|
INSPECTOR COMMISSIONER CLAIMANT
CLAIM STATISTICS FOR THIS INSPECTION
PROBLEM REPORTED: Seams
PROBLEM FOUND: Unrecovered Extension
SAMPLES: Carpet
PERSONS PRESENT: Inspector & Commissioner
THE CARPET
MANUFACTURER: Shaw Industries
P O Drawer 218
Dalton, GA 30722 2128
800-451-0470
STYLE NAME & NUMBER: Bristol
COLOR NAME & NUMBER: Pecan Pie 6351
FIBER: Olefin
ID METHOD: Burn
FIBER COLOR: White
CONSTRUCTION: Conventional Tuft
YARN STYLE: Berber
BACK SYSTEM: Action Back
PRIMARY BACKING: Polypropylene
SECONDARY BACKING: Polypropylene
INSTALLATION STATISTICS
TYPE LOCATION: Residential
METHOD: Stretch-In
CUSHION: 1/2 Inch Rebond
SUBFLOOR: Concrete Slab
AREA INSTALLED: Family Room, Diningroom, Hallway, Bedrooms, &
Bathroom
USE & MAINTENANCE STATISTICS AT THE TIME OF THE INSPECTION
LITERATURE RECEIVED WITH PURCHASE: Not Determined
ADULTS: 2 - CHILDREN: 0 - PET(S): 1
DO THEY SMOKE? No
SPOTTING AGENTS: Just Water
TEMPERATURE: 73°F - 22.7° C RH 60%
VACUUM TYPE: Upright
VACUUM FREQUENCY: Weekly
ENTRY-MATS: Yes
SOIL: Slightly Soiled
HEATING TYPE: Forced Air Gas
COOLING TYPE: Central - Electric
CLEANING: Professional
METHOD: Truckmount Steam
INSTRUCTIONS FOR THIS REPORT
Assess the problems reported and make a determination of the responsible parties.
SITE CONDITIONS & GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
This single story home is located in the Ranch development in Ventura County,
approximately 45 miles west of Los Angeles. Furnishings were neat and orderly and the
condition of the house appeared to be very good. Its size was approximately 2000 square
feet.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION MADE TO THE INSPECTOR
The background information has come from the commissioner of this report, and a phone call
made to the dealer/installer. Reportedly, an option to upgrade the carpet from a standard
package was taken upon moving in. Approximately two weeks afterwards, yarns began to pull
in the only seam in the livingroom and along the edge of the carpet in the area where it
made its transition to the kitchen. A repair was made by the dealer/installer of this
carpet to this only seam and to the transition to the kitchen. However, yarns had pulled
out for approximately two feet into the field where the transition to the kitchen and a
bonded insert had to be made.
There were concerns that there might be defects in manufacturing so the carpet maker
commissioned an inspector to do an inspection. A tuftbind test was made during this
inspection with the results of '6-pounds' force. His conclusion was that there were no
manufacturing related problems.
Near the time of this inspection, the edges of the carpet started fraying where the master
bedroom made its transition the to bathroom.
DESCRIPTION OF PROBLEM AREA BY THIS INSPECTOR
In the livingroom, the bonded insert had small gaps in its seam, but there were no pulled
yarns, (reference picture number one). The seam in this family room was barely visible and
once again, there were no pulled yarns, (reference picture number two). The hallway carpet
had a seam that also had a gap.
The transition to the bathroom also had a gap, (reference picture number three). The
corner next to a stone floor and the wall was frayed. The latex holding the secondary and
primary together felt hard and brittle.
The carpet was lifted up in the master bedroom and the holes made by the tackless strip
nails did not indicate that proper power stretching had been done.
This homeowner's vacuum cleaner was inspected and it appeared to be in good working order.
There were no burrs or nicks found on the part that made contact with the carpet and the
brush was of medium stiffness.
IN FIELD AND LABORATORY TESTING
An ultra-violet light was used to find evidence of seaming adhesive and none was found.
A DIMENSIONAL STABILITY of PILE YARN TEST was performed at Independent Testing
Laboratories Inc. in Dalton, Georgia. The results of this test were:
AVERAGE UNRECOVERED EXTENSION (LENGTH) 2.2%
AVERAGE UNRECOVERED EXTENSION (WIDTH) 1.6%
Independent Textile Testing Services Inc. also reports that most carpets tested in recent
times measure between 2.5 to 4.0 percent.
THE ISSUE
The question that I have been asked to address is can the serviceability of this carpet be
made similar to other products in the market place.
GUIDELINES FOR EVALUATING THE ISSUE
CRI is The Carpet and Rug Institute of Dalton, Georgia. It is a national trade association
representing the carpet and rug industry. Their membership makes-up 95% of all the carpet
made in the United States. Their publications include standards for residential and
commercial installations, areas of responsibility for manufacturers, dealers, and
installers, and a manual for making claims with a carpet producer. The accepted standards
for this installation would be the CRI105-1996 and the manufacturer's installation
specifications.
INDUSTRY STANDARDS & DEFINITIONS
Concerning power-stretching, the CRI105 says:
9.14 Power Stretching - Following seaming, carpet must be power
stretched and firmly hooked onto the tackless strip at the starting walls in surrounding
area. The use of a power stretcher is mandatory.
Before power stretching, make certain that hot melt tape seams are cool to the touch.
A four-way stretch is to be used. (See Figures 3-5)
Follow the carpet manufacturer's recommendations for the method and amount of stretch to
be applied. When recommendations are not available, tufted carpet with jute secondary back
should be stretched "drum-tight." Tufted carpet with synthetic secondary back
should be stretched 1 to 1 1/2% in width and length.
Latex is defined in the Flooring Covering Dictionary as:
LATEX - A water emulsion of synthetic rubber, natural rubber, or other polymer. In carpet,
latex is used for lamination secondary backings to tufted carpet, backcoating carpet and
rugs, and for manufacturing foamed cushion. Almost all carpet latex consists of
styrene-butadiene synthetic rubber (SSR) compounded with large quantities of powdered
fillers. The latter are most often whiting, which is calcium carbonate. Latex is raw
material from which rubber is made.
The DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE SECRETARY FOR HOUSING FEDERAL
HOUSING COMMISSIONER sets the standards for minimum tuft-bind called UM44D. For cut-looped
carpet, this standard is 48 ounces or (3 pounds); for looped carpet the standard is 100
ounces or 6.25 pounds.
THE INSPECTOR'S ANALYSIS
Sprouting yarns and fraying in the seams are normally related to improper seam sealing
during the installation. However, they could both be related to a latex problem as well.
Latex not only controls tuft bind strength, but also delamination strength, and
elasticity. The latex in this carpet is brittle indicating that there are problems
inherent in manufacturing. If it were not for the brittleness of the latex backing, then
reinstallation done in compliance with the CRI105 could allow for reasonable
serviceability.
The reason reinstallation is a problem, is that the carpet would need to be restretched 1
to 1 ½% in its width and length to comply with standards. In addition, it would need to
remain tightly hooked onto the tackless strip nails. In order to accomplish either of
these tasks, the carpet must have sufficient elasticity.
Elasticity comes from the backing system, which includes a woven primary & secondary,
and the latex. The latex part of this backing system is normally made of a blend of
materials as noted in the definition above. If the balance of clay or similar compounds is
too high, then elasticity will not be sufficient to allow proper power stretching or
normal performance. Based upon the Dimensional Stability Test, this carpet has too much
non-elastic material to be properly stretched. If it is stretched, it would likely not
remain so and problems similar to the fraying of non-trafficked edges would continue.
While dimensional stability does not have an official standard, a combined percentage
greater than three percent was not acceptable years ago. Independent Textile Testing
Services reports that most carpets tested recently, measure between 2.5 to 4.0 percent.
However, this would not necessarily mean that 4.0 percent is acceptable limit. This carpet
is likely unacceptable at 3.8 percent, because it lacks tuft bind strength, delamination
strength, and elasticity. The report from the other inspector of a field test result of
'6-pounds' of tuft bind as meeting the manufacturer's standards would seem to be in
conflict with the UM44 standard of 6.25 pounds. In addition, field testing for tuftbind
strength has been known to vary from laboratory testing. Moreover, a high clay and filler
content may also be affecting 'bundle-wrap and penetration' of the latex to the yarn. If
deemed necessary, other laboratory tests could be performed. However, it should be kept in
mind that it is an upgrade from the standard carpet indicating that it should be a carpet
of quality.
CONCLUSION
From a professional opinion, based upon background information, observations, and
laboratory testing, this carpet cannot be put into normal service due to problems inherent
in its manufacturing.
|