BSI asked the CFA to answer some questions about the soon-to-be-available BS5325: 2021, the British Standard for the installation of textile floorcovering, and about what it means to industry. Richard shares the CFA’s input.
MANY things the CFA does are highly visible and have obvious benefits to members and for the wider industry. The CFA website includes our member directory, and all CFA members can of course display the CFA logo, proudly demonstrating they have been vetted and meet our criteria. Members get access to templates, a range of helplines, events and more recently webinars.
Other things the CFA is involved in are less obvious. Updating British Standards is a good example. The most recent one to be completed is BS5325: 2021 the British Standard for the installation of textile floorcoverings.
As the update was completed, BSI asked the CFA to answer some questions about the standard and what it means to industry. I found it an interesting exercise and so would like to share our input and, in so doing, spread the word that the new Standard is soon to be available.
What the standard is about:
As the title suggests, this standard covers the ‘Installation of textile floorcoverings’. It includes domestic and commercial installations and encompasses all the main textile floorcoverings including broadloom carpet and carpet tiles. It supports the many and varied ways in which these products can be fitted.
What issue is it addressing?
In common with all flooring products, textile floorcoverings (carpet) require careful installation to ensure the best performance possible. This includes the aesthetics, but equally a badly fitted carpet will not last as long as it should and may even pose health and safety issues such as trip hazards. It helps those installing carpets to consider some critical elements such as the application of gripper, the position of joints and the installation of underlay. All of these influence the previously mentioned performance characteristics.
What anticipated benefits will it bring?
The installation of floor coverings is not regulated by legislation and, as such, these voluntary codes ensure that the industry has some tried and tested methods to refer to, to achieve high quality installation through best practice. They are developed by industry for industry and delivered with the support and moderation of the BSI as a final measure of quality.
What’s changed since the last version?
BS5325 has not been updated since 2001. In those two decades some fairly significant advancements have been made and introduced by the industry. This major revision therefore ensures the standard reflects those changes and is aligned with other flooring standards that have been updated during this period. New content has been added in areas such as power stretching, moisture measurement and fabricated underlays. In all these areas and more, BS5325 has been aligned with the other soft floor covering standard such as BS8203 and BS8201.
Why should customers use this standard?
Anyone who installs textile flooring should use this standard both to inform themselves and as a reference point for problem solving. When writing specifications, scope of works or providing a quotation, the British Standard is an invaluable reference document. It will equally help the specifier to create meaningful and workable projects that the flooring professional can then translate into the finished article.
Why might they not adopt the standard?
BS5325 applies a base guideline for most textile installation. It is not impossible that a product may fall outside the scope of the document (e.g. innovation), in which case the manufacturer’s guidelines would apply. Although, in all cases those working with the British Standard should always use them in conjunction with specific manufacturer’s recommendations.
Through the CFA Manufacturers’ Committee, a large group of CFA members worked on this update and a great deal of thanks should go to them all. There are too many to list in this article. In fact, the CFA simply acts as a vehicle in these matters, and although driven by manufacturers, we also ensure that ALL CFA members are given the opportunity to comment at the final draft stage.
Please go out and buy a copy (CFA members get a discount) and spread the word far and wide to ensure that as an industry we continue to drive quality.
The CFA is a leading trade association representing the Flooring Industry. For an application pack or further information on the benefits of membership, please visit our website or contact us.
0115 9411126
info@cfa.org.uk
www.cfa.org.uk
