Guest Blogger Matt Lee contributing as guest blogger.
6 Disgusting Facts You Need to Know about Carpet (and your Environment)
1. More bugs than your toilet seat
Consumers think carpeting is a great flooring option at home, because of warmth, comfort and it feels good on bare feet. Most are unaware of the ugly truth. It’s a germ hotspot and can be 4,000 times dirtier than your toilet seat and it can also have many different organisms living in it. Recommended yearly professional cleaning, and a life cycle of 5 years before replacement speaks for itself.
2. Your carpets could be harboring many germs and making you ill
Your carpet does a valuable job by acting as a filter, trapping damaging air pollutants like pollen, fungi, chemicals, bacteria, cigarette smoke, tars, and residues. The trouble is once the carpet gets “full” it no longer traps or holds these air pollutants. Keeping your environment safe, is another great reason for ceramic tile.
A close up.
3. Bad news for asthma, allergy, eczema and rhinitis sufferers
Carpets can become infested with dust mites whose droppings can trigger asthma attacks and can trap allergy-inflaming proteins which are known to trigger asthma, eczema and rhinitis attacks. Quite often people are searching for a solution to their conditions and the problem may well be right under your feet. For those who have environmental allergies, this can be a serious health issue. In fact, dirty carpets can lead to serious health problems in otherwise healthy people.
4. Carpets can get heavy with dirt
Did you know that your carpets can hold as much as four times their weight in dirt, and possibly even more? Carpets are a catch-all for dirt, with dust mites, pet hair, pet urine, dead skin cells, dust, insect feces, insect husks, bacteria, mold, volatile organic compounds, and many other types of allergens clinging to the fibers.
It is important that you clean your carpets regularly. While it is important to vacuum at least once or twice each week, this is just not enough. You also need to have your carpets professionally cleaned, to make sure that all of these allergens are removed from the carpet fibers.
5. Forget the 5-second rule
You may not think that your carpets are dirty, but people openly admit to spilling food on the carpet and eating it. If your carpets are dirty, just think about what you are actually putting into your stomach. Forget that five-second rule. Bacteria can live for up to four weeks in carpeting, and if there is any in yours, which there likely is, that bacteria is going to get on your food.
THe Life Cycle of Tile is over 50 years. Carpet? 5 Years. Here’s why.
5. The Norovirus (and other now popular)
Also known as the Norwalk virus, Norovirus causes symptoms similar to food poisoning or even the stomach flu. It can survive in your carpet for four to six weeks, and it becomes airborne as people walk or roll across it.
Want some good news? #WhyTile
Life Cycle – Ceramic and porcelain tile are some of the longest lasting flooring products on the market today. Unlike carpet, vinyl, or laminate flooring which have to be replaced periodically, properly installed tile will last a lifetime.
Hypoallergenic – Tile is inhospitable to dust mites, mold, germs, and bacteria and often used to replace carpet for people with allergies or asthma.
Indoor Air Quality – Indoor air quality is a hot topic and for good reason. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) contribute to a wide variety of health problems and are a significant cause of “sick building syndrome.” Since tile is fired in kilns to extremely high temperatures, there are no volatile organics in the finished product that can be released into the air we breathe; literally “zero.” In addition, there are adhesives and grouts available that contain zero, or very low VOCs. Some carpet, vinyl, and wood flooring contain low VOCs, but none can compare to zero.
Digital technology show porcelain and ceramic products with luxury you can afford, with virtually no maintenance. Shown: Florida Tile’s High Definition Porcelain (HDP) “Precious”
Today’s Large Format Flooring selections have virtually no grout, and very little maintenance. Shown: Dekton Cosentino’s “Makai”
ABC News, “What’s Hiding In Your Hotel Room?” http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Health/story?id=1507794
Alphin, Elaine Marie. 1997. Vacuum Cleaners. Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda Books, Inc.
Woodward, John. 2002. What Lives under the Carpet? Hauppauge, NY: Barron’s Educational Series, Inc.
Brown, Jack. 2001. Don’t Touch that Doorknob!: How Germs Can Zap You and How You Can Zap Back. New York, NY: Warner Books, Inc.
Tierno, Philip M. 2001. The Secret Life of Germs: Observations and Lessons from a Microbe Hunter. New York, NY: Pocket Books.
Brown, Jack. 2001. Don’t Touch that Doorknob!: How Germs Can Zap You and How You Can Zap Back. New York, NY: Warner Books, Inc.
Florida Tile & Tile Council of North America “Why Choose Tile”
ABOUT J&R TILE
Winner of the 2022 National Tile Contractors Association Craftsman of the year award — J&R Tile is a tile, stone, and paver specialist in San Antonio, Texas. The J&R team is a leader in historical tile restoration and is credentialed in ceramic, porcelain, natural stone, pedestal pavers, and glass tile installations for residential and commercial properties. Proudly serving San Antonio since 1984, contact us to schedule your free consultation and estimate.
Low maintenance – Ceramic tile is easily cleaned, often only with warm water, eliminating the need for chemicals and cleaners needed to maintain other types of floors.
Engineering News Review (ENR) Award
For the Texas and Louisiana ENR Landscape Project of the year, San Antonio's San Pedro Creek brings home the gold. This project had technical and pre-construction meetings with owners and architects to ensure quality assurance, and get the details right. Exterior applications in cement and porcelain tile require technical considerations for freeze/thaw cycles, movement, and thermal expansion. A 12 year warranty was given on all work, and a collaboration of Munoz, San Antonio River Authority, J&R TIle, Inc, Ardex Americas, and an outstanding CMAR Sundt Construction shows execution and an on time schedule.
Wedi Pro Installers - 25 Year WarrantyWaterproofing
J&R is now the ONLY contractor in the country to offer EVERY employee with the prestigious Wedi Pro Installer Certification. This means saving time and money, and bringing best value to our customers by always improving our skills and knowledge. A big thank you for Director/ VP
Marketing & Technical Services Bastian Lohmann, and our local Wedi Rep Scott Byrd for coming down to San Antonio from Chicago (and Germany) to work in the intensive 2 day training.
