Over the years us flooring fanatics seem to have developed a whole other language of our own, and we know how easy it can be to baffle the old brainbox when faced with an attack of phrases that make about as much sense as saying knock-knock once you've already entered the room.
So we thought it was time that we explained some of the industries most popular terms.
Let’s start out very simple
Carpet tiles - Carpet tiles are a type of flooring that can be used as an alternative to carpet rolls. Often cut into squares of 50cm x 50cm or 25cm x 100cm, the tiles then fit together like a jigsaw to make up a carpet! Carpet tiles have numerous benefits, they are often highly cost-effective, easy to install, produce less waste than carpet rolls and they offer endless design possibilities.
LVT = Luxury Vinyl Tiles - Luxury vinyl tiles, believe it or not, are again a type of flooring! They are vinyl tiles (duh) that come in all shapes and sizes. Luxury vinyl tiles often replicate a wooden, stone or ceramic floor but leave behind the hefty price tag. They are becoming increasingly popular as an alternative to wood or stone flooring as they are simple to install and super easy to maintain.
Sheet Vinyl - Sheet vinyl is, you guessed it, a type of flooring. However vinyl comes in large, continuous and flexible sheets rather than tiles. It provides anti-slip qualities and is particularly suited for areas such as canteens, toilets, hospital wards, swimming pools and changing rooms and schools.
DCTUK's specification explained
Size - Pretty self explanatory, size is the size of the individual tile. The majority of tiles you'll find on DCTUK will be the standard size of 50cm x 50cm or plank size 100cm x 25cm. However some like to be different, mainly those pesky LVT's, but we will make it clear if this is the case.
Construction - Construction = the action of building something. AKA a fancy schmancy way of saying how the carpet tile is made. Who knew there were so many different ways carpet tiles could be made?!
Composition - Again, this is just a posh way of saying what the tile is made out of. It is the yarn fabric and backing material that makes up a carpet tiles composition.
Total thickness - Time to put your GCSE maths to good use, don't worry, we'll keep it simple. The total thickness of a carpet tile = the height of the yarns + the thickness of the backing. Got it?
Pile height - The pile height is the total height of the carpet tile's visible fibres. It's what's on the surface that counts here, none of that inside nonsense.
Wear layer - Wear layer is specific to LVT's, the products wear layer lies directly underneath the surface and is one of the first lines of defence against scratches and everyday wear and tear.
Castor chair rating - We all love a swivel chair and it is essential that you can continue gliding. I completely get you. If you see 'pass' or 'continuous use' here then you have permission to swivel to your heart's desire.
Bonus round
Stainsafe© - Stainsafe© products (funnily enough) provide complete protection against stains! The fibres don't absorb any moisture whatsoever so any stubborn spillages or whoops-a-daisy moments that might have previously posed a big problem become no biggie at all. Read more about stainsafe© here!
Nouveau - Nouveau is DCTUK's exclusive range of carpet tiles. Budget friendly but high in quality, there is no better way to stylishly kit out your space than with Nouveau carpet tiles
Heavy contract use - Even if a herd of elephants and a gaggle of geese came trampling through your door, your carpet tiles will survive the chaos. Basically, the carpet tile is suitable for high traffic areas with lots of footfall.
Entry level tiles - Let's just say if a herd of elephants came trampling through this door, the survival rate is slightly reduced. Entry level tiles are more suited to where footfall is moderate.
Adhesive - The sticky stuff that holds your flooring in place.
Underlay - Underlay is a barrier that sits beneath your flooring. It ensures that your flooring is being fitted onto a clean and level surface, with the added bonus of acoustic protection, for a super professional finish.
ECONYL - If you see this word, it's a good thing. The material that makes up an ECONYL based carpet tile was once polluting our beautiful oceans. The clever cloggs at Aquafil group found a way to fish some of the plastic out of our oceans and make use of it. Read more about it here!
Subfloor - The floor you're laying your carpet tiles on top of. Simples!
Tackifier - A type of adhesive commonly used when fitting carpet tiles in a large area. Tackifier is suitable for use with a whole host of subfloors, from concrete and cement screed to sand and chipwood, available in either 5L or 25L tubs.
Fitting Terms
Uplift - Our fitters will remove your existing flooring and dispose of it accordingly, meaning you don't have to life a finger, or a toe.
Straight lay - Fairly straight forwards, our fitters lay your tiles in a straight pattern. Simples.
Subfloor preparation - Some floors need a bit of TLC before your new tiles can be laid on top. Our fitters will carry out any of the necessary preparations to get your subfloor spick and span and ready to go.
Cap and cove - Specific for vinyl. Cap and cove is the process of turning up sheet vinyl at the perimeter to allow a continuous surface between the floor and the wall. Most commonly used in commercial buildings, hospitals and schools and especially in areas where hygiene is important or watertight seal is necessary.
Oh did you know we offered fitting? Check it out HERE!
Stick around for round 2 to learn all things carpet tile constructions, composition & more!
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