March 15, 2015 By Diana Barnett
Natural Floor Coverings… part 3
MANY CARPETS AND RUGS CONTAIN A WHOLE RANGE OF TOXIC INGREDIENTS, FROM CHEMICALS USED DURING THEIR MANUFACTURE TO PESTICIDES AND VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS USED IN FUMIGATION.
HAPPILY, BETTER CHOICES EXIST – BEAUTIFUL RUGS MADE FROM NATURAL FIBRES FROM SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES.
(Take a look atOur Story for more details.)
If you’ve been following our series, you will already know that the search for natural floor coverings is a topic close to our heart here at SevenCanaries. In fact, our online community was born as a result of a friend’s fruitless search for a carpet made from undyed, ultra-low toxicity wool that was free from fumigation and insecticide treatment.
We’ve already taken an in-depth look at sisal. Known for its excellent durability, this plant-based material boasts non-toxic properties and has no off gassing or residual VOC fumes. This week, we will delve into other types of natural fibre carpets, including those made from coir, jute, paper and seagrass.
Coir Carpets
Coir is produced from the outside layer of husk that surrounds a coconut. This layer consists mainly of fibres that, once processed, can be spun to make coir matting, carpets, and a range of other products.
As they are made from thicker fibres and yarns, coir carpets are usually richly textured. Coir is available in either a natural cocoa or cinnamon coloured yarn or a bleached, buttery creamy yarn, or a combination of both. Simple herringbone or ribbed weaves are most common.
Coir Processing
Coir carpets undergo very little processing; there are no chemicals and no expensive, timely and energy-consuming manufacturing. There are two types of coir fibres, with two different processing methods, depending on when the coconut is harvested:
Brown fibres: These fibres are obtained from fully mature coconuts. In processing brown fibres, the coconut husks are soaked in slow-moving water that swells and softens the fibres. Long fibres are separated from shorter fibres, and dirt and other rubbish is removed, using a process called wet-milling. The fibres, which are elastic enough to twist without breaking, are then dried in the sun and packed in bales.
White fibres: Green coconuts, harvested after six to 12 months on a palm tree, have pliable white fibres. These fibres are suspended in water for up to ten months in a process called retting. This breaks down the plant tissues and loosens the fibres. The fibres are then dried and cleaned, ready to be spun into yarn.
Benefits of Coir Carpets
Coir carpets boast a number of benefits, both for the health of the environment, and the health of your family. When it comes the environment, coir is made from infinitely replenishable resources, and is 100% natural biodegradable.
The production of coir fibres use approximately one third of a coconut. The rest of the coconut, called peat, pith or dust, is biodegradable. However, it takes up to 20 years to decompose. While peat was once considered a waste material, it is now being used as mulch and a hydroponic growth medium, meaning that the processing of coir is relatively environmentally sustainable.
When it comes to the health of your family, coir is non-toxic and anti-bacterial. It contains tannins, which repel dust mites. However, it is important to note that coir is an allergen, as are some of the other materials used frequently in the treatment of coir. This is particularly important for people with allergies.
Coir is a hard, resilient fibre, with an average domestic lifespan of approximately 12 years. It can withstand scrubbing, making it ideal for high traffic areas like entrances, hallways and stairs. Its fibrous composition does tend to make coir a bit itchy, and therefore unsuitable for children’s bedrooms. It is moth and rot resistant, is a good insulator of heat and assists with noise reduction.
Jute Carpets
Often called the Golden fibre, jute is a natural fibre with a golden, silky finish. One of the most affordable natural fibres, Jute is a long, soft, vegetable fibre that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. Used to make hessian and burlap, jute is second only to cotton when it comes to vegetable fibres, in terms of the amount and variety produced worldwide.
Jute Processing
Jute is a rain-fed crop with little need for fertilizer or pesticides, produced mainly in western India and Bangladesh. Jute fibre comes from the steam and outer skin of the plant. Similar to coir, jute fibres are extracted through the process of retting. Jute stems are bundled together and immersing in running water. Once retting is completing, non-fibrous matter will be scraped off the streams during stripping. The jute fibres are then exposed and can be removed.
Benefits of Jute Carpets
Jute carpets have many advantages. They are strong and durable, with an average domestic lifespan of up to 10 years. They improve heat and sound insulation, and have a variety of anti-static properties.
It is important to note the jute is one of the softest natural fibre carpets (which means it is not very durable) and is often accused of fibre shedding and yellowing in sunlight. Given that it is not very durable, jute should not be used in extremely high-traffic areas. It is more appropriate for bedrooms. Furthermore, the strength of the fibre is significantly diminished when wet, and it can be prone to microbial attacks in humid climates.
Jute carpets are also environmentally friendly: they are carbon-dioxide neutral and are naturally decomposable. Jute plants are fast developing and do not require fertilizer or pesticides, making their manufacture much more eco-friendly. In addition, jute is produced from infinitely replenishable resources, with the jute plant taking only six months to grow. Jute is one of the only crops that can protect against deforestation; the jute plant produces large amounts of cellulose to meet global wood requirements.
Paper Carpets
Nowhere near as fragile as it sounds, machine made paper twine has been used to produce paper carpet since the end of the nineteenth century. A famous English furniture company, Lloyd Loom, first used paper twine to produce elegant woven chairs in the 1930s.
Paper carpets are most commonly made using conifer trees. Wood chips from conifer trees are cooked to create a pulp. Resin is then added to the wood chips. These resin-coated strips of paper are then twisted into a yarn, with wax emulsion applied to improve water resistance.
While paper carpet is a more natural floor covering option that synthetic materials, little research or information available on its health benefits. Additionally, its lifespan is quite short, estimated at just five years for domestic applications.
Seagrass Carpets
Seagrass is a smooth anti-static carpet made from completely natural plant fibres. The crop it is manufactured from is grown like rice, planted in paddy fields flooded with sea water each year at the growing season, giving rise to its name.
Seagrass fibres are durable and strong. Seagrass is naturally quite smooth, has a brilliant sheen and a warm, buttery colour. All these factors make it a very attractive choice for a carpet fibre.
Seagrass Processing
Seagrass carpets are manufactured from sedge plants, native to low-lying regions located throughout Asia Pacific. Perennial seagrasses are cut out of paddy fields, flooded with sea water at various stages. Once the grasses are fully-grown and ready for harvesting, the paddy fields are all drained, and field workers cut and bundle the plants. The grasses are then twisted and shipped to factories. At the factories, the grass is loaded onto tubes, and then creels, before being woven into rugs and carpets.
Benefits of Seagrass
The tough fibres of this material are nearly impermeable, which means that it is resistant to stains, dirt, and discoloration. This means that it cannot be dyed or coloured, and it is only available in its natural hue. In some cases, coloured weft strings are woven through the seagrass fibres to create contrasting effects.
Like the other natural fibre carpets, seagrass is environmentally friendly. Pesticides and chemical fertilisers are never used in the production of seagrass. Neither are herbicides, with the majority of weeding undertaken by field workers. Seagrass is also virtually allergen free, and it contains no dangerous toxins (just make sure to buy from a reputable manufacturer).
One major drawback to seagrass carpets is its susceptibility to damage from moisture. In wet environments, seagrass carpet is also prone to the growth of mould and mildew. For this reason, seagrass should not be installed in kitchens, bathrooms, laundries or any other wet areas. Spills should also be cleaned immediately. Be careful when installing seagrass on stairs; its smooth fibres can be quite slippery so the grain of the carpet should be parallel to the stair treads.
