Sustainable Facilities Tool

Broadloom carpet (also known as sheet carpet) is any type of carpet which is woven on a wide loom. The most common carpet fibers are made of Nylon, but broadloom carpet fibers can also be made of bio-based (e.g. corn), natural (e.g. wool) or recycled materials.

O+M Tips

• Carpets can be a source of biopollutants, dust, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Use carpet cleaning chemicals and solutions that are Green Seal certified.
• Prevent stains by cleaning up spills promptly, starting with cold water and blotting cloths.
• Deep clean carpets when necessary. A wet vacuum water extraction machine may be used after dry vacuuming. The Carpet and Rug Institute recommends rapid drying of the carpet, within 24 hours.
• When taking care of your broadloom carpet, use vacuums that are CRI Green Label rated or have a CRI Seal of Approval that operate with a sound level less than 70dBA.

End of Life Tips

• Recycle, recycle, recycle! There are many major carpet companies (Beaulieu, Interface, J&J, Mohawk, Shaw, Tandus) that recycle old carpet (even if it's not their own). They'll use your old carpet to create new carpet. For additional information, visit the Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE).

For alignment with LEED Standards

• LEED CI
• Recycled Content: At a minimum, use materials with recycled content such that the sum of postconsumer recycled content plus ? of the preconsumer content constitutes at least 10% of the total value of the materials in the project based on cost. (fibers and/or backing)
• Regional Materials: At a minimum, use 20% of the combined value of construction and Division 12 (Furniture) materials and products that are manufactured regionally within a radius of 500 miles. Additionally, use a minimum of 10% of the combined value of construction and Division 12 (Furniture) materials and products extracted, harvested or recovered, as well as manufactured, within 500 miles of the project.
• Construction Waste: Recycle and/or salvage a minimum of 50% of nonhazardous construction and demolition debris.
• Carpet systems (including pad): Must meet the testing and product requirements of the Carpet and Rug Institute's (CRI) Green Label Plus program.
• Carpet systems (including pad): Must meet the NSF-140-2007 Sustainable Carpet Assessment Standard.
• Carpet Adhesives: Must meet the volatile organic compound (VOC) requirements of South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Rule 1168.