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Week 15: Bath and Bedroom Textiles

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 Bath textiles have many different categories.  There are towels, curtains, sinks, showers, tubs, lighting, flooring, etc.  Towels are a huge part in the bathing textiles because there are always more than one towel within a bathroom.  The two major sides of towels are the soft, absorbent kind that is made of 100% cotton or their is the more durable quality, quick-drying type that is a mix of cotton and polyester.  These fibers are constantly competing for the top spot in the towel industry.  Towels can also be cheap or fine quality.  Some towels are quick to shed the fluff and lose it's softness, and some towels are able to keep the same soft, durable feel even after 20 washes. Another textile that is often overlooked in the bathroom is the flooring.  You cannot just have any type of flooring in there because you are dealing with water and possible water damage.  The water can come from the shower, steam, toilet, overflow, and even from the sink.  So the floor has to be waterproof

Week 14: Installation Wall to wall carpet vs. Carpet tile

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 Broadloom carpet is often used when a large pattern is desired in a space.  It is more expensive than carpet tiles, but you are paying for better quality and design.  Wall to wall carpet installation takes more time and creates more trash or scrap pieces.  Broadloom carpet is bought in rolls, so there will be extra carpet after the project is finished.  The installation process for broadloom can take long.  The first step of the process is laying down a tack strip for the carpet to connect too, next is the adhesive on the floor, and then the padding can go over it.  Different paddings can mean different installations.  The carpet goes on top of the padding and it can be either glued down or stick by using a heat adhesive.  After, you connect the carpet to the tack strips which helps keep it in place. Carpet tiles are by far quicker to install and are cheaper.  Also there is less cutting that needs to be done, so it creates less waste.  You do lose some of the plushness and quality tho

Broadloom Carpet Installation vs. Carpet Tile Installation

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 Carpeting is a very fun and customizable floor covering to have within a space. There is broadloom carpeting, carpet tiles, and area rugs to choose from. Within each of these categories there are endless patterns, colors, materials, and shapes that are available. For carpet tiles there are different ways to lay the actual tile which can create different visual affects.  Carpet Tiles Carpet tiles are installed with a glue-down application but, offer different options within this installation method. Carpet tiles can be glued using either non-releasable or releasable adhesive, depending on the space itself and the usage. Non-releasable adhesive is one that cannot be lifted and rebonded after lifting from the floor. Releasable adhesive is one that can be repeatedly lifted and rebonded with no issues. This is very helpful when access to service trenches below is needed, it also helps to replacement process of a single tile much simpler. This allows anyone to be able to easily replace tile

Week 13: Carpet Installation and Cleaning

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  There are three main types of carpet installation.  There is glue down, cut to fit, and stretch in methods.  The glue down installations have two different methods: direct glue down and double glue down.  Direct glue down method is when the carpet is glued straight down to the floor.  The floor has to be smooth because the carpet will show and cracks or bumps.  This method is popular in most commercial settings because it is sustainable with not much movement with heavy traffic flow.  Double glue down is used when there is a pad under the carpet.  The pad has to be glued down and then the carpet is glued onto the pad.  The pad needs to have more density in order for this method to be durable.  With the carpet pad, the carpet will be be more comfortable and provide more insulation to the room.  The biggest reason this method isn't used as much is because it is much more expensive. The second method is the stretch method.  The carpet is stretched across the whole room.  This is the

Carpet Installation & Maintenance

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  Installation Methods There are several types of installation methods for carpeting, depending on the carpet type. Within the different types of carpeting (wall-to-wall, carpet tiles) you can have the carpeting lay in order to create a pattern. Wall-to-wall carpeting can be installed by stretch-in, glue-down, and free-lay techniques. Before any of these installation methods can be used there are site preparations that must be done beforehand. The first step is to remove any old carpeting and padding, if there are dips or cracks in the subfloor a layer of concrete may need to be applied to ensure a smooth application. Having a dry slab is crucial, especially for glue-down installations, if the slab is holding a lot of moisture a moisture barrier may need to be used to prevent mold or mildew. Stretch-in installations  involve stretching roll goods and fastening them over pin-holding strips that have been secured to the perimeter of the space.  The plywood or metal strips are known as ta

Week 12: Carpet Padding

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 Carpet padding is an important detail to flooring because it can help carpets and rugs last longer, protect the flooring underneath, and even make it more comfortable to walk on.  There is carpet padding and carpet cushions.  They are similar but different in their materials and usage.  Pads are more of the felt options.  The three major cushion categories are fibrous cushions, rubber and latex, and foam cushions. Fibrous cushions are made from natural fibers and are needle punched into the padding.  The most prominent fibers used is hair and jute.  This is an inexpensive option, but they do not last the longest.  Since they are made from natural fibers they age and crumble more quickly than a manufactured cushion. Rubber and latex cushions are the most flexible option out of the three.  They can made out of natural rubber or from synthetic polymer.  This is not the largest part of the market though because of how many people are allergic to latex.  Rubber pads can also be made differ

Types of Padding

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 Carpeting is not always best used on its own, most times it needs a cushion or pad placed beneath for extra support and comfort. There are countless amount of options for these, including various materials, sizes, thickness, and end use. Having carpet pads can help extend the life of broadloom carpets as well as carpet tiles or area rugs.  Fibrous Cushions  These are the oldest form of carpet padding on the market. These cushions are produced by needle punching new, or recycled, fibers into a felt structure. The recycled materials are then coated with resin to add more stability to the fibers. The two most common materials used are hair and jute, any hair that is used is cleaned, stiff cattle hairs. While the plus of these products is a low price, they do not stand up to the test of time well. These tend to shift, bunch, and clump when exposed to heavy traffic. In an attempt to avoid these problems, a loosely woven jute scrim backing may be added for extra support. Antimicrobial agent