Page 3 - 2017-10-CFR Volume 109 - Back To Basics With Vinyl Flooring Installation - Also Polyester And Polyethylene Membranes October 2017

installed over a rebond cushion that has a polyeth-
ylene membrane. The installation has failed due to
the carpet coming free from the cushion. The floor-
ing dealer was being blamed by the end user of the
commercial establishment for an installation failure,
again, that being the carpet coming loose from the
pad. Upon pulling the carpet up for examination
there was found to be little to no adhesive evident on
the top of the cushion. The carpet was debonded
from the cushion almost everywhere. There was al-
so not a whole lot of adhesive evidence on the back-
ing of the carpet which is a woven polypropylene.
The integrity of the tufted hospitality carpet was not
compromised at all,
a testament to the
quality of the car-
pet. Without un-
derstanding and
knowing the prop-
erties of the com-
ponents in play in
this situation, that
is the polyethylene
and the polypropyl-
ene, one would
think that the in-
stallers failed to
use enough adhe-
sive and as a result
the installation
failed. But knowing
the science of what happened would cause you to
arrive at a completely different conclusion and cause
of the failure.

Now back to polyester, polyethylene and polypropyl-
ene. We mentioned that all of these thermoplastic
materials are hydrophobic. Hydrophobic means not
compatible with water; not dissolving in, absorbing or
mixing easily with water. These thermoplastic mate-
rials push water away. Plastic bottles which hold
beverages or liquids are recycled into polyester car-
pet. The plastic bottles do not absorb the water or
liquid they contain. Polyethylene is also used for
containers and plastic bags, etc., as mentioned pre-
viously which do not absorb water. Polypropylene,
which is used for outdoor carpet and carpet backing,
also, does not absorb water. So if we look at the re-
bond carpet cushion with the polyethylene mem-
brane and the carpet installed over it with the woven
polypropylene backing what do you see? Two ther-
moplastic materials that are both hydrophobic.

3 Commercial Flooring Report October 2017