Materials/Finishes

Room Corner Test

NFPA 286, Large-scale fire test where materials (non-textile wall and ceiling finishes) are placed in the corner of a room and exposed to flames. Measures fire growth, smoke, and flame spread in real-world conditions.

Steiner Tunnel Test

Standard fire test (ASTM E84 / UL 723) tests the flame spread rating of Interior Finishes and Building Materials, specifically wall and ceiling finishes.

Crocking

Colorfastness test for textiles. Measures how much dye transfers when fabric is rubbed, either dry or wet. High crocking means poor durability and risk of staining.

Vertical Ignition Test

Flammability test for vertical materials (like curtains or seat backs). A flame is applied at the bottom to check ignition, upward flame spread, and dripping.

Wyzenbeek Test

Abrasion resistance test (ASTM D4157) common in North America. Fabric is rubbed back-and-forth with cotton duck or wire screen until wear appears. Results are reported in “double rubs.”

Martindale Test

Abrasion resistance test (ISO 12947) common in Europe. Fabric is rubbed in a figure-eight motion against an abrasive until wear occurs. Results are reported in rub cycles.

Methenamine Pill Test

Flammability test for carpets and rugs (ASTM D2859). A burning pill is placed on the sample to measure flame spread. To pass, char length must stay under 3 inches. Simply measures wether the material will burn

Taber Test

Abrasion test for surfaces such as fabrics, coatings, or flooring (ASTM D3884 / D4060). A sample is rotated under grinding wheels, and wear is measured by weight or appearance loss.

CAL TB 116

California flammability test for finished upholstered furniture. A lit cigarette is placed on the furniture to evaluate smolder resistance of the complete product (fabric, foam, batting, and construction together).

CAL TB 117

California flammability test for filling materials inside upholstered furniture. Evaluates smolder and flame resistance of components such as foam and batting in a lab setting.

AATCC 16

Fade-Ometer tests colorfastness to light. This test simulates accelerated light aging and evaluates a coated fabric’s ability to resist fading, gloss change, and surface deterioration

Renewable Materials

come from a source that can renew itself in a reasonably short period, usually about ten years or less. materials include wool, linoleum flooring, strawboard, cork, cotton batt insulation, and paper countertops

Recylability

the ability of a previously used material to be used as a resource to manufacture a new product.

Adaptive Reuse

seeks to use as much of the existing building as possible. building elements like plumbing fixtures, bricks, timbers, windows, or doors.

Carbon Footprint

the total amount of greenhouse gases generated from any action

Embodied Energy

the total energy required to extract, produce, fabricate and deliver material to a job site

Biobased Products

minimize disposal problems and save depletable raw materials. made with plant or animal materials as the main ingredient help maintain good indoor air quality. Examples include gypsum wallboard substitutes, composite panels, adhesives, ceiling tile, and carpet backing

Standing Trim

an item of fixed length, such as a door or window casing that can be installed with a single length of wood

Running Trim

an item of continuing length, such as a baseboard, chair rail or cornice

Latex Paint

is water-based and is the most often used paint for interior work, relatively low VOC levels

Alkyd Paint

replaced oil paints, are made from oil-modified polyesters, and are solvent thinned. They are sometimes used in high-wear areas, including trim, floors, or cabinets. They emit more VOCs than latex paints

NFPA 265

The “Room corner test for textiles” determines the contribution of interior textile wall and ceiling coverings to room fire growth. It attempts to simulate real-world conditions by testing the material in the corner of a full-sized test room.

AATCC 8

Crocking resistance test, using Crockmeter Method. This test determines the resistance of a dyed or printed fabric textile to transfer color to other surfaces by rubbing

Wallcovering coverage per roll

single roll of 27 in wide wallpaper contains 36 ft2

double roll contains 72 ft2

commercial come in 54 in wide

Flooring Radiant Panel Test

ASTM E 648, tests flame spread