KENYA STANDARD  DKS 835 -2:2022 
ICS 97.150  
Second  Edition  
 
 © KEBS 2022   
  
 
Methods of test for textile floor coverings  
Part 2.  Determination of Constructional details  
 
 
 
 DKS 835 -2:2022 
ii © KEBS 2022 – All rights reserved  
 TECHNICAL COMMITTEE REPRESENTATION  
The following organizations were represented on the Technical Committee:  
Chalange Industries  
Prisons Department  
Sarova Hotels Ltd.  
Kicomi (1983) Ltd.  
Mount Kenya Textiles Ltd.  
Kenya Textile Training Institute)  
East Africa Bag and Cordage Ltd.  
Rift Valley Textiles Mills Ltd.  
Kawan Enterprises (K) Ltd.  
Spinners & Spinners  
Raymond Woollen Mills (K) Ltd.  
Ministry of Finance – Price Control Department  
Kenya Industrial and Development Insti tute 
Abimbola Creations Ltd.  
Cotecna Inspection Kenya  
Intertek International Ltd.  
Ministry of Industrialization and Enterprise Development — State Department for Industrialization  
Ministry of State Defence — Research and Development Department  
Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure  
National Industrial Training Authority (NITA)  
KIRDI  
Texfab B.S  
Tiles and Carpet Centre Ltd.  
Kenya Bureau of Standards — Secretariat  
 
 
 
REVISION OF KENYA STANDARDS  
In order to keep abreast of progress in industry, Kenya Standards shall be regularly reviewed.  Suggestions for 
improvements to published standards, addressed to the Managing Director, Kenya Bureau of Standards, are 
welcome.  
© Kenya Bureau of Standards  2022 
Copyright. Users are reminded that by virtue of Section 25 of the Copyright Act, Cap. 130 of 2001 of  the Laws of Kenya, copyright subsists 
in all Kenya Standards and except as provided under Section 25 of this Act, no Kenya Standard produced by Kenya Burea u of Standards 
may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form or transmitted by any means without prior permission in writing f rom the 
Managing Director.  
  KENYA STANDARD  KS 835-2:2022 
ICS 
Second  Edition  
 
© KEBS 2022 – All rights reserved  iii 
 Methods of test for textile floor coverings  
Part 2 .  Determination of Constructional d etails  
 
 
 
  Kenya Bureau of Standards,  Popo Road, Off Mombasa Road,  
P.O. Box 54974 - 00200,  Nairobi, Kenya  
 +254 020 6948000, + 254 722202137, + 254 734600471  
 info@kebs.org  
 @KEBS_ke  
 kenya bureau of standards (kebs)  
DKS 835 -2:2022 
iv © KEBS 2022 – All rights reserved  
 Foreword  
This Kenya Standard was prepared by the Textile Floor Coverings  Technical Committee under the guidance of 
the Standards Projects Committee, and it is in accordance with the procedures of Kenya Bureau of Standards . 
This Part 2 of this Kenya Standard sets ou t test methods for determining various constructional properties of 
textile flo or coverings . 
This Second edition cancels and replaces the First edition (KS 835-2:1988 ) which has been technically 
revised. The changes are as follows;  
- Previous clause 4.1 ha s been deleted  since its covered in KS ISO 8543  
-Previous clause s 4.2, 5, 6 and 8 have been deleted and replaced by KS ISO 8543 
- Previous clause 7 has been deleted and replaced by KS ISO 1766 
- Previous clause 9 has been deleted and replaced by KS ISO 17 63 
-Clause 4.4 and 5.3 have been reviewed to reference KS ISO 139  
 
During the preparation of this standard, reference was made to the following documents : 
            AS 2111 .6:1996 Textile Floor Coverings - Tests and Measurements Method 6 : Determination of  turf 
length of pile  
            AS 2111.7:1996 Textile Floor Coverings - Tests and Measurements Method 7: Determination of loop 
length of pile  
            KS 835-2:1988 Methods of test for textile floor coverings Part 2.  Determination of Constructional details  
Acknowledgement is hereby made for the assistance derived from these  source s. 
 KS 835-2:2022   
 
© KEBS 2022 – All rights reserved   
 Methods of test for textile floor coverings Part 2.  Determination of 
Constructional details  
1 Scope  
This Part 2 of this Kenya Standard specifies methods for the determination of constructional details of textile 
floor coverings . The standard covers  determination of loop  length  and turf length of Pile of Textile Floor Covering  
2 Normative references  
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes 
requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For u ndated references, the 
latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.  
 
KS ISO 2424, Textile floor coverings — Vocabulary  
KS ISO 139,  Textiles — Standard atmospheres for conditioning and testing  
 
 
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purposes of this Part 2 of this Kenya Standard, the definitions given in KS ISO 2424  together with the 
following shall apply:  
 
3.1 tuft length  
The distance between the extremities of a tuft, straightened in a groove.  
3.2 loop length  
 
The length of yarn forming one complete loop, including the portion held in the substrate.  
 
4 Determination of Loop Length of Pile of Textile Floor Covering  
4.1 Application  
 This method is not applicable to textile floor coverings whose pile yarns are bulked or elastic.  
4.2 P rinciple  
A length of yarn containing several loop s is extracted from the carpet and measured  when straightened , but not 
stretched.  
 
4.3 A pparatus  
Any apparatus by the use of which a length of yarn can be measured to an accuracy  of 1 mm when  straigh tened 
but not stretched, is suitable. Usually this may be done by hand using two pairs of forceps to hold the yarn 
against a scale.  
 
Alternatively, the length may be measured under a tension of 0.75 N, as for example in a yarn crimp tester.   
© KEBS 2022 – All rights reserved  iii 
  
4.4 A tmosphere for Conditioning and Testing  
The samples shall be conditioned in the standard atmosphere as specified in KS ISO 139 by lying them out flat 
and singly with the use surface uppermost. Condition them for a minimum of 24 h or until they reach moistu re 
equilibrium.  
NOTE: For the purpose of this standard, moisture equilibrium is considered to have been reached when successive weighing  at 24 hourly 
intervals  show no progressive change in mass greater that 0.25 percent.  
4.5 Preparation and Number of Test Specimens  
4.5.1 From the different positions in the length and width of the carpet sample, remove not less than five lengths 
of pile yarn, each containing 20 successive loops, cutting the yarn at the top of one loop and again at the top of 
the twentieth l oop further on. For tufted textile floor coverings pull from the backs; for woven textile floor 
coverings use dissection. Reject any lengths where damage has occurred.  
 4.5.2  If the textile floor covering contains loops of different length, select at least five lengths of each type. If 20 
successive loops of the same length cannot be obtained, use the largest number possible. If the loop length is 
varying continuously, select 1 0 sets of 20 successive loops at random.  
4.6 Procedure  
4.6.1 Method 1 
Each end of the yarn specimen shall be gripped with forceps and straighten ed, but not stretched, against the 
graduated scale with one end  against a datum or zero  mark. The length shall be recorded  as read from the 
position of the other end of yarn s, to the nearest 1 mm. At least five specimens shall be measured . 
 
4.6.2 method 2  
  
Insert  each end of the yarn specimen in the grips of the crimp tester up to datum marks. Adjust the tension 
control to 0.75 N and move the ends apart until this tension is realized. Record the distance between the datum 
marks, to the nearest 1 mm. Repeat on at least five specimens.  
 
4.7 Calculation and Expression of Results  
 
 Calculate the mean measured length to the nearest 1 mm and calculate the mean loop length, L, by  dividing 
this by 20 (or by the actual number of loops if 20 were not obtained).  
              
NOTE:  If the textile floor covering contains loops of different lengths, calculate the mean for each type separately.  
 
4.8 Test Report  
The test report shall include the following:  
 
i. The number of loops in each yarn specimen  
ii. The mean loop length, L in millimeter s to the nearest 0.1 mm.  
iii. If the textile floor covering has loop of different length, either  
 
(a) the mean length of each type in millimeters to the nearest 0.1 mm and the number of  
each tested: or  
(b) a statement that the loop length is continuously variable, together with the mean loop 
length in millimeters to the nearest 0.1 mm.  
 
  
iv © KEBS 2022 – All rights reserved  
 5 Determination  of Tuft Length of Pile of Textile Floor Covering  
5.1 Principle  
Tufts are straightened singly in V -shaped grooves in a transparent rigid block, with the aid of a straight glass 
rod, and then measured.  
5.2 Apparatus  
5.2.1 tuft length block - This consists of a transparent, rigid block measuring approximately 100 mm x 75 mm 
x 10 mm, into the upper surface of which three straight V -shaped grooves have been cut length ways. The angle 
between the plane  sides of the grooves is 60° and the widths of the grooves at the surface are –  
(a) 4 mm to 5 mm, suitable for coarse tufts;  
(b) 3 mm to 3.5 mm, suitable for medium tufts;  
(c) 1.5 mm to 2.0 mm, suitable for fine tufts.  
 
Such a block is illustrated in Figure 1 given below:     
 
    Fig. 1 -Tuft Length Block  
5.2.2 glass rod  - Approximately 100 mm in length and 5.5 mm in diameter.  
5.2.3  rule - Graduated in millimeters.  
 
5.3 Atmosphere for Conditioning   
 
© KEBS 2022 – All rights reserved  v 
 The samples shall be conditioned in the standard atmosphere as specified in KS ISO 139  by lying them out  flat 
and singly with the use surface uppermost. Condition them for a minimum of 24 h or until they reach moisture 
equilibri um. 
NOTE: For  the purpose of this standard, moisture equilibrium is considered to have been reached when successive weighing  at 24 hourly 
interval show no progressive  change in mass greater that 0.25 percent.  
 
5.4 Preparation and Number of Test specimens  
5.4.1 Remove not less than 20 tufts from different places down the length and across the width of the sample, 
bearing in mind the needs of further tests and taking only tufts representing the simplest basic unit.  
 
5.4.2  If the textile floor covering has pile of two or more different, heights, take not less than 20 tufts of each 
height:  
 
NOTE: For back -coated tufted textile floor coverings, this can be done by inserting the point of a steel probe under the base of the tuft fr om 
the back of the textile flo or covering and withdrawing the tuft.  
 
5.4.3  Reject any tufts that are damaged while being withdrawn from the floor covering . 
 
 
5.5 Procedure  
5.5.1 Choose the appropriate groove of the tuft length block, according to the thickness of the yarn forming the 
tuft. Ordinarily, y arn in the range of 800 tex to 400 tex shall be measured in the intermediate groove; when the 
tuft is straightened out in the groove the glass rod should compress it and still touch both plane sides of the 
groove. Hard twist yarn shall be ins erted in the narrowest groove.  
5.5.2  Place a tuft, straightened out, in the appropriate groove of the tuft length block. Place the glass rod over 
the tuft and, using the rule, measure the length of the tuft to the nearest 0.5 mm using a lens if necessary. 
Repeat this sequence with other tufts.  
 
5.5.3   Note the shape of the tufts, i.e. whether they are U , J or W -shaped.  
 
5.6 C alculation and Expression of Results  
Calculate the mean tuft length, in millimeters to the nearest 0.25 mm. If the textile floor covering contains tufts 
of different length, calculate the mean of each type and the number of each type tested.  
 
5.7 T est Report  
The test report shall include the following:  
  
i. The number of tufts measured  and  
ii. The mean tuft length, L, in millimeters  to the nearest 0.25 mm.  
iii. If the textile floor covering has tuft of different length:  
 
 (a)   the mean length of each type in millimeters;  
 
 (b)  the number of each type tested.  
 
iv. The shape of tufts, i.e. whether they are U, J or W -shaped.