When the management of Portland International Airport (PDX) in Oregon decided to change the beloved carpet after 30 years of service, the citizens of Portland reacted with emotion and fear. They loved their carpet. In fact, there was a local custom to take a selfie of their feet on that colorful carpet. The carpet was worn and tired, but the Portlanders didn’t care. Don’t change our carpet!
The train was on the tracks and the new carpet was selected and ordered. The project promised it would be one of the most challenging replacement efforts ever. The old broadloom had to be removed, and based on a strong environmental commitment, airport management was determined to maximize the renewal or reuse of the old, iconic material. In addition, the replacement product was specified with a custom J+J Flooring broadloom instead of modular carpet tiles, which increased the complexity of the installation. Plus, the venue was a busy airport with thousands of people traveling through its concourses at all hours, every day. The team managing this project had their work cut out for them.