Carpet Expert

Carpet ceased to be a luxury item after World War II. Nylon became plentiful, and broadloom sewing machines could sew on backings wider than 54 inches. In a normal year, the carpet industry of the United States produces enough carpet, in 12-foot widths, to wrap the Equator 25 times.

Modern commercial carpet is a blend of several scientific disciplines. The blend of Chemistry, Physics and Mechanics produces materials that are durable, cleanable, long lasting and recyclable. The problem for the Forensic Scientist is one of understanding the manufacturing process and guiding the testing processes (using ASTM and industry standards), when a failure takes place. To complicate the science of carpet, the Forensic Scientist must have an in depth knowledge of the craft of installation, and an understanding of how carpet is used in a commercial environment, whether it is Healthcare, Institutional, or Retail.

This is the uniqueness of Interior Specifications. The years of training by several carpet manufacturers, the exposure to the design process (as a member of the Board of Directors of the Society of American Registered Architects), and 35 years as a licensed floor-covering contractor, has made a complete package.

Interior Specifications has provided expertise in floor covering specification to; Burbank Airport, Baltimore Washington International Airport, Denver International Airport, the University of California at Los Angeles, University of California at Los Angeles and San Francisco Medical Centers, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente, California State University at Northridge, The GAP, Macy’s, Finish Line Stores, Universal Studios, Warner Brothers Studios, Paramount Pictures, Bruckheimer Productions, and many others.

Interior Specifications has provided floor installation specifications to; The Gap, Crate & Barrel, Finish Line Stores, The City of Orange, City of Las Vegas, The California State Contractors License Board, UCLA, USC, Barstow College, California State University at San Luis Obispo, California State University at Long Beach, California State University at Northridge.

For 13 years, Interior Specifications has been the industry expert for carpet failures for the California State Contractors License Board, and the California Attorney General.

In 1994 Kenneth D, Newson was contacted by the Architects for California State College at Northridge. The Earthquake had decimated their dormitories. Could he please write a specification to replace the carpet, the sheet vinyl, and remediate 500,000 square feet of lightweight concrete. He did.

As Forensic Scientists, Interior Specifications is asked to look protocols not only install carpet by use that carpet. Knowledge of adhesives and tools and move-in schedules are part of such an examination.

Interior Specifications has been task with guiding legal council in the pursuit of the truth about a carpet failure. This carpet is less than 1 year old. Loops of pile began to pull out and the carpet began to come apart. Being a high traffic public building, repairs were made with left over pieces from construction.

Interior Specifications was asked Why, Who was at fault, how best to repair. We scoured the construction paper trail; we prepared the laboratory test protocols, and interpreted the results.

Interior Specifications’ 40+ years of experience in interior design and construction brings an insight to the workings of all of the parts of a floor-covering project.

The complaint was the carpet was rippling due to poor installation. The investigation found that the carpet had an attached cushion, and was glued to the concrete in new offices. There were ripples in the common areas. The construction timeline showed movers arriving 4 hours after the carpet layers were finished. The moves used dollies to bring in furniture. The problem, the instructions that came with the adhesive required a 48-cure time prior to wheel traffic. The documents revealed the truth.