Overview
ISO 2424:2024 - Textile floor coverings - Vocabulary is the fifth edition of the international vocabulary standard prepared by ISO/TC 219 (Floor coverings). The document defines and clarifies terms used for textile floor coverings and categories of these products. Its scope covers core concepts such as textile floor covering, use‑surface, substrate, and a wide range of construction types (woven, tufted, knitted, fusion‑bonded, needled, flocked, etc.). The 2024 revision updates phrasing and adds some definitions to improve clarity and interoperability across the industry.
Key Topics and Technical Content
The standard is organized into focused sections that provide consistent terminology for the full product lifecycle:
- Terms and definitions (Clause 3) - foundational terms like textile floor covering, use‑surface, and substrate.
- Categories by construction (Clause 4) - definitions for pile and non‑pile constructions and subtypes, including:
- Woven pile (Wire‑Wilton, face‑to‑face, Axminster variants)
- Tufted pile (loop and cut pile)
- Knitted pile
- Fusion‑bonded and face‑to‑face bonded pile systems
- Flocked and needled floor coverings
- Use‑surface, substrate and patterning (Clauses 5–7) - terms related to the exposed surface, backing/support fabric, and pattern/colour mechanisms (e.g., Jacquard selection, incorporated dead pile).
- Fitting, use and wear behaviour (Clauses 8–9) - vocabulary describing installation, performance under traffic, wear characteristics and other properties.
- Bibliography and index - references and an index to support look‑ups.
The document contains illustrative notes and figures to clarify constructions (for example, pile rows per pick in different weaving techniques).
Practical Applications and Who Uses It
ISO 2424:2024 is intended as a common reference for anyone working with textile floor coverings:
- Manufacturers and R&D teams - to standardize product descriptions and internal specifications.
- Product designers and textile engineers - for consistent use of construction and pile terminology.
- Procurement, specification writers and architects - to create unambiguous contracts and tenders.
- Test laboratories and certification bodies - to ensure consistent reporting of test subjects.
- Retailers, installers and technical authors/translators - for accurate product labelling, manuals and translations.
- Standards committees and regulators - to harmonize definitions across related standards.
Benefits include improved communication across the supply chain, clearer procurement/specification texts, and reduced ambiguity in testing and conformity assessments.
Related Standards and Resources
- Prepared by ISO/TC 219 (Floor coverings); the standard references ISO’s Online Browsing Platform and IEC Electropedia for wider terminology resources.
- A list of other parts in the ISO 2424 series is available on the ISO website for cross‑reference when specifying performance and test standards for textile floor coverings.
