What is a TARR Rating?
TARR refers to texture appearance retention rating, it’s used by most carpet manufacturers to indicate how well a specific carpet will hold up based on the amount of foot traffic in the area. The rating system was developed by the Carpet and Rug Institute with help from a variety of stakeholders including government officials and technical experts from the carpet industry.
The testing is done by attaching a piece of carpet to the inside of a drum that rotates, a metal hexapod is added to the drum before it rotates for 12,000 revolutions. This allows for not just individual fibers of carpet to be rated but an entire sample. The carpet is then graded based on the change of its appearance on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the highest.
It is important to remember that the TARR rating system cannot account for all aspects of what makes a carpet perform up to it’s standard. Installation techniques and maintenance both can play a role in the performance and durability of a carpet. It has also been shown through industry tests that the addition of carpet backing increases durability slightly by absorbing some of the impact from foot traffic.
TARR Rating Categories for Commercial Uses
Moderate (≥2.5 TARR)
Carpets whose TARR rating falls into the moderate category are by no means bad, they just need to be selected for the proper spaces. Carpets in the moderate range are great choices for offices, dorm rooms and any space that will have light foot traffic.
Heavy (≥3.0 TARR)
Carpets in the heavy range are best used in communal spaces such as corridors, lounges and board rooms. It’s typical for a carpet with a heavy rating to see hundreds if not thousands of people pass by on a daily basis.
Severe (≥3.5 TARR)
Carpets that fall into the severe range are suitable for any high traffic public spaces. Typically, these carpets are used in entrances, foyers, and lobbies. It’s expected that hundreds if not thousands of people pass by and linger each day, while wearing a variety of shoe types.
Be on the lookout for next Tuesdays blog on carpet maintenance!