A Consumer s Guide to Natural Flooring

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1 The Flooring Guild 36 Meadowsweet Eaton Ford St Neots Cambridgeshire PE19 7GR Website: Tel: Consumer Information Service A Consumer s Guide to The Flooring Guild is dedicated to raising standards in the flooring industry through the delivery of high quality training and education. We believe Consumers should be given unbiased information to help make an informed choice and have produced a series of guides to help in that process. The contents of each Guide are believed correct at the time of printing. Nevertheless, The Flooring Guild cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions or for changes in the details given in this Guide or for the consequences of any reliance on the information provided in the same. Although every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, we will always welcome any information to assist in such efforts and to keep the Guides up to date. We gratefully acknowledge the information given by various contributors including: Hand Made Carpets Limited The Alternative Flooring Company Ltd The National Carpet Cleaners Association All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any other information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from The Flooring Guild. The Flooring Guild is a company limited by guarantee Registered in England No at the above address

2 The Flooring Guild 36 Meadowsweet Eaton Ford St Neots Cambridgeshire PE19 7GR Website: Tel: Contents Consumer Information Service Page NATURAL FLOORING 1 NATURAL FIBRES 1 ANIMAL FIBRES 1 Wool 1 VEGETABLE FIBRES 1 Jute 1 Seagrass 2 Sisal 2 Coir 2 Important Points About 3 MAINTENANCE OF NATURAL FLOORING 4 Stain Inhibitor 4 Cleaning Compound 4 Speed Is Of The Essence - Never Let A Stain Set. 4 Key Points In Cleaning 5 Reproduced by kind permission of Flooring One Limited The Flooring Guild is a company limited by guarantee Registered in England No at the above address

3 NATURAL FLOORING When people think of natural flooring they typically mean natural fibres. Strictly speaking, natural flooring is, in fact, any flooring made from 100% natural and renewable products. Although this description could include wood flooring, natural flooring is generally perceived to consist of products manufactured in Seagrass, Sisal, Coir and Jute. However, wool is also a natural product and should be considered when choosing natural flooring. NATURAL FIBRES These derive from natural sources and are: a) Animal eg wool, silk, mohair, camel hair b) Vegetable/Plant eg coir, cotton, sisal, sea grass, jute c) Mineral eg asbestos In very simple terms, natural fibres undergo various cleaning and spinning processes before being used as yarn, but these processes do not chemically alter the fibre. ANIMAL FIBRES Wool Wool is the most widely used animal fibre for carpets and rugs. Its natural springiness makes a carpet resilient which helps keep its appearance well over a long period of time. It also dyes well which allows wool carpets to be produced in subtle, as well as strong colours. Being a natural fibre, it is very environmentally friendly. For more information about wool and its properties please see A Consumer s Guide to Carpets which can be downloaded from VEGETABLE FIBRES Jute Jute yarn comes from India and is made from the stalks of the tiliaceae plant. These are harvested by hand, tied in bundles and soaked in water. Later, the stems are pounded with wooden mallets and resulting fibres are spun into a beautiful yarn. The jute is backed with a latex backing. Jute is the softest of all natural flooring and is ideally suited for bedrooms or in light domestic situations. Jute should last up to eight years in a light domestic situation but will fade in direct sunlight. The Flooring Guild 2015 Page 1

4 Seagrass Seagrass is produced mainly in China but also in other Far Eastern countries. The grass crop is flooded by seawater during its growing cycle then plaited into strands, woven into floor covering and finally backed using latex. Unlike Coir or Sisal, Seagrass cannot be successfully bleached or dyed and therefore the colour of Seagrass can vary from a yellow green to a dark green depending upon the time of harvest. Seagrass can be installed in all domestic areas including kitchens, stairs, and some light contract locations (except where moisture is a problem) but is not recommended for bathrooms. Chair mats are needed under castor chairs and nosings are recommended for heavily used staircases. But remember - Seagrass is still a grass. All these products are light to medium domestic usage with a life span of up to five years given normal usage. Sisal Sisal is obtained from the leaf of Agave Sisalana which grows in abundant supply in South America and East Africa. The dark green leaves provide the sisal fibre for ropes and twine; only the very finest and purest in colour are put aside. Having been cleaned, these fibres can be dyed to almost any colour and are then spun and woven into floor covering. Sisal floorcovering is both durable and hardwearing making it an extremely versatile product which can be dyed easily. As with Coir and Seagrass, a latex backing is applied after the weaving process. Sisal is the hardest wearing of all vegetable fibres and suitable for all medium to heavy domestic and medium contract use (except where moisture is a problem). Stair nosings are always recommended for stair installations. Sisal should last for eight years in a domestic situation. Coir Coir originates from India and is one of the world s sturdiest natural fibres. Coir is made from the husks of coconuts which are removed and cleansed, then softened by fresh water before being spun into Coir fibre. The fibre is then either bleached or left in its natural golden colour ready to be woven into floor covering. After weaving a latex backing is applied. Coir is hardwearing vegetable fibre and is suitable for most domestic and medium contract locations. Coir bleached products are not recommended for high sunlit areas simply because they will lose their original colour and will fade back to a natural shade. Coir should last up to seven years in domestic areas. The Flooring Guild 2015 Page 2

5 Important Points About When buying natural flooring, consumers should be aware of certain characteristics. Here are a few of them. Natural flooring is by its very nature NATURAL. It contains slubs, tufts, irregularities and knots which are part of the inherent beauty of this particular type of flooring. However, if the customer is expecting pristine flooring, then natural flooring is not for them. Natural flooring is also rough underfoot although it can be therapeutic. It is important to note that naturals are inherently anti-static. Installation of natural flooring requires extra care in order for its natural beauty to be fully appreciated. Drooping on stairs and bagginess in seams and corners can really diminish its beauty. For full fitting instructions please see the comprehensive fitting guide. Natural flooring must not be washed using water. It must be vacuumed or cleaned with dry cleaning compound. Jute will stain, Seagrass will go mouldy and most naturals will shrink if they come in contact with liquid. In most circumstances, bleached Coir will not keep its bleached colour. Over time, bleached Coir can fade to its natural colour or take on a new hue depending on the sunlight and moisture content of the room Jute is light domestic flooring and is only recommended for bedrooms. The stain inhibitor is recommended for use on all flooring and it is important to deal with spills quickly and effectively using a dry cleaning compound. Dyed sisals can fade over time, especially if laid in direct sunlight. It is recommended that underlay be used in all broadloom fittings as this will add to the life and wear-ability of the product. The Flooring Guild 2015 Page 3

6 MAINTENANCE OF NATURAL FLOORING For detailed information on the maintenance on wool rugs and carpet please download our booklet Guide to Carpet Maintenance which can be found in the Consumer Information section of our website Stain Inhibitor It is recommended that all natural flooring is treated with a stain inhibitor to prevent spillage from seeping into the fibre of the product. This acts as an invisible shield around all the fibres protecting them and making them easier to clean and care for. However, it is important to note that such products only act as an inhibitor and not a proofer. Cleaning Compound Some manufacturers of natural flooring provide a cleaning compound, specifically designed for naturals, a spot removal kit and easy instructions. It is important to make the cleaning of naturals as simple as possible because cleaning has always been a point of contention for consumers looking to purchase natural flooring. First of all, it is important that the naturals have a stain inhibitor added to the flooring. Naturals do not tend to be treated and therefore comparison with their synthetic competitors is difficult when comparing staining. Secondly, always recommend that the consumer use a cleaning product specifically designed for naturals. They must not use water or any liquid products, such as Vanish, when treating stains on naturals. Here are a few short rules when dealing with stains on naturals: Speed Is Of The Essence - Never Let A Stain Set. Never rub a stain, always blot with an absorbent towel until the surface is damp dry (rubbing will cause fibre distortion and will push the problem deeper into the flooring). Use a paper kitchen towel, bath towel (white) or a baby s terry nappy. Do not add liquid to the area, simply blot dry. Sprinkle a handful of dry cleaning compound on the stain and work this in over the area in several directions. Leave the granules lightly packed on the stain until it is bone dry, if necessary, overnight, and then vacuum. The Flooring Guild 2015 Page 4

7 This should be with a suction vacuum rather than a beater head. If the stain remains, repeat the preceding steps until stain disappears. If the problem continues, use small amounts of the spot remover added to an absorbent towel and then blot the area. Check to see if the spot is being removed by looking at the towel. If you see the colour of the spot in the towel, it means that the spot remover is dissolving the spot. Continue blotting with the towel and spot remover until there is no further colour transfer. Then sprinkle more of the dry granules over the area, work in again, allow to dry and then vacuum. Key Points In Cleaning NEVER use water to clean naturals. If mould occurs on a product, use a little light bleach like Milton to kill the mould and eradicate it from that area. It is important in this case that the reason for the mould is eradicated too. If a room has high humidity, the carpets may become mouldy or even shrink. Regular vacuuming is recommended with a suction type cleaner (not an upright, as the beater bars will beat the pile flat over time.) To remove dirt or mud, wait until dry and brush with a stiff brush to loosen the mud (in the case of Seagrass always brush along the weave), then vacuum. The Flooring Guild 2015 Page 5