Fades to Sidematch
This report was done for a consumer who won in court against the dealer and mill. The judge read the analysis out load in the court room.
THE CARPETFIBER PROTECTANTS Scotchgard® Carpet Protector & Scotchgard® Stain Release
FIBER MANUFACTURER: Not Determined
FIBER/ ID METHOD: Nylon - Continuous Filament-Chemical
COLOR: Pink
CONSTRUCTION: Tufted Cut Loop
STYLE: Saxony
SQUARE YARDAGE: 110
BACK SYSTEM: Conventional Tufted
PRIMARY BACKING: Polypropylene
SECONDARY BACKING: Polypropylene
THE INSTALLATION
TYPE OF SITE: Residential
METHOD: Stretch-In
CUSHION: 1/2 Inch Rebond
SUBFLOOR: Plywood
AREA INSTALLED: Living-Room, Four Bedrooms, Stair, Hallway And Two Bath-rooms
USE & MAINTENANCE INFORMATION AT THE TIME OF INSPECTION
LITERATURE RECEIVED WITH PURCHASE: No
TEMPERATURE: 73.8°F - 23.2° C
RELATIVE HUMIDITY: 65%
ADULTS: 2 - CHILDREN: 0 - PET(S): 2 - Cats
DO THEY SMOKE? No
SPOTTING AGENTS: Steam Cleaning Solution
VACUUM TYPE: Royal Upright
FREQUENCY: Twice Weekly
ENTRY MATS: Yes
CONDITION of THE CARPET: See Report
SOIL: None Noticed
HEATING TYPE: Central Force Air Gas
COOLING TYPE: None
CLEANING: Do-It-Yourself
METHOD: Steam Cleaning
TYPE OF CHEMICAL: Consumer Type
DATE LAST CLEANED: Not Determined
TREATMENTS APPLIED: None
REASON FOR COMMISSION
The carpet does not match at the seams and the dealer has not been involved in the issue.
THE REPORT
Geographical and Usage Information
The carpet was located in the claimant’s free standing two-story house. This house was located in a residential neighborhood on the western edge of the Los Angeles Basin 2.8 miles from the Pacific Ocean. The house was well maintained and was owner occupied at the time of the inspection.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION MADE TO THE INSPECTOR
The carpet was selected as part of a remodeling effort and reportedly was taken from the same roll. Immediately after the installation the claimant noticed that the carpet did not look the same at the seams. As time past it became more apparent that one side of the carpet was getting lighter. The dealer was notified of the problem and he recommended that the claimant contact the manufacturer. After the claimant contacted Tuftex Carpet Mills, he was referred back to the dealer and then to Scotchgard. At the time of the inspection the manufacturer nor dealer were returning phone calls to the claimant.
DESCRIPTION OF PROBLEM AREA BY THIS INSPECTOR
The carpet in the living-room was lighter on the outside of a seam which ran parallel to the French Doors leading to the back-yard. The sofa in this room was moved and the carpet under the sofa was darker than the surrounding carpet.
The carpet in the upstairs hallway was lighter in the hallway and darker in the bedroom, bathroom and closet. Furthermore some variations in shade appeared on the stairwell. Lighting conditions or viewing the carpet from different directions did not change the appearance.
ON-LOCATION FIELD TESTING
A Pile Direction Test was done using a piece of paper and a pencil. The pile direction of the carpet the pile was confirmed as running the same direction.
An ultra-violet light was shone throughout the installation. This tool draws a yellow reflection from most urine stains and a blue or lavender reflection from detergents with optical brightening agents. The result of this test revealed some blue reflections that conform to where spot cleaning had been done with the steam cleaner.
A comparison on shade differences for evaluating changes in color was made using a gray scale from the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists. If the differences are equal to or greater than "3-4" on the scale, then the results are unacceptable for Side Match problems according to the AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF TEXTILE CHEMISTS AND COLORISTS. If the contrast between hues is less than or equal to "4" on this scale, then it generally does not fit into the standards of an acceptable mill defect on this kind of problem. The result of tests were a "2" on this scale.
Numerous moisture tests were performed using a Delmhorst Moisture Sensor. This test would indicate the presence of moisture in the area that was being tested. It is possible for water to be locked-up in salts compounds from residue from urine and other compounds long after the affected area has dried. Any recent or previous over-wetting of the carpet could also be found in the latex backing of a carpet with this device. The results of these tests revealed that there were no moisture readings throughout the installation.
THE ISSUE OF THIS REPORT
The question that I have been asked to address is: what has caused the carpet to have a shade difference?
GUIDELINES FOR EVALUATING THE ISSUE
Sidematch Problems Can Occur When:
1. there is a difference in shade
2. there is a difference in pile direction
3. there is a difference in texture
4. there is a difference in lighting condition
5. there is a difference in pile height
Fading problems can occur when:
1. oxide of nitrogen and sulfur in the air common to the Southern California atmosphere, high efficient force air heating systems and other gas appliances react with carpet dye
2. sun light or in particular ultraviolet rays from the sun affect the dye
3. bleaches, oxidizing agents or other chemical residues have been applied to the face yarn
INDUSTRY STANDARDS, PRACTICES & DEFINITIONS
According to the FLOOR COVERING DICTIONARY it says this about Fading:
FADING - Loss of color caused by actinic radiation such as sunlight or artificial light, atmospheric gases including ozone, nitric oxide, and hydrogen sulfite, cleaning and bleaching chemicals such as sodium hypochlorite, and other household and industrial products, chlorine chemicals or swimming pools, and other factors. Commercial installations in areas where such exposures occur require extreme care in selection of colorfast carpet. All carpet will fade under certain conditions. The greatest sun fade potential is a Southwest exposure while the least is a Northwest or North exposure. Unprotected carpet, those in front of windows without drapes, in a Southwest exposure can show very noticeable color loss after as little as 6 months. Examples: A brown carpet will fade to light green in ,areas where it receives direct sunlight because the color component most severely affected is red. A green carpet will fade to yellow because color component most affected by the direct sunlight is blue.
According the CARPET AND RUG INSTITUTES manual called AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY it says this about the dealer responsibility in handling complaints:
14. Acknowledge and respond to complaints within 15 working days of notification.
THE INSPECTOR'S ANALYSIS
Observations clearly indicate that the side match was from hue differences based upon the gray scale test. How-ever the question that should be asked is: why did the problem become more pronounced with time? The reason behind that is likely due to the fact that the carpet has a defect due to fading. Supporting this was that the carpet was darker underneath the sofa. Verification of this problem can be further made by independent laboratory testing with AATCC164 test for oxides of nitrogen.
An additional problem lies with the dealer’s responsibilities. Whereas the dealer was made aware of the problem, he should have passed the information on to the manufacturer. The manufacturer in most cases would have commissioned their own inspection. Without this the claimant was compelled to commission his own inspection.
CONCLUSION
The carpet in question has a side match problem due to hue differences that are beyond AATCC STANDARDS, based upon the gray scale test.