Double Stick Failure in Church
DATE WRITTEN: 11/19/98
NUMBER OF PHOTOGRAPHS: 4
PROBLEM REPORTED: Buckling
PROBLEM FOUND: Double Stick Failure
WAS A DIAGRAM MADE?: No
SAMPLES FROM INSPECTION: None Taken
PERSONS PRESENT: Inspector & Claimant
THE CARPET
MANUFACTURER: Tuftex Industries & Zion Carpet Mills
FIBER/ ID METHOD: Nylon/Chemical
FIBER HUE: See Report
ROLL & INVOICE NUMBERS: See Report
STYLE NAME & NUMBER: See Report
COLOR NAME & NUMBER: See Report
CONSTRUCTION: Tufted
YARN STYLE: See Report
SQUARE YARDAGE: See Report
BACK SYSTEM: Conventional Tufted
PRIMARY BACKING: Polypropylene
SECONDARY BACKING: Polypropylene
THE INSTALLATION
TYPE LOCATION: Commercial
DATE INSTALLED: 7/93
METHOD: Double Glue Down
SUBFLOOR: Slab
USE & MAINTENANCE INFORMATION AT THE TIME OF INSPECTION
LITERATURE RECEIVED WITH PURCHASE: Not Determined
TEMPERATURE: 74°F - 23.3° C RH 44%
VACUUM/FREQUENCY: Advance Upright Weekly
ENTRY-MATS: Yes
SOIL: None Noticed
HEATING TYPE: Central Force Air Gas
COOLING TYPE: Central - Electric
CLEANING: See Report
REASON FOR COMMISSION
The carpet has reportedly buckled.
THE REPORT
Site Conditions and Geographical Information
This is a Church facility of three buildings located in a residential hilly section of
Santa Barbara County. One building consisted of the sanctuary, another as offices, and a
third as a fellowship hall. Hills and ridges cover the surrounding terrain. At the time of
the inspection, parishioners and church staffers were using these facilities on a regular
basis.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION MADE TO THE INSPECTOR
Approximately one year before this inspection, buckling was noticed in the sanctuary.
Repairs were performed in a Bridal Room on one panel that seemed to correct the problem in
that panel. Additional corrections were not attempted due to problems associated with the
installation method. Furthermore, seams became more apparent and formed gaps.
In addition, after the installation, problem seams forming gaps became apparent in the
fellowship hall. There had been a water damage problem in part in the hall before the
problem with seams was noticed. All of the problems with buckling and seams got worse with
time.
Requests were made to The specifier and the installer for specification on the cushion and
adhesive used via the telephone by this inspector. The specifier reportedly said that the
adhesive specified was a releasable type and the cushion is called FAIRMONT.
DESCRIPTION OF PROBLEM AREA BY THIS INSPECTOR
In the sanctuary, looking at the aisle next to the pews on the westside of the building,
ridges running the length of the carpet were observed. Length of ridges varied from two to
four feet and on the height, from a quarter to one half inch. Probing with an awl did not
indicate that delamination had taken place and there were no loose or pulled yarns
noticed.
Two panels of carpet were installed in this aisle and the first panel had no buckles and
ran the width of the aisle while the other panel with the buckles ran the length. On the
stage near the altar, on a section of the same carpet installed over wood, a single large
ridge measuring between one-half to three-quarter inches was noticed running in the length
of the carpet. Smaller ridges were noted in the aisle on the eastside of the sanctuary.
In the Bridal room, the panel that was reportedly repaired had no ridges, while the panel
that was not repaired had ridges. The carpet and cushion pulled up with relative ease. The
adhesive for the cushion to the concrete and cushion to carpet both were of a Gold hue.
The adhesive on the concrete appeared to have been sprayed, i.e., no trowel marks were
noted. Furthermore, there was no adhesive stuck to the bottom-side of the carpet. Adhesive
on the topside of the cushion was trowelled and had legs. Trowel marks were measured and
appeared to be one sixteenth of an inch in height, width, and depth.
In a Choir-Room behind the sanctuary on the north westside of this building a different
style looped, direct-glue-down carpet was observed with gaps in the seams. Panel widths
were measured at 11 feet ten inches. Probing this carpet with an awl revealed no loose
yarns and there was no buckling noticed on this carpet.
In the Fellowship Hall where water-damage had reportedly taken place, additional gaps in
the seam were observed. In room 103, a seam without gaps running perpendicular to an exit
door was observed. Panel widths were measured between 11 feet, eight inches and 11 feet,
nine inches. Opening a seam in the main room revealed that the carpet was not attached to
the cushion. The latex felt powdery.
ON-LOCATION FIELD TESTING
An ultra-violet light was shone to find evidence that seaming adhesive was used on cut edges:
- Seam sealer was not observed in the sanctuary and choir room
- A white reflection from a latex-like substance was noted in the seams in the Fellowship-Hall.
pH tests were run on the concrete in the Bridal room using a digital-type electronic probe and a meter that is accurate to 0.1. After removing the old adhesive and roughing the concrete, the pH was measured at 10.0.
THE ISSUES
The questions that I have been asked to address are:
1. What caused the buckling in the sanctuary?
2. What caused the latex to turn to powder in the Hall?
GUIDELINES FOR EVALUATING BOTH ISSUES
Failure in the double stick method can occur from:
1. Problems from Moisture
- From Geology
- Water Tables
- Soils
- Alluvial plain
- Hillside lot(cut or filled)
- Land use changes ( low density to high density)
- From Concrete
- Water/cement ratio
- Curing
- Use of Visqueen
- From Landscaping
- Sprinkler systems
- Vegetation
- Drainage, storm gutters
- Drainage (swells) impedance of flow
- · From Maintenance
- HVAC(Temperature, humidity)
- Waiting period before cleaning
- System (frequency)
2. From Adhesive
- Solids, filler load, ash content, viscosity, pH
3. From Cushion
- Type (correct)
- Laboratory test (Ash content, volatile matter, moisture absorbency)
- Plasticizer migration affecting the adhesive
4. From errors in the installation
- Floor preparation (patch, VAT OR OLD CUTBACK ADHESIVE REMOVED)
- Acclimation
- Proper Tools, correct trowel size
- Correct Adhesive
- Proper Open Time
5. From Manufacturing
- Dimensional stability
INDUSTRY STANDARDS & DEFINITIONS
The standard for this installation is the CRI104 for 1993 and a copy is being acquired.
THE INSPECTOR'S ANALYSIS
The Double Stick Installation Method has been very popular in the past few years and it is
continuing to be installed in numerous facilities. However as an installation system, it
has not gone without problems. Indicative of failures is buckling and seam separation. The
culprit made is related to a single problem or a combination of problems. Evaluations of
the carpets in question are as follows:
1. Problems from Moisture
- Problems in Geology - Details of the geology were not covered in detail and would require deeper evaluation by another consultant if a 'smoking gun' cannot be discovered in another area. Since hills and ridges cover the surrounding terrain, this should not be a ruled out to having some effect. The effect of geology has to do with vapor emission in the concrete. If the emissions are high and coupled with high pH in the concrete, then the adhesive holding the cushion to the concrete can fail.
- Concrete - Only the pH was evaluated in this inspection and it does exceed the limit set by most adhesive manufacturers. Coupled with moisture problems this could be a likely culprit. More evaluation by another consultant is recommended.
- Landscaping - is like problems in geology except that they are brought on by artificial means like sprinklers generation, drainage, etc.
- Vapor emission testing - would confirm how much a factor vapor emissions would have and if this is extensive enough it suggests the source of the moisture. Of all of the test methods, Calcium chloride (ASTM guidelines) would give the best results.
- Maintenance - Steam carpet cleaning from a portable extractor such as the one being used is another source of moisture that could contribute to a double stick failure. The pH of the cleaning products can be a contributing factor too. If other factors proved to be unlikely candidates as a culprit, a more thorough investigation into this can be done as well.
2. From Adhesive - When the cushion releases from the concrete as in the Sanctuary or when the carpet releases from the cushion as in the Fellowship Hall, problems inherent in the manufacturing of the adhesive or outside forces from vapor emissions and pH from concrete, or plasticizer migration from the cushion, or improper cleaning are likely candidates. Since the repair in the Bridal Room has not buckled again, there is a suspicion that something is wrong with the adhesive in the Sanctuary. Since the latex has turned to powder between the cushion and carpet in the Fellowship Hall, there is a suspicion of plasticizer migration from the cushion.
3. From Cushion -If volatile organic compounds in the cushion are not compatible with the adhesive, then plasticizer migration could cause the adhesive to turn to powder, creating a failure between the cushion and the carpet. This is very similar to what was found in the Fellowship Hall. It should be noted this problem has not been found in the Sanitary.
4. From Installation - Installation errors has been noted with the quarter turning panel and a lack of seam sealer in the Sanctuary has been the likely cause of seam failure. Errors that would cause the failure in the double stick are noted in the photograph of the BRIDAL Room where adhesive is not seen on the backside of the carpet. In addition, the trowel marks are intact on the cushion. This is typical of adhesive that has been set beyond the 'open time'. Verification of the adhesive can be made through reflective tracers in the adhesive called Taggents. Acclimation is commonly not practiced although standards do require it.
5. From Manufacturing - Given that ridges formed in the length of the carpet, a problem inherent in the manufacturing of the carpet could be a culprit. If other villains failed to lead to convincing evidence, then testing would be recommended.
CONCLUSION
Based upon the available background information, observations at the time of this writing,
it is the inspector's professional opinion that candidates in the double stick problem
exist with:
- alkalinity in concrete,
- plasticizer migration from cushion,
- installation error from improper open time,
- defective adhesive.
Additional testing is recommended.