carpet inspection, as well as a discussion on the progress towards completion of the ANSI/IICRC S600 carpet installation standard. According to Milli Washington, IICRC’s Standards Director, the reference guide is completed for both standards, and the process of pulling the standard requirements out of the larger reference documents has begun. She added that a period of public review and comment should begin by the end of the year and that the standard could be submitted to ANSI for review in early 2013. CRI President Werner Braun praised the CRI’s efforts for doing much of “the heavy lifting” preparing for the unified installation standard.

In part three of the interview, Werner Braun says the group discussed some possible solutions to issues IICRC has voiced with the CRI’s Seal of Approval testing and certification program for carpet cleaning equipment and products, including the possibility of adding an oily component of the CRI’s formula soil used in the testing, as well as how best to handle consumer or “do-it-yourself” cleaning equipment.

We invite you to watch all three interviews.

And, then, will you let us know what you think of these interviews? How do you see promoting to your customers the benefits of a unified installation standard?

~ Bethany

Carpet in the Workplace? Questions to Ask Yourself

2012-05-11T06:30:00.000-04:00

Carpet Question Corner - Carpet Q and A - 24th in a series

"I'm Getting Ready to Carpet My New Office. Where Do I Start?" is the twenty-fourth in a series of banner ads developed to run on the flooring news website Talkfloor.com. The banners ads contain great information for consumers, from choosing the right carpet, to safeguarding a home’s indoor air quality, to keeping carpet clean and beautiful as new. Today's is about selecting carpet for an office environment.

Let’s go over the questions – and pay careful attention because there will be a quiz. ;-)

Carpet Question Corner #24: I'm Getting Ready to Carpet My New Office. Where Do I Start?

How do I know if my carpet will hold up to my workplace?

Before choosing which carpet to get, ask yourself some location-specific questions:

On a typical day, will there be spills and stains or dirt tracked into the building?

If so, what type of spills? Food stains? Coffee or chemical spills?

What will the frequency of spills be? Excessive? Occasional?

Do you need moisture impermeability?

Is there exposure to harsh chemicals, intense sunlight or atmospheric contaminants (such as nitrous oxides or ozone)?

Will there be lots of foot traffic? Wheelchairs? Supply carts?

Your carpet retailer is also a good source of information. Don’t be shy about asking questions. Visit carpet-rug.org and criblog.org to learn more.

Visit carpet-rug.org and criblog.org to learn more.

How do you answer consumers when they ask you where to start when considering carpet for the office? What resources do you use to help them?

Let me know in the comments!

~ Bethany

Carpet Recycling Industry: Something From Nothing

2012-05-10T06:30:00.000-04:00

Carpet Manufacturing, Carpet Recycling and George W. Bush: Great People and Industries Often Start with Nothing

In his May 4, 2012 column titled Something from nothing in the Dalton Daily-Citizen, Carpet and Rug Institute President Werner Braun talked about his recent presentation to the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries annual meeting in Las Vegas.

In the article, Mr. Braun describes how, to his surprise, he discovered that he was slated to speak immediately following the keynote address given by former U.S. president George W. Bush. In what Mr. Braun jokingly called “my warm-up act,” President Bush commented that the people he admired most were the ones who started out life with nothing and end up with something. That phrase reminded Mr. Braun of his German immigrant parents, and of the pioneers who started the carpet industry in decades past. In more recent years, Mr. Braun observed that “something from nothing” is exactly what the carpet recycling industry has achieved.

“The Depression-era Northwest Georgians who “started” the carpet industry began with nothing but an idea of making ends meet by tufting chenille bedspreads. Little did they know that their innovations would form the backdrop for what is now a $13.5 billion a year industry.

Another, more recent, example of ‘starting from nothing’ can be found in the creation of the Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE). In 2002, there was no carpet recycling industry in the United States. All of the discarded carpet from homes and businesses was being taken to landfills.

But some forward thinkers from eight or 10 states came together and realized that diverting and recycling used carpet could provide great benefits to the environment while producing a profit for the collectors and processors who refined that discarded carpet into basic raw ingredients. That’s how CARE was founded.

And the carpet recycling industry is growing. Over the course of CARE’s first six years, about one billion pounds were saved from landfills, and during the next three years, another billion were saved. I predict that within one year to 18 months we’ll see the next billion pounds of recycled carpet being diverted and reused.

CARE represents an industry that is alive and economically viable. And it’s another great example of starting with nothing and ending with something.”

Thank you, Werner.

Bethany

CRI Intern Chersten Achary Learned about Carpet and More

2012-05-08T06:30:00.000-04:00

Guest Blog Contributor: CRI Intern Chersten Achary Learned about Carpet and More at CRI

As a marketing major at Dalton State College, I was very excited to learn that I had been accepted as the newest Marketing Intern at the Carpet and Rug Institute.

I started working in January 2012 and at first was unsure what to expect. I was delighted to find that my supervisor Bethany Richmond was a pleasure to work with and never failed to take an opportunity to teach me something new.

One of the first things I learned about The Carpet and Rug Institute, Inc. was CRI’s mission: “To position Carpet and Rug Institute as the source for science-based information on soft floor coverings.” I knew then that everything that I thought I knew about carpet was going to be challenged and that I was going to learn more than I ever anticipated.

On the first day of my internship things started out slow and I did small things around the office such as filing and sitting in on meetings. On my second day I helped Bethany compile a list of the newest Seal of Approval products and ready them for the CRI Newsline and when that was completed I got the opportunity to take the information and insert it into the Constant Contact online email newsletter platform. It was my first time using an email marketing system and it was absolutely one of my favorite tasks to take on at CRI.

I began noticing that I could connect my lectures at DSC to the real life experience that I was having by working at CRI. At first I was surprised that things that I previously learned about were actually happening and that the knowledge gained in class was useful in a real work environment. For example, companies do perform SWOT analyses; they are not just classroom learning tools!

I think the main lesson that I learned at CRI was to always, always be aware of my audience. While working on blog articles, I found it was easy to get engrossed in the material and lose sight of who would be reading it. Bethany told me that one of the main points in writing something well is knowing the audience and never losing sight of them.

She told me something else towards the end of my internship that I will carry forward into my career: “Never lose sight of who you are working for – I promise you your employers never will.”

Thank you, CRI, for this enriching and inspiring experience.

Chersten Lynn Achery,
Dalton State College class of 2012

Good luck, Chersten – we’ll miss you around here.

Bethany

CRI West Meeting: Jennifer Mendez Shares Highlights

2012-05-03T06:30:00.000-04:00

In spite of what the song says, (for those of you old enough to remember), it does rain sometimes in Southern California. It was one of those rare rainy southern California days that the Carpet and Rug Institute happened to choose for its annual CRI West meeting at the Irvine, California Marriott near Los Angeles.

The skies may have been cloudy, but the outlook was brighter indoors for CRI’s annual pilgrimage to Orange County. Many people don’t realize that, outside of the North Georgia area (the Northwest Georgia city of Dalton is considered the carpet manufacturing capitol of the world), carpet manufacturers also have a significant presence in southern California. That being the case, it makes sense for the trade association that represents U.S. carpet manufacturers should make a trip to the “OC” every year to brief our West Coast members.

This year’s CRI West meeting drew a smaller representation of carpet companies than in years past. Even though the group wasn't mighty in size, it was mighty in interest! CRI President Werner Braun presented an update on CRI issues, using his usual casual and conversational presentation style. As he wandered throughout the room, he outlined for attendees the changes that have occurred in CRI during the past year. He explained that although the staff had changed and there were organizational changes, CRI's mission remains the same...preventing and/or eliminating barriers to profitability and growth for CRI members.

As part of his talk, Werner explained the structure and reasons for the establishment of CRI’s new Strategic Issues Leadership Committee (SILC), saying the establishment of the SILC was the largest single improvement to the structure of CRI in a long time. He described the other new panels (Delesection Panel, Product Performance & Standards Panel and the EPR and CARE Panel) and the role each plays at CRI.

Other topics Werner covered were CRI's budget, implementation of AB2398 in CA, and the ongoing issue of California’s proposed limits on caprolactam. Werner's relaxed presentation style lent itself well to questions. Rather than a structured Q&A at the conclusion of his presentation, attendees chimed in throughout the morning with questions and comments. It was more of a dialogue than a presentation.

I was last on the agenda to brief the attendees on legislative issues as they relate to extended producer responsibility at the state level. I normally am happy to stand behind the podium, but Werner had set the casual tone so I opted to stand in the room and take a more relaxed approach as well. I gave some background on both framework and carpet-specific legislation around the country and CRI's engagement in the process of defeating this type of legislation. (See related blog articles: CRI Lobbyist Educates Hill About Carpet Industry Issues, Washington State Carpet Recycling Proposes Makes Pay Cost and EPR Update from Carpet and Rug Institute's Mendez.)

This was my first opportunity to interact with our member manufacturers on the West Coast, such as Atlas Carpet Mills, Bentley Prince Street, Fabrica, Royalty, and Tuftex, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The crowd was full of inquiring minds who fully engaged in the discussion of the day. I encouraged our California members to become more involved with our panels. They can bring a lot of information to us and we can learn from one another.

I think the morning was valuable and worthwhile. I hope attendees feel the same way, because in spite of the fact that my visit to sunny California was rainy and wet, I’m looking forward to my return to Irvine in 2013.

Let me know if you have any questions on extended producer responsibility – I’d be happy to hear from you.

Jenn Mendez
CRI Vice President, Government Relations

Carpet Maintenance Program for Commercial Facilities

2012-05-01T09:10:00.000-04:00

Carpet Maintenance Program for Commercial Facilities: Carpet cleaning expert says floors just one element of a really clean building

One of my Carpet and Rug Institute co-workers recently sent me a great article about carpet maintenance for commercial buildings that appeared on the Buildings magazine website.

The article contained comments from two industry veterans, Fritz Rench, of Racine Industries and Jeff Bishop, who runs Clean Care Seminars.

Titled, How to Implement a Carpet Maintenance Program, the article begins, “Carpets normally perform an important service – they collect soils, allergens, bacteria, chemicals, and other contaminants tracked into the building and keep them from becoming airborne. But when the carpet is too soiled, the opposite occurs, negatively affecting IEQ.” Fritz Rench describes it this way, “Carpet tends to trap and hide soil where it occurs. The soil-hiding capability fools facility managers and the custodial staff. They don't see it, but it’s building up.”

The article breaks carpet care down into four main steps:

1. Stay current with maintenance: regular vacuuming is the single most important step in keeping carpets clean.

2. Conduct interim cleanings: Absorbent compounds, dry foams, encapsulations, light shampooing, and soil transfer extraction improve the carpet’s appearance when it’s not soiled enough to need a deeper cleaning.

3. Restoration Cleaning: Restorative cleaning frequently involves extraction (hot water or dry) and may also incorporate some components of lighter cleaning, such as chemicals that break up or bind to carpet soils. This process not only improves the carpet's appearance, it also improves the indoor environment and makes the facility a healthier place to work.

4. Prevention: door mats inside and scraper mats outside entryways, daily maintenance both inside and outside the building, plus – and this is very important – an efficient and well-maintained HVAC system.

Of course, prevention is the way to go, but in the real world that doesn’t always happen. But even very dirty carpets can come clean. [See Jet Stream Grill CRI SOA Success Part I and Jet Stream Grill CRI SOA Success Part II.]

Here’s Jeff Bishop’s plan for restoring a heavily soiled carpet.

“If the carpet is extremely dirty, you may still be able to salvage it, Bishop says. Try his four-part process to conquer heavy soiling:

a. Go over the area using an upright vacuum with brush agitation.

b. Suspend the soil by first pre-spraying traffic areas using a preconditioner with a pH of 10 or less. Scrub the area with cylindrical brush agitation to ensure that the ground-in soil is suspended in the cleaning chemical, then let it sit for 20-30 minutes. “Suspension takes time,“ Bishop explains. “It’s a cleaning wand, not a magic wand.“ If necessary, repeat with dual-brush agitation.

c. Rinse away suspended soil with multiple-pass hot water extraction, using an extractor other than a walk-behind or pull-back unit.

d. Force-dry the carpet with air movers and put out safety signs until the carpet is dry.”

The Carpet and Rug Institute tests and certifies commercial as well as residential products for carpet cleaning. Find a spot remover, pet stain and odor remover, vacuum, or professional cleaner on the CRI website.

Do you have a commercial facility carpet maintenance program in place?

Bethany

Does Your Vacuum Make CRI's Seal of Approval List?

2012-04-26T06:30:00.000-04:00

CRI Seal of Approval Program: Does your vacuum make the list?

In his column titled "Finding Seal of Approval vaccums" in the April 9, 2012 edition of Dalton’s Daily-Citizen, Carpet and Rug Institute President Werner Braun discussed how to find a Seal of Approval-certified vacuum and why it’s important to choose a vacuum from the SOA list.

“Some machines do a pretty good job of sucking up the dust and dirt, but due to poor construction or filters they spew dust and particles back into the air. It’s important to use a vacuum cleaner that sucks up the dust, locks it into the machine, and keeps it out of the air.

Selecting a quality product is not easy, but CRI’s Seal of Approval program takes much of the guesswork out of choosing the right vacuum cleaner for your home. By following CRI’s suggestions, your carpet will not only look good, but your indoor air quality will improve.

Under the Seal of Approval/Green Label program, manufacturers must meet the highest performance standards and are rewarded with Gold, Silver and Bronze ratings.

In order to be certified, vacuums must pass several independent laboratory tests, tests that evaluate soil removal, dust containment and surface appearance change.

It’s no simple feat to earn the CRI Seal of Approval/Green Label certification, so you can feel pretty confident about the choice you’ve made when you buy a machine that’s earned that distinction.

To find out more about Seal of Approval vacuums, you can always go to the CRI website and click on Seal of Approval Products.”

Thanks, Werner!

Bethany

Carpet Recycling: People Are the Power

2012-04-24T06:30:00.000-04:00

CARE's Sikorski says People Are the Power for Carpet Recycling on Natural Interiors.

Georgina Sikorski, Executive Director of Carpet American Recovery Effort (CARE), says that for carpet recycling to continue to grow in the future, people need to step up – and ask for it.

In a March 26, 2012 article titled "An Outgoing Message" that appeared on the blog Natural Interiors, Ms. Sikorski told editor Nancy Kibbee that customers have an important role to play in order to move up to what she calls, “the next level of carpet recycling.”

Since CARE was founded in 2002, Ms. Sikorski says CARE and its members have diverted more than 2 billion pounds of waste carpet from landfills. All of the non-profit recycling group’s efforts have been voluntary, and the solutions they have come up with have been financially sustainable. If you are looking to recycle your old carpet, Ms. Sikorski says you can check out the map on the CARE website where more than 100 CARE-certified U.S. carpet recycling centers are listed.

“…if consumers would ask their retailer or installer to recycle their carpet when it gets replaced, that would make a great difference,”Ms. Sikorski said.

And retailers are getting involved in larger numbers. Says one retailer from Ohio, http://www.carpetlandcincinnati.com/ “We are making a point of telling customers in our proposals that we are removing existing carpet and pad and hauling it away to recycle it’”

Thanks, Georgina,

Bethany

Carpet and NASCAR: in it to win it.

2012-04-19T06:30:00.000-04:00

In his March 23, 2012 column titled "Like NASCAR, we want to stay in the race" for Dalton’s Daily-Citizen Carpet and Rug Institute President Werner Braun discusses the excitement and pageantry of a NASCAR Bristol 500 race and compares the experience to the carpet manufacturing industry’s competitive journey.

“Like the carpet industry, there’s a great deal of private development that goes on with NASCAR. In our business, we’re constantly coming up with new design options for carpets, rugs and all other types of flooring; they are constantly developing new and innovative designs for their race cars and engines.

Like any successful business, NASCAR has to come up with solid marketing strategies, they have to find sponsors, and they have to go out into the world and make their product successful.

And like us, they require the best from their people. To get ahead, successful businesses have to be competitive, faster than the competition and disciplined. NASCAR drivers have to be good, fast and disciplined as well.

I was reminded of how important those qualities are when one of the drivers was involved in a wreck around lap 30. His vehicle was towed into the garage where his pit crew removed the mangled front end. About a dozen laps later, his car rolled out of the garage, minus a front end, but ready to finish the race.

He had no chance of winning — and he knew that — but he wasn’t going to just give up.

That’s the same attitude I see in Dalton and Northwest Georgia when adverse things happen to our businesses and industries. The economy may slow, demand may wane, but we don’t give up.”

Thank you, Werner.

~Bethany

Who's Attending the 2012 CARE Annual Meeting?

2012-04-17T06:30:00.000-04:00

CARE Update - Who’ll You’ll See at the Upcoming Carpet America Recovery Effort Annual Meeting

I scanned the agenda for the upcoming Annual Members Meeting of the Carpet America Recovery Effort set to take place in San Diego April 25-27th and there are some new faces I think you will find interesting. By the way, there is still time to register for the CARE Annual Meeting!)

One of my favorite parts of the CARE Annual meeting is the New Products and Technologies sessions, and the presentations on new things that can be made using post-consumer carpet content and new ways waste carpet can be effectively and profitably diverted from landfills.

On the agenda this year: Jeff Russell, with Kraton Performance Polymers, Inc. – Jeff is Market Development Manager for the Advanced Materials Group at Kraton. His LinkedIn profile says he is, “Skilled in overall thermoplastics/elastomer resins selection, processing methods, compounding, part design, additives technology, and plastic performance comparisons. Educated in existing and emerging markets/applications for traditional petro-based thermoplastics, sustainable bio-resins, recycle resins, post-consumer carpet, and polyurethanes/polyurethane additives and systems.” He is going to talk about a new way to recover face fiber from carpet for recycling.

Another speaker, David Murdock, is the director of business development at Fiberon LLC, which makes composite decking, railing and fencing. David has held a variety of technical and management positions in more than 25 years in the plastics extrusion industry. He will talk about recycling post-consumer carpet into wood polymer composite decking.

Also in the new technologies section, CARE veterans Frank Endrenyni and Ron Sherga will update the group. Frank will speak on current trends in the plastics industry and Ron will address advanced recycling issues.

Here’s a list of the companies who will be exhibiting at the CARE conference

The CARE Annual Conference is the flagship event for learning about carpet recycling in the U.S. there will also be a representative from the Canadian carpet recycling group. Hope to see you there.

Bethany

Carpeting My Office: Where Do I Start?

2012-04-13T06:30:00.000-04:00

Carpet Question Corner - Carpet Q and A - 23rd in a series

"I’m getting ready to carpet my new office. Where do I start?" is the twenty-third in a series of banner ads developed to run on the flooring news website Talkfloor.com. The banners ads contain great information for consumers, from choosing the right carpet, to safeguarding a home’s indoor air quality, to keeping carpet clean and beautiful as new. Today's is about whether to match carpet and carpet cushion.

Let’s go over the questions – and pay careful attention because there will be a quiz. ;-)

Carpet Question Corner #23: I’m getting ready to carpet my new office. Where do I start?

In order to make the best carpet choice for your facility’s specific needs, you need to arm yourself with the right information.

The first step is to clearly define the type of facility and specific requirements you have. Some things to consider include the following:

Type of facility and specific area receiving new carpet
How long the carpet will be used (life cycle)
Level of foot traffic in your workplace
Types and amount of dirt that may be tracked into the facility
Whether the area is a remodeled or a new installation
Whether access to the subfloor is required
Whether there is modular furniture in the space

Of course, you can always turn to retailer for guidance and advice. Visit carpet-rug.org and criblog.org to learn more.

How do you answer consumers when they ask you about where to start when getting ready to carpet their new office? What resources do you use to help them?

Let me know in the comments!

~ Bethany

CRI Member, Mohawk, Supports Dalton Food Bank

2012-04-12T06:30:00.000-04:00

Carpet and Rug Institute Member Supports Food Bank. Dalton, Georgia Food Bank Helped by Carpet Manufacturer Mohawk

In his March 16, 2012 column titled “Mohawk donates to area food bank”, for Dalton’s Daily-Citizen, Carpet and Rug Institute President Werner Braun discusses how one CRI member manufacturer is giving back to a local community hit hard by the economic downturn. The article reads,

“Last October, in Whitfield County alone, the unemployment rate stood at 12.6 percent. At the time, it was well above the national average. It was also about that time that the Northwest Georgia Branch of the Chattanooga Area Food Bank opened its doors in Dalton.

Just a few weeks ago, Mohawk Industries gave a generous grant of $25,000 to the Food Bank that will be used to purchase food for the branch. Their gift will also help the Food Bank purchase a refrigeration unit so that the types and varieties of food being offered here will increase.”

Chattanooga Area Food Bank CEO Clare Sawyer said the gift would, go a long way to help feed people in “one of the country’s hardest hit communities.”

A Mohawk spokesperson said the company made the gift in order to help others during challenging times and encouraged other local businesses and organizations to consider joining the effort to feed the hungry in the region.

Thank you, Werner.

~Bethany

Tips for Working with an Interior Designer

2012-04-10T06:30:00.000-04:00

It never ceases to amaze me how interior designers on TV can walk into a wreck of a room and see the potential for fabulousness that lies just a redo away. Except for rare moments of inspiration, my efforts at interior design have left me frustrated. Working with a professional decorator can be frustrating, too – it’s important to communicate openly about what you as the client want and what your budget can bear.

A recent article from Fabulous Floors Magazine titled, It’s All About You! Working With a Professional Designer gives some great advice about working with a professional interior designer. It addresses questions such as: how do designers charge for their services – by the hour, the job, or cost-plus commission on the items and services you buy from them? The article suggests you interview several designers before deciding and that you do your homework. Be prepared for your first meeting with your designer knowing things such as:

o Who is going to use the space?

o For how long will the space be used?

o How will you finance the project?

o What do you want to change most?

Have samples of things you like that will help your designer know more about your vision and taste.
A great gift of working with a professional is that they can get us to open our eyes and maybe even dare to try something new, but it’s important not to lose sight of what you know you will be happy with in the long run. What the designer says or does may be trendy and hip but don’t get lost in the hubbub.

You can find some excellent free home decorating advice on several Carpet and Rug Institute members’ websites and social media. Check out Shaw Floors, Mohawk Flooring's ColorCenter, Bliss Flooring and Mannington's At Home Blog for ideas.

What are your favorite tips for working with an interior designer? Let me know in the comments.
Bethany

CRI: Eliminate Energy Sales Tax for Georgia Manufacturers

2012-04-05T06:30:00.000-04:00

The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) Says Eliminate Sales Tax on Energy for Manufacturers in Georgia

In his March 2, 2012 column titled "Repealing sales tax on energy will create new jobs in Georgia" for Dalton’s Daily-Citizen, Carpet and Rug Institute President Werner Braun discusses repealing sales tax on energy and how it will create new jobs in Georgia.

“Creating new jobs in our state, particularly in manufacturing, is always a hot topic.

Unfortunately, Georgia lags behind many other states in manufacturing. Why is this the case?

A major reason is because of the sales tax we place on energy produced for manufacturing. Taxing that energy puts manufacturers at a disadvantage, and they can easily go across state lines and pay less to manufacture their goods.

We already have an unemployment rate that is among the highest in the entire country among Metropolitan Statistical Areas.

The good news, though, is that there continues to be broad bipartisan support for the repeal of the sales tax on energy used in manufacturing.

Our manufacturing base has declined by about 36 percent over the past 10 years. The cost of delaying a decision to repeal the tax on energy will encourage more manufacturers to choose states other than Georgia in which to establish their businesses.

We in the carpet industry hope that the 2012 session of the General Assembly will act on the repeal of the sales tax on energy.”

Thank you, Werner.

~Bethany

Recycled Carpet Becomes Nyloboard Decks, Building Products

2012-04-03T06:30:00.000-04:00

Need a New Deck? Recycled Carpet Provides Material for Nyloboard Decks and Building Products

Manufacturer is member of Carpet America Recovery Effort

Here’s one of the coolest uses for recycled carpet I have ever run across - an innovative manufacturer in Covington, Georgia is taking the idea of indoor-outdoor carpet one step farther. Doug Morse, president and COO of Nyloboard, uses 100% recycled carpet fiber to make outdoor decks and building products like railings, soffits and door moldings. His products look good, and, unlike similar products made out of wood, they won’t swell in water, fade and splinter in the sun or get gobbled by termites.

Here’s an excerpt from a story titled Nyloboard says 'no worries' with decking from recycled materials that ran in the Newton Citizen in Newton County, Georgia. According to the article, the company has been in Covington for seven years and employs 20 people.

“The decking is made using 100 percent recycled carpet fiber that is combined with a proprietary resin and encapsulated in a monolithic composite board. The board is then finished with edging, embossed and covered with an ultraviolet protectant.

The company is tight-lipped about its product and manufacturing process, but boasts that it is the only composite decking manufacturer to use 100 percent recycled carpet fiber. Nyloboard participates in the Carpet America Recovery Effort, or CARE, https://www.carpetrecovery.org/ which is a joint industry-government effort to reduce the amount of waste carpet going to landfills.

Morse says Nyloboard decking can be submerged in water or float on top of water and will not swell. “Because of its complete synthetic nature, it is not susceptible to mold, mildew or termites,” he adds. “Our motto is: no wood, no PVC, no worries.”

Cool, no?

~ Bethany

Dalton Parks and Rec: Important to Life

2012-03-29T06:30:00.000-04:00

Work and Play: Parks and Rec Important to Life in Dalton

In his March 9, 2012 column titled "They do a fine job at Parks and Rec" for Dalton’s Daily-Citizen Carpet and Rug Institute President Werner Braun discusses the benefits of Dalton Parks and Recreation Department and some of its new additions.

“Dalton Parks and Recreation Department (DPRD) has been going strong for 55 years.

It might interest you to know, as it did me, that the DPRD now provides 644 acres of leisure opportunities including 12 parks, six outdoor walking tracks, trails, 30 athletic fields, nine artificial turf fields, 24 tennis courts and 10 playgrounds.

Add to that list the disc golf course, the dog park, skate park, a large (Olympic-sized) swimming pool and opportunities to fish on park properties and you have a very well-rounded recreation department.

The DPRD does a really fine job of getting young people involved in sports. Most of us are aware of many of the year-round athletic opportunities provided for our young people by the DPRD. From preschoolers to senior high students, our area youth have opportunities to compete in soccer, basketball, baseball, softball, cheerleading, volleyball, swimming, tennis, golf and lacrosse, just to name a few. And what’s more, these competitive sports are free for the young people who participate in the drafted leagues.

One of the most exciting additions to the DPRD program is the new Mack Gaston Community Center, a 50,000-square-feet facility on the corner of Fredrick Street and MLK Boulevard which has something for athletes of all ages: two full-size basketball courts, an indoor walking track, a weight room, artificial turf fields and even a playground for the youngest among us.

Every thriving community needs a good parks and recreation program. We’re lucky to have one that’s “better than good.”"

Thank you, Werner.

~Bethany

Prepare Yourself for Pollen Season!

2012-03-27T06:30:00.000-04:00

March Madness? No, it’s Just Pollen Season in Georgia! Prepare Yourself for the Annual Onslaught

In Northwest Georgia where I live, it doesn’t take long for the weather to flip-flop from one season to the next. This week, we have transitioned from the gloominess of an extremely mild winter all the way to bright sunshine and steamy temperatures. As pleasant as the mild weather has been, the coming of spring here brings with it a phenomenon as welcome as a plague of locusts: green pollen. Yes, it's pollen season!

It shows up first as a chartreuse blanket on car hoods, and then infiltrates every nook and cranny of our lives, both indoors and out. This weekend, without thinking what I was in for, I threw my windows open to let in the delightful spring breeze. By evening, the air in my house was so solid I felt like it was pushing me out of its way. Like descriptions of farm life during the 1930’s “Dustbowl”, every surface I touched felt gritty. After a while, I could even taste it.

Here is a video of Pine Pollen in Savannah, Ga, to make my point:

[Subscribers, click on the Pine Pollen link to watch the 0:21 video on YouTube.]

According to news reports, this year’s 8,000-plus pollen counts are breaking the record set in 1999. Meteorologists say the mild winter and extended run of 80˚- plus temperatures are to blame.

No matter where you live, green pollen or its equivalent is coming your way. To help you prepare (or fight back), read this interview with Dalton-area allergy physician John Antalis that outlines his step-by-step plan for easing allergy symptoms. And, because medical studies show, that living in a clean house leads to reduced asthma and allergy symptoms, here is a list of vacuum cleaners from the Carpet and Rug Institute’s Seal of Approval/Green Label program that have been tested and certified to work effectively to remove soil and keep it inside the machine.

Next month, when the pollen has died down and we are back to our usual weather pattern of hot and even hotter days in Georgia, I will make an appointment for another rite of spring –a professional carpet cleaning. I will look for a firm that is listed as a CRI Seal of Approval Service Provider and one that offers personnel who have been trained by organizations such as the IICRC.

Happy spring! And gesundheit!

Bethany

Image credit: Hand covered in pollen

Does Carpet Improve Learning in Schools?

2012-03-23T06:30:00.000-04:00

Carpet Question Corner - Carpet Q and A - 22nd in a series

"I've Heard That Carpet in School Improves Learning. Is This True?" is the twenty-second in a series of banner ads developed to run on the flooring news website Talkfloor.com. The banner ads contain great information for consumers, from choosing the right carpet, to safeguarding a home’s indoor air quality, to keeping carpet clean and beautiful as new. Today's is about whether carpet improves learning in schools or not.

Let’s go over the questions – and pay careful attention because there will be a quiz. ;-)

Carpet Question Corner #22: I've heard that carpet in schools improves learning. Is this true?

Research has shown that carpet is the only flooring that positively influences your children’s learning experience. It starts with the mood carpet creates, making schools more welcoming, friendly and less institutional for students, teachers and personnel.

Carpet also provides better air quality, insulation and reduced noise, all of which improve learning.

Finally, carpet reduces slip and fall accidents, and lessens injuries when falls occur, so it increases safety as well. In short, it passes with flying colors.

Visit carpet-rug.org and criblog.org to learn more.

How do you answer consumers when they ask you about the benefits of carpet? Do you get to talk about the benefits of carpet in schools for learning? What resources do you use to help them?

Let me know in the comments!

~ Bethany

Special Olympics Athletes of Georgia Feel Thrill of Victory

2012-03-22T06:30:00.000-04:00

In his February 17, 2012 column titled "Athletes who really feel the thrill" for Dalton’s Daily-Citizen Carpet and Rug Institute President Werner Braun discusses the real thrill of victory and the Special Olympics of Georgia.

“Recently, I had the chance to work with one of those special athletes during the Special Olympics of Georgia (SOGA) Winter Games in Dalton. The event is co-sponsored by the Dalton Recreation and Parks Department and the Carpet City Rotary Club (CCRC), of which I am a member. I had the chance to coach a 6-year-old girl, and was by her side when she landed her first spare in the bowling event.

I’m really proud to be a part of a civic group that makes these moments of victory possible for so many. Since 1998, the CCRC has taken on Special Olympics as our major project, and we sponsor both Spring and Winter Games in our own hometown. The Winter Games are a bit scaled down in scope, but we’ve have had as many as 225 special athletes at one time come to Dalton to compete in any of the dozen or so sporting events offered here in the spring.

It might interest you to know that our state’s Special Olympics program serves more than 23,000 Georgia athletes each year and offers 23 different sports, including badminton, flag football, power lifting, cycling and alpine skiing. Impressive, yes, but the number of participants each year includes only about 23 percent of those special athletes who are eligible to compete. I hope over time that percentage will grow.

It takes more than 15,000 volunteers statewide who give of their time and expertise to make these games a success. Area directors, certified coaches, event staff, sports partners and fundraisers all play important roles.

I’m already looking forward to the Spring Games, which are scheduled for April 27. When the time does roll around, I hope you’ll join me in sharing in the thrill of victory for these special athletes and their families.”

Thank you, Werner!

~Bethany

CRI Lobbyist Educates Hill About Carpet Industry Issues

2012-03-20T06:30:00.000-04:00

Jennifer Mendez

Jennifer Mendez Educates: Lobbyists Do More than Just Ask. CRI Group Tells Representatives Improved Economy Key to Carpet Industry Rebound

Last week I made my annual pilgrimage to Capitol Hill on behalf of the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI). I've done it every year for the past ten years, and it's always exciting - lots of work, grueling on my feet - but nonetheless exciting. I travel to "the Hill" throughout the year for meetings on a variety of issues that are important to CRI's members, but this organized effort, with my members in tow, is always an exciting experience. (Here is the link to CRI's Newsline from March 14.)

One new twist – for this year’s Washington, DC trip, CRI partnered with the Dalton-Whitfield Chamber of Commerce. One bonus of the partnership was that we had enough people again this year to split into two separate groups – easier to “divide and conquer”. In just a day and a half, CRI members visited 25 Congressional offices and hosted a reception in the Capitol Visitor's Center for over 75 Congressional members and their staff.

In my opinion, the value of doing this sort of visit every year is immeasurable. Nothing compares to the relationship-building and networking opportunity of face-to-face meetings with lawmakers.

CRI and Dalton-Whitfield Chamber of Commerce
visit the "Hill".

As a lobbyist, I know that there is a widespread perception (justified or unjustified) that lobbyists only make the trek to the Hill because they have an "ask", but I assert that that is not always the case. Lobbyists are educators. These visits offer the opportunity for our members to educate lawmakers about the issues that are facing our industry.

Topping the list (one again) this year was the economy. We shared that, although the commercial market has seen slight improvement, the downturn in the housing industry has really taken its toll on residential carpet sales.

Members also voiced concern about the uncertainty of the economy. Six month fixes to taxes are difficult for businesses. Legislators need to know that businesses need more certainty as they work on strategic plans.

Other issues that we discussed included the use of, and potential regulation of coal fly ash, activities proposed by the NLRB (National Labor Relations Board) and the regulatory landscape in general.

~ Jennifer Mendez

Shopping for New Carpet? 3 Steps To Consider

2012-03-15T06:30:00.000-04:00

The Steps Towards New Carpet

In his February 10, 2012 column titled "Shopping for new carpet" for Dalton’s Daily-Citizen Carpet and Rug Institute President Werner Braun discusses three important steps to think about when purchasing new carpet.

“Carpet Color
While beige is always a popular choice and can make a room look spacious, bolder colors make a statement, and when chosen carefully, can provide the perfect complement for your furniture and draperies. Many homeowners today are choosing environmental colors, like blues, deep greens, rosy quart, and stony neutrals to set just the right tone for their home.

Carpet Texture
Cut pile is still one of the most popular types of carpet. It achieves its durability through the type of fiber used, the density of tufts and the amount of twist in the yarn. Highly twisted yarn holds its shape longer, making it a smart choice for high-traffic areas.

Carpet Style
Today’s carpet offers a wide variety of choices in style that we didn’t have in days gone by when most of what we had to choose from was conventional loop pile, consisting of yarn in uncut loops. New technology can produce multilevel loop and cut-loop patterns allowing diamond, bow, pin dot or fleur-de-lis designs that “pop out” in sculptured effects.

Go to the CRI website to learn more.”

Thank you, Werner.

~ Bethany

Carpet Cleaning's Average Cost: Jeff Bishop Responds

2012-03-13T06:30:00.000-04:00

What’s the Average Cost of Carpet Cleaning?

I am grateful for the generous professionals who offer me their expert advice and information for this blog. Here’s a perfect example: I needed to find the average cost of carpet cleaning per square foot.

Here’s a response sent to me by Jeff Bishop, cleaning industry expert and consultant with Clean Care Seminars, Inc.

“The simple answer is: it depends! Here’s the longer and more complex answer:

Residential Carpet Cleaning Cost

Carpet cleaning pricing depends on whether we’re talking residential, mainstreet commercial or institutional.

Carpet cleaning pricing also depends on the geographical area and whether we’re talking rural or metropolitan.

Specifically, residential carpet cleaning ranges from 25-35 cents per ft2, with variations based on the judgment of the estimator.

Commercial and Institutional Carpet Cleaning Cost:

Commercial and institutional carpet cleaning pricing is based on the residential price with discounts for:

Quantity – obviously, the more we can clean in one trip, the more economical, but the formula is broken down into 500 and 1000 ft2 increments.

Frequency – the more often we clean the carpet, the more familiar we become with it and typically the easier (more economical) it is to clean.

Furniture density – rather clean open carpet than carpet with wall-to-wall furniture. Productivity is the issue here.

Soiling – is the carpet in an industrial work setting or a bank or office setting?

Other factors – what about daily building maintenance and cleaning? Is the building well-kept or a pig sty?

Specifically, considering what DuPont defines as an average commercial building (<10K ft2), pricing generally ranges from 15-20 cents per ft2.

Like I said, it depends. For sure, however, considering IEQ issues and the replacement option (with ramifications), cleaning doesn’t cost; it pays.”

Well said, Jeff, and thanks for your help!

Bethany