There are three basic categories for Texture Appearance Retention Rating (TARR)

  1. Moderate, which needs a carpet with TARR greater than or equal to 2.5
  2. Heavy, which needs a carpet with TARR greater than or equal to 3.0
  3. Severe, which needs a carpet with TARR greater than or equal to 3.5

In other words, the TARR will help you understand the durability and performance of the carpet you are specifying. For example, a low TARR-rated carpet in a high traffic area like a lobby or corridor might look plush when initially installed but will get crushed and wear down over time.

Because all foot traffic is not equal, it is difficult to quantify foot traffic for these ratings. For example, foot traffic from workers wearing heavy boots is not the same as foot traffic from business shoes. And traffic in a casino or airport has more rolling loads and is in a more condensed period of time than, say, a small office building.

Therefore, The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI)  developed a fact sheet including a model specification process that categorizes areas of use and minimum TARR for each particular end-use, so that you know what type of TARR to use in each application.

Private offices, sleeping rooms, and some administrative areas are generally rated as moderate use, while conference rooms, open offices, and classrooms are generally rated as heavy use. Severe use is generally described as spaces such as corridors, entrances, and public areas. The traffic level application chart tells you the minimum rating you should look for in a carpet for that end-use.

Call Juan Werner from Americarpet at 305 945 2973 to select the commercial carpet that best suits your business flooring traffic.