QUESTIONIs tretford suitable for Wheeled Traffic? ANSWERYes. tretford ’s ribs are designed so that each is 4mm in width. The effective gap between the ribs is less than 1mm and as the carpet settles, this gap reduces to zero. The radius of the top of the ribs is also very large due to the nature of the material from which the carpet is made. This makes the gaps or troughs too small to trap wheels. The problems that typically occur with wheeled traffic on carpeted surfaces are that the wheels sink into the surface making the wheeled object difficult to push, or the nap of the carpet makes the object difficult to steer. The first issue is addressed by the fact that tretford is very dense; it weighs 2.75 kg/sq.m. but is only 7mm thick. The second is addressed by the fact that tretford performs similarly to a loop pile carpet and does not have the nap you might find on a cut pile. By way of example, tretford is regularly fitted in nursing homes and hospitals in Ireland and overseas despite the fact that it does not have an impervious backing and is often over specified as far as wear is concerned. Some who specify it have told us they use it in circulation areas and corridors specifically because it is so easy to push wheel chairs over. The example often quoted to us is that of the religious orders. The populations in these institutions are ageing and those pushing the chairs are often elderly themselves. It is they that stipulate tretford over resilient floorcoverings or other carpets, for comfort, grip and ease of use with wheeled traffic. |