Bad Latex Bad Pad
The CUSHION 7/16 Inch Rebond and the DENSITY: 3 lb.s per cubit foot. The AVERAGE LATEX BUNDLE WRAP 58% and AVERAGE LATEX PENETRATION’ 54%.
TYPE OF INSTALLATION: Residential
METHOD: Stretch-In
CUSHION: 7/16 Inch Rebond
DENSITY: 3 lb.s per cubit foot
SUBFLOOR: Concrete on First Level, Plywood on Second Level
AREA INSTALLED: Livingroom, Family-Room, Stairwell, Landing, & Three Bedrooms.
USE & MAINTENANCE INFORMATION AT THE TIME OF INSPECTION
LITERATURE RECEIVED WITH PURCHASE: Yes
ADULTS: 2 CHILDREN: 0 PETS: 2
TYPE OF PET(s): Two Cats
TEMPERATURE 73.1°F - 22.8° C
RELATIVE HUMIDITY: 64%
VACUUM TYPE: Canister
FREQUENCY: Weekly
ENTRY MATS: Yes
CONDITION of TEXTILE: See Report
SOIL: See Report
HEATING TYPE: Central Force Air Gas
COOLING TYPE: None
CLEANING: New Carpet
TREATMENTS APPLIED: None
PROBLEM REPORTED
The claimant reports that the carpet has yarn slippage.
THE REPORT
Geographical Background Information
This free standing house is located in a secured residential neighborhood in the southern part of coastal Orange County. The maintenance of the house and the condition of the neighborhood is very good.
THE CLAIM HISTORY
This carpet has had an inspection report written February of 1995. This report concluded that "The pulled yarns are the result of failure to follow the manufacturer’s specification on installation.".
In a response to this statement , the dealer/installer, Carpeteria mentioned that "tuft bind average 3.7 Lb. of pull" was the result of a tuft bind test done by the inspection service of their own commissioning. The claimant has decided that a deeper investigation be made.
DETAIL PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION BY THE INSPECTOR
As mentioned in the previous report, "On the stairwell and especially at the landing, the carpet’s yarns are pulled."
IN FIELD AND LABORATORY TESTING
A sample of the claimant’s cushion was weighed by the inspector to determine the cushion density. This test consisted of weighing a one foot square of the cushion. The cushion height was divided into one foot and then multiplied by the weight. This test was performed on an Acculab electron scale, model number: V-333. This device is accurate to .1 grams. The results of this test showed a three pound density of the cushion.
A remnant sample of this carpet was sent to Professional Testing Laboratory Inc. of Dalton Georgia for AVERAGE LATEX BUNDLE WRAP and AVERAGE LATEX PENETRATION testing. The results of these tests were as follows:
AVERAGE LATEX BUNDLE WRAP 58%
AVERAGE LATEX PENETRATION’ 54%
THE ISSUE OF THIS REPORT
The question that I have been asked to address is: what contribution does latex have to the pulled yarns problem?
CONDITIONS THAT CAN CAUSE THE PROBLEM
As mentioned before:
Pulled loops can occur when:
there is a manufacturer’s defect in the latex of the carpet’s backing.
saturation of the carpet with either water or solvent is followed with a mechanical force to pull the yarn
INDUSTRY STANDARDS, PRACTICES & DEFINITIONS
The IICRC REFERENCE GUIDE FOR INSPECTION OF TEXTILE FLOORCOVERING defined bundle wrap as the following:
bundle wrap - The penetrating coat of latex adhesive on that portion of the yarn which extends below the primary backing of tufted carpet and which penetrates the bundle of fibers composing the yarn. The bundle wrap also determines tuft bind.
According to the FLOOR COVERING DICTIONARY the following definitions are given for Tuft Bind:
TUFT BIND - Force required to pull a tuft from a cut-pile carpet or to pull free one leg of a loop from a looped pile carpet.
Also, according to the FLOOR COVERING DICTIONARY the following definitions are given for latex:
BUNDLE WRAP - The bead of latex that surrounds a pulled tuft.
LATEX - A water emulsion of synthetic rubber, natural rubber, or other polymer. In carpet, latex is used form laminating secondary backings to tufted carpet, backcoating carpet and rugs, and for manufacturing formed cushion. Almost all carpet latex consists of styrene-butadiene synthetic rubber (SBR) compounded with large quantities of powder fillers. The latter are most often whiting, which is calcium carbonate. Latex is the raw material from which rubber is made.
LATEX PENETRATION - Yarn is removed from the primary and secondary backings and inspected under a micro-scope to determine how much latex penetrated the yarn bundle that exist beneath the primary backing. The results are stated as a percentage of latex penetration. A generally acceptable level is about 85% Latex penetration determines the tuft bind of the carpet.
World Carpets, Inc. recommends the following density in a separate cushion installation for maximum performance.
1.) Moderate traffic areas - Minimum of 6 lb.. density
2.) Heavy traffic areas - Maximum of 14 lb. density
Maximum Thickness...Residential - 7/16, Commercial - 3/8"
These guidelines must be followed in order to file any claim under a wear warranty.
ANALYSIS AND SUMMERY
Industry Standards are not well defined on latex penetration. However, with an acceptable level being at 85%, this carpet is far from being acceptable. Thus, the pulled yarns will be a growing problem. Also, these pulled yarns will bloom creating other problems. It should be noted from the previous report, that no contributing factors from the claimant’s use or maintenance have contributed to this problem. An example of this problem is as follows:
The latex defect in this carpet is compounded by an installation problem. The installation is not in compliance with the manufacturer’s specifications for installation. As noted the pad density should be 6 pounds per cubit foot. This cushion is only 3 pounds per cubit foot.
CONCLUSION
The carpet in question has a latex defect based upon an AVERAGE LATEX BUNDLE WRAP of 58% and an AVERAGE LATEX PENETRATION of 54%.