Finish flooring and floor coverings shall comply with the following:
(a) In buildings or spaces classified in occupancy group A and in all exits except those in buildings of construction group II-E, finish flooring shall be of noncombustible material and except as otherwise provided for stairs in subdivision (h) of section 27-375 of article five of subchapter six of this chapter.
(b) Flooring in buildings or spaces of construction group I. Except as provided in subdivision (a) of this section combustible finish flooring may be used in buildings or spaces of construction group I when cemented directly to the top surface of noncombustible floor construction, or attached to combustible or noncombustible sleepers. When attached to sleepers, the space between the noncombustible floor construction and the bottom of flooring shall be solidly filled with noncombustible material to within one-quarter inch of the flooring, or the space between the sleepers under the flooring shall be firestopped into areas of not more than twenty square feet, and provided further that no open spaces shall extend under or through fire divisions or through fire separations. Combustible insulating or sound absorbing boards not more than one-half inch thick and having a flame-spread rating not greater than class C may be used when attached directly to noncombustible floor construction and covered with finish flooring.
(c) Flooring in buildings or spaces of construction group II. Except as provided in subdivision (a) of this section, finish flooring in buildings or spaces of construction group II may be of combustible material.
(d) Floor coverings.
(1) Exits. Where exits are required under any provision of this code, carpets and carpet assemblies shall not be installed in such exits, except that wool carpeting may be installed in lobby areas, exit passageways and convenience stairs.
(2) Flammability requirements. The requirements of this subdivision shall apply to carpets and carpet assemblies only when used as a floor covering (for requirements pertaining to carpets and carpet assemblies used as interior finishes, see section 27-348 of this article). For purposes of this subdivision, carpeting assemblies shall include the carpet, its underlay, and adhesives which when tested as a composite shall be representative of the proposed installation.
a. Pill test. All carpets and underlayments shall pass a methanine pill test in accordance with the requirements of reference standard RS 5-20.
b. Critical radiant flux test. Carpets and carpet assemblies shall be tested by the method for critical radiant flux in accordance with the requirements of reference standard RS 5-20. The time frame for such test shall be at least a fifteen minute exposure.
1. Carpets and carpet assemblies representative of the actual installation on floors of corridors, shall have a minimum critical radiant flux of 0.5 watts per square centimeter (W/cm).
2. Carpets and carpet assemblies representative of the actual installation on floors of general areas shall have a minimum critical radiant flux of 0.4 W/cm.
c. Smoke developed ratings. Carpets and carpet assemblies representative of the actual installation on floors of corridors or general areas shall be tested for smoke developed ratings in accordance with the requirements of reference standard RS 5-20. The smoke developed ratings in either the flaming or no-flaming mode shall not exceed three hundred within the first four minutes of the test.
d. The manufacturer of the carpets and carpet assemblies shall submit a certificate from an independent laboratory acceptable to the commissioner pursuant to section 27-131, showing the complete test data results, prior to final acceptance. The certification shall state that the material is treated for fire resistance and shall indicate the service life of the treatment or that the material is inherently fire resistant by virtue of its construction, chemical properties and/or composition. Materials which are not inherently fire resistant may be used only when the certified fire resistant service life exceeds that of the planned service life of the carpets and carpet assemblies with consideration being given to cleaning, traffic, and other conditions of use which may affect the treatment.
(3) Volatile organic compounds emissions in carpet and carpet cushion. On and after July 1, 2013 carpet and carpet cushion as defined in section 17-1401 of the administrative code shall comply with the limits on volatile organic compound emissions set forth in chapter 14 of title 17 of such code.