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3M Scotchguard is an applied stain and water repellent spray that cleans, protects, and polishes a wide variety of furniture and materials. These include carpets, fabrics such as drapery and upholstery, leathers such as nubuck and suede, granite and marble for kitchen surfaces, and vinyl for…
The American Conference
of Governmental Industrial Hygienists’ (ACGIH) Threshold Limit Values (TLVs)
refer to a set of guidelines regarding the airborne concentrations of chemical
substances that workers can be safely exposed to over their working lifetime.
The ACGIH developed TLVs as a tool for industrial hygienists to make informed
decisions…
The
American National Safety Institute (ANSI) is a private, non-profit membership
organization that manages and regulates the development of voluntary safety
standards for products and systems in the United States. Founded in 1918, ANSI
and its members have laid the groundwork for national standardization and
assessment frameworks in industries encompassing…
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Antron Legacy is Invista’s proprietary brand of high-performance carpet fiber made of white dyeable Type 6,6 nylon. Created from hollow bulk continuous filament (BCF), the dense molecular structure and stronger hydrogen bonds of the Type 6,6 nylon make Antron Legacy fibers more stain, soil, and heat…
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Antron Lumena DNA is Invista’s proprietary brand of high-performance carpet fiber made of solution-dyed Type 6,6 nylon. Antron Lumena DNA offers permanent built-in protection against soil and stains. The solution-dyed fiber—where pigment is added during the extrusion process—provides fade resistant color, while the fiber’s hollow cross-section…
Ashlar is a type of carpet and modular flooring layout in which tiles are installed in the same direction but are vertically staggered by half of a tile’s length between columns.…
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The ASTM D2859 Ignition Characteristics of Finished Textile Floor Covering Materials is a standard of the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) that measures the ignitability of the surface of carpet in broadloom, modular, or area rug formats. This test method is referred to as…
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ASTM D5252 Operation of the Hexapod Tumble Drum Tester
The ASTM D5252 test method is a standard of the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) that measures a carpet’s surface appearance retention using the hexapod tumble drum. This test is one of several components used…
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The ASTM E648 test is a standard of the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) that measures the fire resistance of interior floor coverings that are exposed to a flaming ignition source in a graded radiant heat energy test chamber. This test simulates a scenario…
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The ASTM E662 Specific Optical Density of Smoke Generated by Solid Materials test is a standard of the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) that measures the visual density of smoke generated by a burning or smoldering material. Results obtained from this test are used…
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ASTM E84 Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials
The ASTM E84 test is a standard of the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) that measures the burning properties, or fire resistance, of building materials that may be exposed to flames using the Steiner tunnel chamber…
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Bamboo refers to a manufactured cellulose fiber that is made from bamboo pulp with a solvent spun process. As part of rayon fiber family, bamboo fiber can be produced in filament or staple form. It is not inherently antibacterial. Bamboo is a renewable resource and is…
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Basalt is a dark, fine-grained igneous rock that is composed
of minerals such as plagioclase and pyroxene. It is durable, does not react to
acids, absorbs sound, and has consistent coloring. This stone has a variety of
end uses including building veneers, floor and wall tiles,…
Bear scratches are abnormalities formed from indented growth rings on the tangential face of wood, which look like a scratch from a bear’s claw—hence the name. They are commonly found in Sitka spruce.…
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Beck Dyed is a method used to dye large batches of greige goods—usually in rope form—in large becks, vats, or steel tanks. Greige goods are moved in a circular motion in and out of an aqueous dyebath to help provide color uniformity. Although typically used for…
A bee’s wing is a type of wood figuring that typically appears in Indian satinwood, narra, mahogany, and eucalyptus. The small-scale, tight form resembles the wing of a bee, hence the name.…
A bevel edge is a straight planer cut added to the edges of a surface. According to the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA), this cut should be at or around a 45-degree angle and greater than a .045-inches in depth. It can be created on different flooring and surface materials…
Biodegradation is the breakdown or decomposition of materials
by microorganisms. It refers to the processes that transform materials into
less complex compounds that can be used and reused by living systems.
Biodegradation is used for waste management and environmental remediation, also
known as bioremediation. It is an important process that…
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A bird’s eye is a type of wood figuring with a distinct swirling pattern in the grain that leads to the formation of small circular figures—or eyes—on the tangential face. Bird’s eyes are most often found in hard maple, as the logs are typically rotary cut…
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Bleach cleanable is a common cleaning instruction for textiles. It usually comes with detailed dilution instructions as well as the applicable bleach type. There are two different types of bleach: chlorine bleach and oxygen bleach or non-chlorine bleach. Chlorine bleach can disinfect, oxidize, and deodorize textiles,…
Blister is a wood figure that appears short and straight with raised sections. A blister looks similar to a quilt and fiddleback figure, except that it does not appear as oval as quilt or as long as fiddleback. This figuring is a direct result from cutting across uneven growth rings…
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Botanical is a motif depicting precise illustrations of plants that occasionally includes representations of flowers in bloom, leaves, or stems. As a favored subject in formal framed art, the imagery has also become a widespread design in printed textiles.
Photography Courtesy of James Dunlop Textiles…
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Braiding is a technique that interlaces a minimum of three threads or strips diagonally across to form a narrow band that can be flat or tubular. Braids are most frequently used for trimmings and can also be sewn together to form a larger surface, such as…
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Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc that can be rosy gold,
golden yellow, or silver in color. It is a metal that is durable, malleable,
and acoustical. Brass exhibits low friction against other metals, and it is a
great conductor of heat. It is…
Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment
Method, or BREEAM, was the world’s first widely used green building certification
system. Developed in the 1990s in the UK by Building Research Establishment
(BRE), today BREEAM is used in over 80 countries.1 BREAAM
certification demonstrates a building project’s sustainability and its
commitment to protecting…
Brick ashlar refers to a type of carpet and modular flooring layout in which tiles are placed in the same direction but horizontally staggered by half of the width of a tile on the next row, creating a pattern that evokes the look of brick installations.…
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Broadloom refers to carpets available in standard wide widths greater than six feet. Broadloom carpet is sold as a roll and is meant for wall-to-wall installation but can be cut down and edge finished by some manufacturers to create area rugs.
Photography Courtesy of Mohawk Group…
Broken fiddleback is a type of wood figuring that is similar to a fiddleback wood figure except it does not cross the whole leaf of the board, giving it a broken effect.…
Broken stripe refers to a wood figure that looks like stripes running down the veneer, but in a broken or faded pattern. The stripe lines are not consistently visible throughout, allowing for the broken line appearance. It can sometimes appear similar to a ribbon stripe or a broken ribbon.…
Bronze is a yellowish-brown metallic alloy that is primarily
made of copper and a small percentage of tin and other metals. It is a metal
that is ductile, durable, and has low friction with other metals. It can be easily
melted down and molded into a variety of end uses…
Bullnose is a term most commonly used to describe ceramic tile that is distinguished by rounded edges primarily appears as decorative trim. The format is often used to frame the perimeter of a tiled wall or create a transition between the tile and the wall, so that unfinished tile sides…
Bullnose is an edge type is rounded and finished to match the main surface. A full bullnose edge is curved on the top and bottom and will look like a “U” turned on its side. Bullnose edges can come in other forms, such as a half bullnose, which is rounded…
A burl is a tree growth in which the grain has grown in a deformed, goiter-like manner. It can be found on all parts of the tree, including the trunk, base, or a branch filled with knots. Caused when a tree has undergone a form stress, such as injury, insect…
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California Air Resources Board (CARB) is a committee within California’s Environmental Protection Agency whose role is to protect the public from exposure to air pollution. This includes setting statewide emission standards for pollution sources ranging from auto emissions to consumer products. Formaldehyde, a toxic air contaminant…
The California Prop 65 List is a public index of naturally occurring and synthetic chemicals that are known to cause cancer and reproductive harm. This list was established by Proposition 65—a law officially known as the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986—to inform Californians about potential exposure…
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Carved rug refers to carpets and rugs whose pile has been cut to varying levels. Using special tools, the carpets and rugs are carved—with grooves or “valleys” that are cut into the pile—to create patterns with three-dimensional effects. This technique is typically used for high-end rugs.…
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CDPH (California Department of Public Health) / CHPS (Certified in Healthcare Privacy and Security) Section 01350 is a United States standard that addresses the human health and environmental impacts of building materials used by the architecture and design community. Also known as the Standard Method for…
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Cement is a binding
substance typically used in construction that sets, hardens, and adheres to
other materials to bond them together. The material is characterized as
hydraulic or non-hydraulic, depending on the ability of the cement to set in
the presence of water. Non-hydraulic
cement needs dry…
Center is a wood panel matching method. Similar to balance, center match has uniform veneer widths, creating a more consistent and symmetrical appearance. Different from the balance method, center matching requires that the wood grain pattern is centered on the panel, creating a different overall pattern. This method produces veneer…
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Ceramic is a solid material that is composed of a mixture of
inorganic materials combined with a bonding agent. The mixture of materials
used to create ceramics can vary depending on the final result, but most include
varieties of clay mixed with water. The process starts…
A certification provides
third-party confirmation that a product, project, process, or system fulfills
the requirements of a given standard. Certification programs vary in method or
philosophy. They can be divided into multi-attribute and single-attribute
programs. A single-attribute certification focuses on just one factor, like
water use, energy use, or chemical…
Chain-of-Custody (CoC) is the process of following materials through each step of the supply chain in order to verify appropriate management, quality control, and safety. Along the supply chain, materials go through various stages of production, processing, shipping, and retail. CoC systems are made up of a series of procedures,…
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Chevron is a repeating pattern of a continuous V- and inverted V-shaped lines without interruption, resulting in a zig-zag-like appearance. Composed of at least one color, this pattern is often used in the design of flooring and walls, as well as textiles.
Photography Courtesy of Walker…
The
Circular Economy is a framework that aims to reduce environmental impacts and
generate economic growth by eliminating waste and reusing resources. This model
is an alternative to the traditional linear economic system, which presumes the
existence and accessibility of unlimited natural resources, and in which a
product’s life cycle…
Cluster refers to a wood figure that is similar to a burl wood figure but is always grouped together in smaller areas, or clusters. Surrounding the clusters are darker figurings that have a muscle-like appearance.…
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ColorStrand is a proprietary brand of solution-dyed type 6 nylon with pre-consumer recycled content that is manufactured by Mohawk Group. Produced for Mohawk’s line of commercial carpets, ColorStrand resists fading from light, ozone, and harsh chemicals and is several times more colorfast than traditionally dyed nylon.…
In the building industry, compliance means acting in adherence to a set of regulations, standards, or codes. It indicates that a product, project, or process fulfills all official requirements. Designers, manufacturers, and other professionals may need to demonstrate compliance to internal management, regulators, the government, customers, or independent third parties.…
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Concrete is a composite
material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a cement
past that hardens, or cures, over time. It is the most used man-made material
on earth. Concrete’s usage worldwide, ton for
ton, is twice that of steel, wood, plastics, and…
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Concrete effect refers to faux treatments used on materials—such as paint or surfacing—to generate the appearance of actual concrete in color and texture.
Photography Courtesy of Adore Floors…
Continuous dyed is a method used to dye large quantities of yarn, textiles, or carpet on a continuous production line. Unlike piece dyeing in batches, continuous dyeing involves moving the goods through the dye application, dye fixation, washing, and sometimes finishing stages without interruption.…
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Cork is a natural material sourced from the phellem layer of the cork oak, or Quercus Suber tree. Cork is considered a sustainable material since it comes from a renewable resource and its production involves minimal waste or harm to the tree. It has a closed-cell…
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Crackled refers to a patterned motif that depicts tiny cracks on along the surface of a material.
Photography Courtesy of Design and Direct Source…
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Cradle to Cradle (C2C) is a product
standard administered by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute (C2CPII) to
incentivize environmentally and socially responsible manufacturing practices. Based
on the principles outlined in their 2002 book, Cradle to Cradle: Remaking
the Way We Make Things, authors William…
The
Cradle to Cradle (C2C) Basic Level Restricted Substances List (RSL) is a
register of the chemicals that are banned from use in Cradle to Cradle
Certified products above certain thresholds. These substances have been found
to be harmful or toxic to the environment and human health.1 The RSL
was…
The
Cradle to Cradle (C2C) Material Health Certificate recognizes products that
avoid the use of harmful chemicals or toxic materials, in accordance with
Cradle to Cradle’s Certified Product Standard. The C2C product standard is
administered by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute (C2CPII) to
incentivize environmentally and socially responsible…
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Green Label Plus is a program created by the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) to set standards for VOC emissions from carpets, cushions, and adhesives, and provide resources for consumers related to indoor air quality. It is a voluntary initiative that parallels testing emissions protocols used…
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Cross dyed is a method used to produce multicolor effects in yarns, textiles, or carpets made from more than one kind of fiber. The desired material can be dipped into a single dyebath and obtain varying color effects based on each fiber’s dye affinities. This method…
Crotch refers to a wood figure that appears when a cut is made from the joint connecting the tree’s trunk and its branch. It can have a wide range of appearances and usually the veneer leaves are smaller. The juncture connecting the trunk and branch creates an extreme form of…
Curly wood figuring refers to a primarily horizontal pattern that runs perpendicular to the wood grain. This creates a three-dimensional effect that gives the wood a wavy surface when light reflects off of it, as if there are curls or ripples in the grain. It is commonly found in maple…
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Cut & loop pile is a type of carpet that is constructed of a combination of cut ends and looped yarns. The mix of cut and uncut loops—in either uniform or varying heights—allows carpets to be created with a variety of surface designs, textures, and patterns,…
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Cut pile is a type of carpet constructed of loop yarns that have been cut in half or sheared. Common cut pile styles include Saxony, with well-defined piles that stand straight up; frieze, featuring fibers that are highly twisted to enable the material to curl in…
A declaration is a report that provides quantified,
transparent information about a product’s environmental performance and
material ingredients. It can be used by building industry professionals to
facilitate comparison with similar products and to help manufacturers qualify
for transparency credits in green building rating systems. Declarations can be
published as…
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The Declare Label is a transparency initiative by the International Living Future Institute (ILFI) through which industrial manufacturers can opt to disclose their product ingredients. Declare Labels share a product’s key compositional and logistical information with specifiers and consumers, including its manufacturer, assembly location, life expectancy,…
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Declared refers to a declaration status indicating that a product has disclosed 100 percent of its ingredients present at or above 100ppm (0.01%), while also containing one or more Red List chemicals not listed as an existing exception. It is one of three declaration possibilities—along with…
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Digital dye injection is a method where dye is injected onto the face of carpet with a series of small jets. The dye penetrates directly into the fiber and is chemically bonded to it. This process is used to create accurate, high-definition patterns and color gradations…
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Digital print refers to a process of directly printing onto a substrate from a digital resource. The process deposits ink droplets of various colors in a continuous jet or pulse that combine to create the desired colors for a given design. With advancements in ink compositions…
Dimple figuring in wood resembles little pockets or shallow holes on the tree bark. When cut, the wood veneer will have ring like shapes that resemble the dimples on the tree bark.…
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Distressed refers to a material that has simulated marks of age and wear or has been purposely blemished so as to give the appearance of long, steady use. It can be applied to wood, metal, textile, glass, and stone through many methods such as hammering, denting,…
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A dotted motif refers to a type of geometric pattern consisting of round, solid, and filled-in spots. The pattern can be random or repeated.
Photography Courtesy of Designtex…
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Duracolor is a proprietary brand of high-performance stain resistant carpet fiber made of type 6 nylon that is manufactured by Mohawk Group. Produced for Mohawk’s line of commercial carpets, Duracolor fibers are fade-resistant and colorfast with a molecular structure that makes them inherently and permanently stain-resistant.…
A dye lot is a record attributed to all yarn or yardage in a specific dye bath. Yarns and pieces from the same dye lot are understood to have the same coloration and considered to be a match when used throughout a space. Even with consistent dye formulas between dye…
Also referred to as a softened square, eased edge describes the technique of bordering countertops and other surfaces with rounded square edges, as opposed to sharp square cuts that can reveal unfinished layers of material. Stone, engineered stone, solid surfacing, and high-pressure laminate commonly employ eased edges to address both…
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ECONYL is Aquafil’s proprietary brand of regenerated bulked continuous filament (BCF) type 6 nylon. It is produced from pre-consumer and post-consumer nylon content recovered from fishing nets, textiles, and carpet. The depolymerization and purification process used to create ECONYL yarn is a closed loop system, which…
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Embossed refers to a fabrication process of applying a raised dimensional design to a material. The process requires both male and female dies to create an offset surface, as opposed to debossing, which involves pressing into the material and only requires one die. Embossing uses both…
End match refers to a four-panel wood match sequence. The pattern starts with two wood veneers that are book matched, on the vertical, and then joined by two additional book matched veneers that are flipped, on the horizontal, creating an almost mirrored effect between the four panels. The grains are…
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End grain refers to the grain of wood that is exposed when timber is cut across the growth rings at a 90-degree angle, as opposed to a plank of wood that has been cut along the length of the trunk. End grain exposes the character of…
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Engineered hardwood flooring is constructed from real wood slats that are adhered together in layers at opposing directions to form a plank. The cross-grain configuration minimizes expansion and shrinking, allowing for a tighter fit while installing and less movement after installation is complete. The two main…
Environmental Justice is the equitable distribution of
environmental burdens and benefits, and of meaningful participation in
environmental decision-making. This means that all people have
the right to equal protection from environmental and health hazards, and the
right to live, work, play, worship, or learn in safe, healthy communities.1 The
US…
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An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a registered document that provides information about the environmental impact of a product across its life cycle. Unlike a label or certificate, an EPD is not an endorsement of a product’s environmental impact or its compliance with environmental standards. Rather,…
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an agency of the
United States federal government whose mission is to protect human health and
the environment. It was established in 1970 to ensure that all Americans have
access to clean air, land, and water, and that related federal laws are
administered and…
EPA Chemicals of Concern is a list compiled by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) containing chemical substances found to be harmful or toxic to human health and the environment. This list was published in accordance with a 2016 amendment to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which requires…
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EverStrand is a proprietary brand of carpet fiber made of post-consumer recycled PET polyester that is manufactured by Mohawk Group. Produced for Mohawk’s line of residential carpets, EverStrand is made from 100-percent recycled plastic bottles. The plastic bottles are recycled into PET chips and then extruded…
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Fiberglass is a filament fiber produced with glass. The glass is melted and extruded through fine holes. Fiberglass is lightweight and is often combined with other resins or plastics to increase its strength. It is also resistant to chemicals, light, and heat. Fiberglass is often used…
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Fiddleback wood figuring is a specific variation of a curly wood figure, where the curls are very tight and uniform. Its close grains and lines appear to swerve or ripple in varying patterns. It is commonly found in maple, sycamore, and walnut trees.
Photography Courtesy of…
Figured refers to the surface effect and markings found on timber that give it a unique appearance. It can vary depending on many factors, including the wood’s grain, color, and the way it was cut. Types of figured effects include curly, fiddleback, and bird’s eye.
Photography Courtesy of Wolf-Gordon…
Flagstone is a generic sedimentary rock that is hardened through heat and pressure and then crushed for paving as crushed stones or cut into flat layers of shapes as dimension stones. Various types of flagstones include basalt, bluestone, limestone, quartzite, sandstone, slate, and travertine. The rock’s characteristics and color depend…
Flake wood figuring appears when a wood species has heavy medullary ray growth. Medullary rays are a type of cellular structure found in some species of wood, which grows in a radial pattern perpendicular to the wood’s growth rings. Flake figuring will appear if you cut the wood parallel, or…
Flame refers to a wood figuring that is caused by a distortion in the wood fiber, which creates a wavy or flame-like lines. It is similar to fiddleback and curly wood figuring, but with more straight lines instead of a curled pattern. Flame figuring is commonly found in the maple…
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Floral refers to a motif that incorporates figurative elements of flowers such as blossoms and leaves. These can be arranged in an organic or geometric manner, and the pattern can be realistic or abstracted. Broader interpretations of the term floral may include any type of botanical…
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The FMVSS 302 test is a standard of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) for evaluating flammability of materials as conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA, a faction of the U.S. Department of Transportation). Results obtained from this test are used by…
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The
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a German-based, international non-profit
organization and certification framework working to promote responsible forest
management. The FSC uses independent, third-party accredited certifiers to
appraise operations and determine whether they comply to institutional
standards. Two certification tracks are available: Forest Management
Certification…
Formaldehyde is a volatile organic chemical (VOC) used as a
preservative, disinfectant, and binding agent in the building industry.1
It has been designated as a
carcinogen by the World Health Organization and California’s Proposition 65,
and a Hazardous Air Pollutant by the US Environmental Protection Agency. It is a key…
Fumed wood refers to a wood coloring process where the wood
planks are exposed to ammonia gas. The ammonia reacts with the wood tannin and
changes the wood color, usually to a darker gray-brown color. Fumed wood can
also be referred to as ‘smoked wood’. White oak is one of…
Gauge refers to the number of surface pile yarns in one inch measured along the width of a tufted carpet. It is determined by the spacing and number of needles per inch on the tufting machine and is expressed as a fraction. A carpet with 1/8 gauge means that there…
Ghost refers to wood figuring that is commonly found in the maple species when a tree is infested with the ambrosia beetle. A fungus grows from the remains of the beetle larva and breaks down the wood into a compound for the larva to eat. When the tree is cut,…
The Global Warming Potential (GWP) is a unit of measurement
developed to compare the atmospheric global warming impacts of gases. It tells
us how long a gas remains in the atmosphere, and how much energy it absorbs
over a given time period, relative to 1 ton of carbon dioxide (CO2).…
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Granite is an igneous, intrusive stone that is composed
mostly of quartz and feldspar with small percentages of mica and other
minerals. It comes in various shades of grays, whites, and occasionally light
pinks and reds. The stone is durable, easy to maintain, and resistant to…
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Granulated cork, also known as crumb cork, ground cork, and agglomerated cork, is a natural material made from the renewable bark of a cork oak tree. Often repurposed from scrap or recycled material, such as the cork that can’t be used in the manufacturing of cork…
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Granulated rubber, also known as crumb rubber or ground rubber, is a material that is made by grinding up scrap or recycled rubber from car tires and adhering the particles together via resin and other bonding agents. The granules are further reduced in size with the…
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The GREENGUARD Certification Program—previously known as the GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certification—recognizes products and processes that meet standards for safe levels of chemical and particle emissions in indoor spaces. GREENGUARD is a third-party assessment program created by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Environment to support manufacturers in producing…
