Carpet Flammability Standards

Once you've found the perfect woodstove for your home, it's only appropriate that you find the perfect hearth rug to set the mood and create a beautiful setting for your family and guests. Important and often overlooked aspects of such a rug, however, are the carpet flammability standards that are required. Because of the location and purpose of a hearth rug, it's imperative that all carpet flammability standards are taken into consideration.

Check for Compliance Before You Burn
Were you aware that all carpet sold in the United States must meet federal flammability standards? There are even local and regional standards that exist which are set forth by local fire marshals if they feel the need to establish additional criteria. The flammability characteristics of building materials, interior finishes, and your home furnishings all greatly affect the speed at which fire grows, and consequently can contribute to a catastrophic fire event. This is exactly why the carpet flammability standards of your hearth rug are so important:

• What if your stove sparked onto a non-compliant hearth rug, which in turn burned and caught your curtains on fire?
• What if the heat from your stove was hot enough to melt, and consequently ignite, the materials from a non-compliant hearth rug?

These are just two issues that you shouldn't be faced with if you complement your home with a hearth rug that meets all carpet flammability standards. There are several tests and requirements set forth by the government to ensure that hearth rugs and carpets are compliant with carpet flammability standards, and it's always better to be safe than sorry. Check your hearth rugs for compliance for a healthy, happy home!