Arlington, VA, Oct. 8--The Alliance for Flexible Polyurethane Foam (AFPF) has just published Installation Guidelines for Commercial Carpet and Commercial Bonded Polyurethane Carpet Cushion--outlining step-by-step procedures for installing commercial carpet with commercial bonded polyurethane carpet cushion using the double-glue method of installation. While the double-glue process is the preferred method of installing carpet and cushion in the contract market today, until now, no printed guidelines were available describing how to accomplish this type of installation for optimal performance.
Heralded by floorcovering industry insiders as a much-needed and valuable resource, the guidelines were developed by AFPF and reviewed by the Carpet Cushion Council, the International Certified Floorcovering Installers Association, the Floor Covering Installation Board, the Floor Covering Installation Contractors Association, the Carpet & Rug Institute and the World Floor Covering Association. The double-glue installation method involves adhering the cushion to the floor, followed by adhering the carpet to the installed cushion.
“In developing AFPF’s new Installation Guidelines, there was a tremendous sharing of product and field experience by the technical advisors and leadership of many floor covering organizations,” said Neeva-Gayle Candelori, spokesperson for the Alliance for Flexible Polyurethane Foam. “We are confident that all will benefit from this effort.”
The guidelines, which are illustrated with color photographs taken during an actual double-glue installation, are based on the use of a typical commercial-grade bonded polyurethane carpet cushion with a thickness of .025” maximum and a density of ten lbs./cu.ft. minimum with woven or non-woven scrim on both sides. Included in the guidelines are sections that address cushion choice, pre-installation considerations, site conditions, floor preparation, cushion layout, carpet layout, gluing cushion to floor, gluing carpet to cushion, installation with a spray adhesive system, double-glue procedures for stairs and installing patterned carpet.
