Face weight, density, fiber, backing, and pile construction, decoded: the four numbers that decide whether your carpet lasts 15 years or 5.
Most carpet sold as “commercial” is just heavier residential carpet with better marketing. Real commercial-grade carpet built for high-traffic areas is engineered around four numbers: face weight, density, fiber type, and backing construction. Get those four right and the carpet lasts 15 to 20 years. Get any one of them wrong and you’re replacing the floor in five. Here’s how to spec each one, and a usable template to take to any supplier.
For heavy commercial traffic, spec 36 to 42 ounce face weight, density of 4,000 or higher, solution-dyed nylon, level loop construction, and the right backing for the format (action-back for broadloom, polyurethane for tile). Ask for the TARR rating in writing; 3.5 or higher means heavy commercial.
Manufacturers and trade associations use a few traffic classifications, and the Carpet and Rug Institute publishes a TARR (Texture Appearance Retention Rating) scale from 1.0 to 5.0. Anything rated 3.5 or higher is considered heavy commercial; 4.0 or higher is extra-heavy.
| Traffic class | Example spaces | Face weight | Density target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light commercial | Private offices, conference rooms, low-occupancy spaces | 20 to 28 oz | 3,000 to 4,000 |
| Moderate commercial | Open-plan offices, classrooms, hotel guest rooms | 28 to 36 oz | 3,000 to 4,000 |
| Heavy commercial | Hotel corridors, restaurants, retail, banquet halls, sanctuaries | 36 to 42 oz | 4,000 to 5,500 |
| Extra-heavy commercial | Airports, transit hubs, casinos, hospital corridors, 24/7 facilities | 42 oz and up | 5,500 and up |
When you’re speccing a carpet, ask for the TARR rating in writing. If the manufacturer can’t produce one, the carpet is probably not actually a commercial-grade product.
Face weight is the amount of yarn, in ounces, in one square yard of carpet, measured by the pile yarn only, not the backing. It’s the single most-cited spec on commercial sheets, and the most commonly misunderstood. The common mistake is assuming higher face weight always equals better performance. Face weight matters, but it matters in combination with density.
A heavy carpet with low density wears worse than a moderate carpet with high density.
Density measures how tightly the yarn is packed into the carpet. Higher density means more yarn per square inch, which means better resistance to crushing and matting under traffic. The formula: face weight times 36, divided by pile height in inches.
A practical example makes the point. A carpet with 32-ounce face weight and a 0.25-inch pile height has a density of 4,608. A carpet with 40-ounce face weight and a 0.40-inch pile height has a density of only 3,600. The 32-ounce carpet, despite the lower face weight, will wear better in high traffic because the yarn is packed more tightly. Always ask for both numbers, and calculate density yourself if the spec sheet doesn’t list it.
For high-traffic commercial carpet, there are really only two fibers worth considering. Nylon is the standard for heavy commercial work: resilient (it springs back after being crushed), durable, and available in solution-dyed construction for bleach-cleanability and lightfastness. It costs more per pound than olefin. Spec it for any high-traffic space where you need 10-plus years of service. Olefin (polypropylene) is less resilient (it crushes faster), but it’s inherently stain-resistant and inherently solution-dyed, and it costs less. Spec it for indoor/outdoor applications, low-traffic spaces, short-term installations, and projects where bleach resistance matters more than crush resistance. Skip it for heavy office traffic and hotel corridors.
You’ll occasionally see commercial carpet in PET (polyester), wool, or wool/nylon blends, but none of those are typical for heavy-traffic work; wool is expensive and harder to clean, and PET crushes faster than nylon.
Backing is the spec most buyers underweight, and the one most likely to cause a warranty claim when it’s wrong. For broadloom in high-traffic spaces, you want a woven polypropylene secondary backing, commonly called action-back, which keeps the carpet dimensionally stable under load and bonds reliably to direct-glue adhesives. Our action-back carpet explainer covers that construction in detail. For carpet tile in high-traffic spaces, you want polyurethane (PU) backing, which is heavier, more dimensionally stable, and longer-lasting than PVC. PVC is acceptable for moderate traffic; PU is the right call for heavy and extra-heavy. For the full rundown, see types of commercial carpet backing.
This is the spec most people forget. Three constructions show up in commercial carpet:
To make it concrete: an executive office with a desk and two guest chairs is fine with a 36-ounce cut pile. A hotel corridor needs a 36-ounce level loop. Same face weight, very different performance, because the construction matches the load.
If you’re putting a project out for bid, send each supplier the same six-row spec request. The replies will tell you which suppliers actually understand commercial work.
Any supplier who can’t answer all six in writing isn’t a serious option.
We stock first-quality commercial carpet across all four traffic classifications, in solution-dyed nylon and olefin, with action-back broadloom and PU-backed tile. Pricing is up to 80 percent off retail because we buy mill overruns and discontinued runs directly from the mills here in Dalton. The construction specs are the same; only the channel changes.
Speccing a high-traffic project? Order up to six free samples of styles in your target traffic class, or call 706-526-4800 and we’ll walk through the spec with you before you commit. For the LVT side of high-traffic spec (back-of-house, restrooms, kitchens), see our post on the benefits of LVT flooring for high-traffic commercial spaces.
36 to 42 ounces per square yard for heavy commercial spaces like corridors, restaurants, and sanctuaries, and 42 ounces or more for extra-heavy 24/7 facilities. Face weight only tells half the story, though; check density too.
4,000 to 5,500 for heavy commercial traffic, and above 5,500 for extra-heavy. Calculate it as face weight times 36 divided by pile height in inches. Below 3,000 crushes quickly under traffic.
No. A 32-ounce carpet with a low 0.25-inch pile (density 4,608) outwears a 40-ounce carpet with a tall 0.40-inch pile (density 3,600). Density, not face weight alone, predicts how carpet handles traffic.
Solution-dyed nylon. It springs back after crushing, holds color under cleaning and light, and is bleach-cleanable. Olefin costs less and resists stains but crushes faster, so reserve it for low-traffic, short-term, or indoor/outdoor use.
The Carpet and Rug Institute’s Texture Appearance Retention Rating, a 1.0 to 5.0 scale for how well carpet keeps its appearance under traffic. 3.5 or higher is heavy commercial; 4.0 or higher is extra-heavy. Ask for it in writing.
Action-back (woven polypropylene secondary) for direct-glue broadloom, and polyurethane backing for carpet tile. PVC tile backing is acceptable at moderate traffic, but PU outperforms it in heavy and extra-heavy service.
Mill-direct commercial flooring wholesaler in Dalton, GA, the carpet capital of America. First-quality goods at up to 80% off retail, with free samples shipped nationwide. Serving the commercial trade since 2004.
