The illustration shows the space for which the installation of the carpet floor covering is suitable. The respective house symbol (in this case, a private home) and the number of the persons standing indicate the durability of the floor covering.
A total of five areas of use are shown. Each of these areas must satisfy certain values based on the strain they are subject to.
The illustration shows the space for which the installation of the carpet floor covering is suitable. The respective house symbol (in this case, a commercial building) and the number of the persons standing indicate the durability of the floor covering.
A total of five areas of use are shown. Each of these areas must satisfy certain values based on the strain they are subject to.
Comfort is essentially determined based on the density and height of the pile layer and the number of tufts. The number of crowns at the bottom of the illustration indicates the quality of the floor covering. The more crowns you see, the more pile material that has been used in the carpet floor covering.
The additional features indicate the special characteristics of the carpet floor covering. These are:
Additional specifications: chair wheels, steps, floor heating, anti-static, cut edge stability and stability are visualised by a simple icon, whereby the compatibility with chair wheels and steps is visualised by a small additional house symbol in the illustration in the upper left corner. If no indication is providd, the floor covering is suitable for both homes and building spaces.
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The DGNB (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen) is a non-profit organisation for supporting the sustainable construction and operation of built-up environmental spaces. The DGNB is not first and foremost ecological or economic, but is obligated to achieve society goals. It is an organisation made up of its members, which understands sustainability to also be an extension of democracy for future generations.
The DGNB system assesses building products according to certain criteria and gives awards, depending on the degree of satisfaction, in bronze, silver, gold or platinum.
The CRI (Carpet and Rug Institute) in Alabama, USA, awards the Green Label Plus certificate. This provides information regarding the amount of harmful substances in carpet floor coverings.
If the carpet floor covering satisfies the testing criteria of the CRI, it is awarded the Green Label Plus certificate. The values of the CRI are similar to those of GUT, with the exception of formaldehyde, which is just 9µg/m³ after 24 hours instead of the 10µg/m³ after 72 hours permitted by GUT.
Green Label Plus certificates for carpet floor coverings are important in order to build or renovate so-called green buildings under the LEED process.
The CE (Communautés Européenes) label is awarded by the European Union. It is the main indicator for compliance of a product with the current legal requirements of the EU.
The basis for the CE label is the manufacturer’s Declaration of Performance (DOP).
The well-being and health of customers in their homes have been a matter of the heart for Vorwerk since the very beginning. The company has declared the production of environmental and health-conscious products an essential pillar of the company’s philosophy:
High-quality carpet floor coverings and tiles for a boost in quality of life.
The Life Balance seal of quality is proof of Vorwerk Teppichwerke’s extensive approach to offering sustainable, health and environmental-conscious products over the entire value-added chain.
The Life Balance seal of quality stands for:
Tested for harmful chemicals, fine dust particles and suitability for allergy sufferers
Confirmation through an independent testing institute
High quality standards and extensive testing criteria
This goes for all Vorwerk floor coverings and tile collections.
The aim of GUT (Gemeinschaft umweltfreundlicher Teppichböden e.V.) is to continually optimise environmental and consumer protection during the entire life cycle of a textile floor covering – from manufacture to installation, from use to recycling.
Through the founding of GUT and thanks to the continuous development of its environmental goals, the European carpet industry has revolutionised environmental standards for the floor covering industry.
In collaboration with officially recognised testing institutes throughout Europe, frequent product tests are performed based on strict criteria.
Moreover, GUT supports eco-friendly solutions for the installation of carpet floor coverings and offers objective information on all questions centred round carpet floor covering.
Intensive product testing for chemicals and emissions forms the basis for consumer protection.
TÜV Hessen and the Textiles & Flooring Institute GmbH (TFI) jointly certify floor coverings and associated products according to quality and environmental criteria or to environmental criteria alone. The basis is the entire life cycle of a product (raw materials, manufacture, products, installation, use and waste).
The aim is to assess the products according to quality, health and ecology aspects. To achieve this, detailed requirements have been formulated for each product group and products must satisfy these respectively. The GUT values have been taken as a basis.
Products which are unsafe in terms of their health-related aspects are categorically rejected for certification.
This label indicates the level of emissions from the floor covering, in line with the French VOC directive for building products as well as interior and outfitting materials. Ever since 1 January 2012, building products as well as interior and outfitting materials which are launched onto the French market must be classified and labelled in terms of their emissions.
This has been defined in Décret n° 2011-321, which the French government published on 25 March 2011. The VOC testing basis is in line with the German AgBB.