In the last class, when I heard Dr. Chapin talked about carpet material for flooring that can prevent fungi better than hard face materials do, I was so curious. Therefore, I searched for more information about this flooring solution for healthcare environment. There was an experiment for that, and there are some notices in using carpet flooring as well.
“Details _ Carpeting
- Light-colored carpeting increases light quantity throughout the space without increasing glare.
- Hard-surfaced are not safer than carpet for controlling fungal or bacterial growth in health care environments.
- Carpet used with wheelchairs, carts, and gurney cannot exceed ½-in, pile height, and a ¼-in. height offers less resistance to rolling traffic.
- High-cut pile may pull a wheelchair, gurney, cart, or stroller in the direction of the nap. Use an uncut or tip sheer in a high-density pile for an easy traverse.
- Carpeting with an antimicrobial system prevents microbial growth and resulting odors.
- People with incontinence may associate cold, hard floors with going to the bathroom and thus appreciate carpet.
- Carpet reduces the incidence of falls and cushions falls that do occur. The carpet should have a pile height of ¼-1/2 in.; the pile should be of a high density. A carpet surface that is too soft is easy to sink into and may cause loss of balance. Large loops can catch on braces, canes, and walkers.
- For people with incontinence, seal concrete slabs with an acrylic polymer before installing carpeting. If the concrete flooring is hydrophilic, it absorbs liquids and their odors as it expands and contracts.
- Area rugs should be permanently installed to prevent tripping. The small wheels of wheelchairs, gurneys, carts, and strollers may cause loose area rugs to gather in front of the user. People in power wheelchairs may also be immobilized, and rugs may become tangled with the mechanism.
- Borders can be used blend carpet colors from room to room, but keep the contrast to a minimum so that a border is not a mistaken for a step.
- It is often difficult to spot a slight elevation in floor level. Single steps, thresholds, carpet tack strips (especially across corridors), and the edges of area rugs all cause tripping. Use a bevel when changing from one floor surface to another if the change is between ¼ and ½ in. Use a small ramp if the change exceeds ½ in.
- Metal carpet strips between rooms may pose a tripping hazard, Sew carpets together at doorways or use graduated transition strip.
- For the easiest wheelchair ride over carpet and for a stable surface offering sure footing, eliminate padding in the carpet installation. A glue-down installation also prevents rippling caused by wheelchair or gurney use”
- Cynthis A. Leibrock, Design Details for Healthcare, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2000.
(Scad Library code: NK 2195 .H43 L45 2000 )
This is also a very good book with a lot of interesting ideas for healthcare design.
Have a nice weekend to all!