Durability Testing using Double Rub Count
Have you ever heard our flooring team mention the term “double rub” and wondered what that meant? Double Rub refers to how durable a carpet is when it goes through intensive abrasion testing, also known as the Martindale test. Here’s what it looks like:
WHAT IS THE MARTINDALE TEST:
The Martindale test is a method for assessing the durability of fabrics, including carpets, by measuring their resistance to abrasion. It's a common way to determine how well a fabric will withstand wear and tear in different settings. The test involves abrading the fabric with a standardized rubbing motion until visible damage occurs, and the number of rubs is recorded as the Martindale score. Higher scores indicate greater resistance to abrasion.
Abrasion resistance:
The Martindale test specifically measures how well a fabric resists abrasion, which is the wearing away from the surface due to friction.
Rubbing motion:
The test uses a standardized rubbing motion, often employing sandpaper or a wire mesh disk, to abrade the fabric.
Martindale score:
The test results in a Martindale score, which represents the number of rubs the fabric can withstand before showing signs of wear.
HOW IT WORKS:
- A small strip of carpet is placed onto the base of an abrasion tester.
- The machine then creates rubbing and friction back and forth, known as double rubs, against the material.
- The double rub count is tracked until any sign of wear and tear is shown on the carpet
Double Rubs are used to determine the durability of many textiles, but when it comes to Carpet specifically, the double rub count can be anywhere from around 3,000 to 30,000+. The carpet you select can fall anywhere within this range, light duty being for more delicate and low traffic areas and heavy duty being for more high traffic areas in your home.
SCORE RANGES:
- Low scores (e.g., 10,000 or less): May be suitable for decorative items or light domestic use.
- Mid-range scores (e.g., 15,000-25,000): Generally considered suitable for general domestic upholstery.
- High scores (e.g., 30,000 or more): May be suitable for commercial settings or heavy-duty use.
Double Rub count is just one element to consider when choosing carpet for your home, and our team is well informed about which choice of flooring would be best for your specific needs. So don’t worry if you aren’t familiar with carpet terminology or lingo, we do the heavy research so that you don’t have to!