Do conductive and static dissipative tiles need to contact one another in order to be grounded?

Questions about the differences between what we commonly call “antistatic carpet” versus “permanent static control carpet” (also known as ESD carpet) usually get raised at some point in every project. The distinction is critical. Numerous flooring products are bought with the belief that they are antistatic when in fact - they often are, or become, static generators. When that misapplication involves the choice of flooring for common office space or a hotel lobby, it’s no big deal. But if the flooring is for the command center of a public utility or the server room for a stock exchange, not understanding the technical differences can be catastrophic.

In order to answer this question clearly there are a few pieces of information you’ll need to know.

Never rely on the AATCC-134 specification to judge a floors' static control protective properties. To protect electronic devices and equipment, static control floors must:

1. Be antistatic - the floor must prevent the generation of static electricity
2. Be capable of being grounded. A ground wire alone does NOT ground the floor. The ESD flooring material must be made with conductive elements such as carbon, carbon fibers or other conductive materials
3. Must have permanent static control properties - independent of environmental conditions such as temperature or humidity.
4. Be traffic-resistant — traffic and chair castors should not diminish the static control performance of the floor.
5. Perform without the need for special maintenance procedures such as waxing, spraying or buffing with antistats.

Conductive properties are easily measured with simple, inexpensive ohm-meter.