* The #1 blog article is about clean carpet, allergy and asthma symptoms.
* #2 article is about carpet and formaldehyde.
* Who would guess that the #3 most-read article on the CRI Blog would be about carpet in basements?
Titled, Carpet Works In Basements Basement Makeover Advice is All Wet, the article is a response to home improvement company ad that said people who were looking to renovate their basements should look for wool carpet. The ad has been sent to me by Mr. Walter Arnold, of Kelly Floor Covering in Seaford, New York, along with this comment:
“They’re suggesting people put wool carpet in their basements. Have you ever had a wet wool sweater that you lost and then found again about a week later?”
I decided to ask independent carpet expert and technical consultant Lew Migliore for his views on the subject. Here’s the gist of what he said, although there are more details in the original article.
"CRI: For some people, using carpet in a basement is a real concern, because they are afraid that the carpet will encourage the growth of mold and mildew. Are they right?
LM: It’s understandable that people might be wary of using a textile floor covering in an area like a basement, but the truth is that all carpets manufactured with synthetic fibers - nylon, polyester or polypropylene, for example - are inherently immune from mold and mildew.
CRI: How is that?
LM: To support mold growth, certain specific conditions must exist: humidity consistently above 60%, temperatures between 50 and 90°F, continued darkness, a pH of 3 to 8, and a food source. As a form of thermal plastic, carpet cannot, in and of itself, be a food source for supporting the growth of mold and mildew. Things like dirt and food that get trapped in the carpet fibers can become a food source, but the carpet alone cannot.
About the other factors that promote mold and mildew, frankly, if a building has a humidity reading that stays above 60%, there’s a lot more to worry about than the possibility of mold or mildew in the carpet. Under such moist conditions, other surfaces, like drywall, wood, and natural fiber materials will be prime targets for mold and mildew to grow on. Mold spores are everywhere – they are present in 100% of building interiors and unless moisture is controlled mold will grow – but this has nothing to do with the carpet per se.
In terms of indoor temperature, temperatures on the floor where carpet is installed are normally too cool and dry to pose a threat. The pH of carpet installed over concrete is predictably not at a level conducive to mold growth. In fact, in the forty years since carpet mills started using synthetic backing materials instead of natural fibers like jute, synthetic carpet has not generated or perpetuated complaints for mold or mildew.
CRI: Okay, Lew, I’m sold. Synthetic carpet is a good choice in a basement.
LM: There is no reason for carpet not to be used below grade, or above grade, in residential or commercial applications. In fact, with the right cushion, carpet is actually the best flooring material to use as it adds comfort to the space, provides thermal insulation, and helps thwart sound and noise. Carpet is also safer for young children to play on, as a fall on carpet is much less threatening than a fall on hard surface flooring. Carpet breathes, which means that small amounts of moisture vapor under the carpet will have a chance to dissipate into the air, instead of being trapped under a non-permeable material like sheet vinyl flooring, for example. Simply put, there is no logical, rational, reasonable, or viable reason not to use carpet in a reasonably dry basement area."
Thanks again to Lew Migliore for rounding out the top three CRI Blog posts. He’s #1 with me!
Which has been your favorite CRI Blog article?
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