FAQ

"In 2000 New York designer Sandy Chilewich introduced her first woven textiles to the international design community under the brand name ""Chilewich."" Each year her collection grows through her tireless experimentation and passion for different manufacturing techniques. ""I am continually exploring for new materials that combine beauty and functionality and for underutilized manufacturing processes that, with design input, can be modernized,"" says Chilewich. To read more about the Chilewich story, click here."

"Chilewich creates innovative products from their own textiles which enhance interiors. Sandy Chilewich has unquestionably redefined how the world dresses its tables and covers its floors and Chilewich now produces a growing range of products using her innovative textiles. In her tabletop collection alone, Chilewich offers over one hundred color and weave combinations, including placemats, runners, trays, napkins and napkin rings. In addition, woven floormats and indoor/outdoor shag mats are also offered. Sandy Chilewich’s husband and business partner, Joe Sultan, saw the potential for these innovative textiles for commercial use and developed the Chilewich A+D Collection featuring wall-to-wall flooring, tile flooring, wall textiles, upholstery fabric and window coverings. These designs are available for architects and designers specifying interior finishes."

You can request a catalog from customer service at 888-851-7130 between 8:30am and 5:00pm EST Monday—Friday; or you can email customerservice@chilewich.com. Online versions of our catalogs can also be found here.

Chilewich releases one collection annually for A+D/specifiers, and it is launched in May/June.

Visit our trade shows page for the most up-to-date information.

Visit our flooring dealer locator to find your nearest dealer.

Visit our rep locator to find your appropriate rep.

Interior Preservation Inc. (IPI) is an approved maintenance provider. They have a nationwide network of service providers. Please contact Tony Doria at 800-820-0008 extension 109 for a local provider.

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The Chilewich design studio is located in New York City. All Chilewich A+D Division products are made in the USA.

Chilewich A+D division products are made from woven extruded vinyl yarns in the USA. For wall-to-wall flooring and custom floor mats these woven textiles are adhered to a soft, resilient polyurethane cushion. For tile flooring, they are adhered to either a vinyl tile backing system or to BioFelt®, an innovative PVC-free backing system.

Chilewich has a commitment to improving our carbon footprint. To us, being green is not a marketing tool, but a pledge to change, that recognizes the complex interrelationships that allow our society to move forward, together. As an example, Chilewich is making a significant environmental development by replacing the petroleum-based plasticizers in our yarns with phthalate-free, renewable vegetable compounds. Plasticizers have traditionally been made from petroleum-based compounds that are used to make PVC yarns soft. No more. We call these innovative new yarns and the fabrics made from them TerraStrand®. TerraStrand®, the proprietary name for Chilewich yarns, is 100% phthalate-free and contains 25% renewable vegetable content. Every square yard of TerraStrand® saves .02 gallons of petroleum and .41 pounds of CO2 as compared to conventional woven vinyls. TerraStrand® will be used in over 90% of Chilewich woven products by the end of 2015. For a full overview of Chilewich Green Information, please click here.

The A+D division offers BioFelt® and vinyl backed W2W (broadloom) rolls, vinyl-backed and BioFelt®-backed tiles and planks, wall textiles, window coverings, upholstery, and woven vinyl custom floor mats.

The products shown on the retail portion of the website are woven with a polyester core yarn. "Polycore" provides malleability suitable for tabletop items such as placemats and runners. We also use it for fabricating floor mats, which are geared for residential (light) use. The A+D portion of the website shows commercial products that are made with Fiberglass core yarn. The "FG" core makes the product more durable, and is the product of choice for commercial (heavy) traffic. The colors are different, because inherent properties of the Polycore yarn and Fiberglass yarn hold and reflect color differently. The same vinyl coating may not look the same when applied over each type of yarn. Sandy Chilewich and her design team select the most appropriate color stories to be made for both Residential and Commercial use.

We do offer a selection of our woven vinyl floor mats in stock. You can view that selection in our Woven Floor Mats section in FLOOR.

The residential use products are geared for light use. While you can use them in your commercial space, we would advise you select a mat that is suited for commercial, heavy use because they are manufactured with a Fiberglass core yarn that is more durable and can withstand heavy traffic.

Both Chilewich's commercial and residential material is the same price. The only difference between them is the type of core yarn used to manufacture.

Custom mats can be fabricated without edge binding or with a unique to Chilewich self-bound edge, made by folding the face fabric over the edge of the mat and sewing to provide a clean, finished edge.

The lead time for production on all custom mats is 3-4 weeks.

Yes, we can fabricate circles and ovals with diameters up to 18'. We do need a CAD file or template for ovals and other special shape requests. Custom shape requests are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Yes, custom floor mats can be fabricated without self-binding to show a straight edge finish. Please note all our standard floor mat rugs come self-bound. We recommend that custom floor mats from the residential collection have a self-bound edge.

The self-bound edge provides a sophisticated finish, and eliminates the need to trim any "fuzz."

Self-binding requires special tools. An experienced rug maker, who has worked with woven vinyl flooring, may be able to assist you. If you want a custom floor mat in a commercial or residential material, we would be more than happy to self-bind it for you.

We find that self-binding is the cleanest finish to our floor mats and is more aesthetically pleasing than any other binding. Therefore, we only self-bind our floor mats, or leave them with a straight-edge finish.

We can self-bind circles and ovals with diameters between 6' – 16'. Requests for self-binding on special shapes are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Floor mats can be made in any color and style. Our customer service team will work with you to figure out what is feasible with the combination you are requesting.

The maximum size for a custom floor mat is 18' x 50', provided it is delivered within the Contiguous United States. Due to international shipping considerations, floor mats over 12' x 30' will be considered on a case-by-case basis for international markets.

Producing a custom mat is an exacting process that requires very specific tools. We recommend going through Chilewich or through an experienced rug maker in your area that has worked with woven vinyl before.

The pricing is driven by the dimensions of the mat, the length of the seams (if any), degree of difficulty of fabrication, how much waste is generated, and the style chosen.

Chilewich fabric comes in 72" wide rolls. If the floor mat is wider than 6' in width, it requires using two mats and seaming them together. The seams always run parallel to the length and are in the middle of the mat unless there is a request to put it elsewhere. If a mat exceeds 12' in width, the two seams will be evenly spaced.

Seams are visible, and they do contribute to the overall aesthetic of the product. Some seams are more visible than others due to the color and style.

Seaming a mat requires specific tools and a lot of precision. We recommend going through Chilewich or through an experienced rug maker in your area that has worked with woven vinyl before.

Over time, you may notice some white threads appearing on the side of your floor mat. This is a normal occurrence, inherent to the nature of woven vinyl. Simply trim these loose threads with a scissor. Trimming them will not damage the carpet or cause it to unravel.

Woven vinyl floor mats can be used in a bathroom or kitchen, but they are best suited to dry surfaces and should be air-dried if the backing gets wet. Do not leave floor mats on a moist surface for an extended period of time without air-drying. For more information about product maintenance click here.

Yes. Chilewich woven floor mats can withstand 85°F/30°C from radiant heating systems.

Interior Preservation Inc. (IPI) is an approved maintenance provider. They have a nationwide network of service providers. Please contact Tony Doria at 800-820-0008 extension 109 for a local provider.

Yes, the heating must be off during installation and until the adhesive completely dries. After the installation is complete, the temperature of the floor must not exceed 85°F/30°C.

The weave of Chilewich A+D fabrics will not run parallel to the cut edge, therefore any wave, bow or skew in the product is normal due to the way the fabric is woven. The tolerance for bow and skew is 1.5" in either direction. Some patterns will also exhibit a light and dark shading in the material, which is normal. The shading is also evident at the seams where two pieces of the same style may have a different shade.

Detailed installation instructions are available for all Chilewich A+D products. Click here for a full overview. If you have additional questions, please contact our customer service department at 888-851-7130 between 8:30am and 5:00pm EST Monday—Friday; or you can email customerservice@chilewich.com.

No, seam sealer and heat weld are not necessary. The edges can be simply butted together.

There is no pattern repeat on any of our styles.

You can double cut, or use a straight edge to cut each piece and butt the edges together.

The optimal range is 68-75°F / 20-24°C for proper installation.

It must acclimate at the proper temperature 48 hours before installation. At 24 hours before installation, flooring must be unrolled and flattened.

Some styles and installations do not lend themselves to this type of installation. We recommend avoiding a head seam if possible.

We recommend the AAT675. If it is unavailable, the Mapei Ultrabond 350 multi-purpose adhesive can be used.

The AAT570 is a primer, not a moisture barrier. A moisture barrier product found locally will be suitable for the installation.

Tiles may be turned alternately for installation. However, turning the tiles 90 degrees will alter the appearance and color reflection of the tiles. Be sure of the direction of the tiles and the appearance desired before proceeding, as different directions will give a different appearance. Tiles are 18" square or 6" x 36" rectangle planks and can be laid in any pattern desired, all in one direction, in a "basket weave", quarter-turned or even in an ashlar pattern.

There is a variety of subfloors Chilewich flooring products have been tested to install over. Please visit our installation instructions for a full list. Subfloors with cushion or too much "give" may disrupt the integrity of the installation.

We test each of our products for applications such as walls and floors. We have not tested for any other surfaces. If the products are used in an ‘off label’ application, we cannot recommend installation methods, and the job is regretfully not covered by warranty.

We have two different sealers: AAT570, and the Purethane sealer. The AAT570 is a primer/sealer and is used to prep the subfloor before installation. The Purethane is a clear top coat applied to the product after installation to prolong wear and assist with maintenance for installations in high traffic areas. The application instructions can be found in our installation instructions.

All our wall coverings have Class A certification.

Our specifications show results of all product testing and can be found here.

For recycling content information, please contact customer service at 888-851-7130 between 8:30am and 5:00pm EST Monday—Friday; or you can email customerservice@chilewich.com.

For all LEEDs information, please contact customer service at 888-851-7130 between 8:30am and 5:00pm EST Monday—Friday; or you can email customerservice@chilewich.com.

If you have any concerns about the appearance of your vinyl flooring, do not install. Please contact customer service with any issues right away. Customer service can be reached at 888-851-7130 between 8:30am and 5:00pm EST Monday—Friday; or you can email customerservice@chilewich.com.

All products fade in direct sunlight. However, Chilewich products are fade resistant and will provide years of use before fading. For a full overview of our individual product specifications click here.

Chilewich vinyl W2W flooring products, vinyl-backed tiles and vinyl-backed plank tiles can all be used as outdoor applications. For a detailed overview of our products, click here.

For a detailed overview of our warranties, click here.

Interior Preservation Inc. (IPI) is an approved maintenance provider. They have a nationwide network of service providers. Please contact Tony Doria at 800-820-0008 extension 109 for a local provider.

Detailed Care and Maintenance instructions are available for all Chilewich A+D products. Click here for a full overview. If you have additional questions, please contact our customer service department at 888-851-7130 between 8:30am and 5:00pm EST Monday—Friday; or you can email customerservice@chilewich.com.

Interior Preservation Inc. (IPI) is an approved maintenance provider. They have a nationwide network of service providers. Please contact Tony Doria at 800-820-0008 extension 109 for a local provider.

There are a variety of methods for removing stains. Please consult our stain chart in the maintenance instructions for suggestions.

The depth of the crevices in the weaves is miniscule. Regular maintenance will keep flooring clean, and debris-free.

We do not recommend cutting or trimming any of our products. The edges of our products are specially sealed to ensure longevity and cutting the product will compromise this important attribute. For more information about our care instructions, please click here.

A hot water extractor works very well on woven vinyl A+D flooring.

Unfortunately, rips and burns cannot be repaired. The product must be replaced.

Salt and snow may leave rings on the surface of the floor. They can be removed, if addressed in a timely manner.

If you have any questions about the appearance of your woven vinyl A+D flooring, please contact customer service right away. If possible, please take pictures of any issues with the material and have them ready to submit for further investigation. You can reach customer service at 888-851-7130 between 8:30am and 5:00pm EST Monday—Friday; or you can email customerservice@chilewich.com.

If you have any questions about the appearance of your vinyl A+D flooring, please contact customer service right away. If possible, please take pictures of any issues with the material and have them ready to submit for further investigation. You can reach customer service at 888-851-7130 between 8:30am and 5:00pm EST Monday—Friday; or you can email customerservice@chilewich.com.