This International Standard specifies a method for the determination of the thickness of pile above the substrate of a textile floor covering. It is applicable to all textile floor coverings with pile capable of being shorn from the substrate, but not to textile floor coverings of varying pile thickness or density, unless the areas can be measured separately. The method is used in conjunction with ISO 8543, clause 8. NOTE Difficulties have been experienced when using this method for bonded-pile textile floor coverings, textile floor coverings with needled-pile and flocked-pile textile floor coverings, because of the problems of determining a suitable end point when shearing these products. The results obtained from such products should therefore be treated with caution.