Fluorochemical Makes Red Marks
This report was done for the insurance company and the spots were made by spin padding fluorochemical. protectant into the carpet.
PROBLEM REPORTED: Fading
PROBLEM FOUND: Color Change
DIAGRAM: No
SAMPLES: Carpet
PERSONS PRESENT: Inspector & Claimant
THE CARPET
FIBER Nylon
ID METHOD: Chemical
FIBER COLOR Off White
CONSTRUCTION: Conventional Tuft
YARN STYLE: Multi-Level Loop Pattern
SQUARE YARDAGE: Not Determined
BACK SYSTEM: Conventional Tuft
PRIMARY BACKING: Polypropylene
SECONDARY BACKING: Polypropylene
INSTALLATION STATISTICS
TYPE LOCATION: Residential
METHOD: Stretch-In
CUSHION: Cushion
SUBFLOOR: Concrete on the First Level, Plywood on the Second
AREA INSTALLED: Livingroom, Diningroom, Hallway, & Bedrooms
USE & MAINTENANCE STATISTICS AT THE TIME OF THE INSPECTION
LITERATURE RECEIVED WITH PURCHASE: Yes
ADULTS: 1 - CHILDREN: 0 - PET(S): 0
DO THEY SMOKE? No
SPOTTING AGENTS: Helping Hands Spotter
TEMPERATURE: 65.6°F - 18.6° C RH 51%
VACUUM TYPE Upright
VACUUM FREQUENCY: Weekly
ENTRY-MATS: Yes
SOIL: None Noticed
HEATING TYPE: Forced Air Gas
COOLING TYPE: None
CLEANING: See Report
INSTRUCTIONS FOR THIS REPORT
Assess the problem reported and make a determination of responsible parties.
Site Conditions and Geographical Information
This is a townhouse located in a gated common-interest-development less than one mile from
the Pacific Ocean. It was owner occupied and well maintained at the time of the
inspection.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION MADE TO THE INSPECTOR
The carpet in question had been installed for less than a year when this claimant
purchased and moved into this townhouse. The carpet dealer's invoice was from the original
owner and did not give the style name of the carpet.
Upon moving in, John Doe Spin Pad Cleaning Company was commissioned to clean the carpet
plus add to the carpet, a protectant called FLUOROCHEMICAL TREATMENT. According to
confidential sources FLUOROCHEMICAL TREATMENT is to be applied in combination with a
preconditioner followed by the cleaning method. According to 411 information, Emerald Isle
Spin Delux's telephone number is no longer in service and there is no new listing
available.
Spin Delux's cleaning method is DRY ABSORPTION, (spin pad or 'bonnet method'), modified
with carbonated water. Reportedly this system leaves little to no residue.
The next cleaning was performed by LARRY . Reportedly the truckmount steam method was used
and the chemical of choice was CHEMSPEC's FORMULA 90. This product reportedly has an rtu
pH close to 10. Additional spotting on one spot was done with CHEMSPEC's Rx FOR BROWNING,
which is oxygen bleach, designed for destroying dye on cotton fringes of rugs. Not all
rooms were cleaned. A slight discoloration of the carpet was noted before this cleaning
and it became more noticeable afterwards.
Numerous industry experts were surveyed by this inspector to inquire on whether they have
seen or heard of a case where fluorochemical protectant had turned red either through
misapplication or in the presence of an acid. Although no one said that they had, most
would not say that it was impossible.
According to the claimant, a pest control company treated the building for termites using
a tent method during her ownership of this dwelling. There were no noticeable chances in
the carpet after this service was performed.
DESCRIPTION OF PROBLEM AREA BY THIS INSPECTOR
Upon entering the livingroom, the spot where LARRY had used CHEMSPEC Rx FOR BROWNING
was immediately noticeable. It was lighter than the surrounding carpet and had a slight
red hue inside the lightened area. The red hue was darker than the lightened spot.
A slight red or pink hue was noted on other parts of the livingroom carpet, but it did not
have well-defined borders as to where it began or ended and had no distinctive pattern. It
was slightly darker than the surrounding carpet and was on the tips of the yarns only. It
was absent from areas near the windows. In the diningroom adjacent to this room, it too
stopped at the seam. On the upstairs landing, this red discoloring formed a zigzag pattern
approximately three feet in width.
Observations were also made under a 30 and 100 power microscope and no fractures
indicative of defects in the nylon were noted.
The hand of the carpet was slightly stiff but there were no unusual odors noticed. There
were no distortions in the pile, no differences in the size, shape, bulk, or twist of the
yarns.
ON-LOCATION FIELD TESTING
An inspection lamp was used for closer evaluation and to create shadows. This high
intensity lamp is equipped with a 500-watt halogen bulb. The result of this test revealed
that the redness was still apparent under this light.
An ultra-violet light was used to draw reflections from substances with optical
brightening agents. A yellow reflection will come from the phosphorous of most urine
stains; a blue or lavender reflection from detergents. The result of this test revealed
that there were no changes in the noticeability of the redness.
A DuPont® Stain Resist Test was performed to determine the amount of possible stain
resistance on the face yarn. Samples were taken from a protectant remnant from the garage.
The results of these tests revealed that there was good stain resistance on the untreated
yarns and slight improvement on the ones that were treated with additional stain
resistance.
Numerous moisture tests were performed using a Delmhorst Moisture Sensor. This test would
indicate the presence of moisture locked-up in salt compounds from urine and detergents.
The results of these tests showed no moisture throughout the installation.
pH tests using a digital type pH meter and a special low moisture probe made direct
contact with the face yarns. This device is accurate to ± 0.01 and was calibrated with a
laboratory testing solution immediately before these tests were made.
· The pH of the tap water was 7.47
· The pH of a remnant that had been kept folded in the garage was 5.85.
· The pH of unaffected carpet in the stair landing was 3.09
· The pH of red spots in the landing was 4.91
· The pH in a bedroom not affected by discoloring, but was cleaned by LARRY was 4.35.
· The pH in a bedroom not affected by discoloring and not cleaned by LARRY was 4.28
· The pH of the light colored spot that had been spotted with CHEMSPEC Rx FOR BROWNING was 4.36.
Samples of the carpet were boiled in strong acid and alkaline solutions, dried and then
later compared to the remnant they were taken from. No lasting changes to the hue of the
yarn were noted.
THE ISSUE
Has the redness occurred from a latent defect related to manufacturing, or from other
causes such as usage and maintenance or from environmental?
GUIDELINES FOR EVALUATING THE ISSUE
The guidelines of cleaning carpet are the:
1. S001 CARPET CLEANING STANDARD by the INSTITUTE of INSPECTION CLEANING & RESTORATION
CERTIFICATION.
2. The manufacturer's recommendations
Copies of the S001 either version 1994 or 1996 are available upon request for a modest fee
and can be ordered from IICRC at (360) 693-5675.
INDUSTRY STANDARDS & DEFINITIONS
According to the FLOOR COVERING DICTIONARY it says this about Color Loss:
FADING - Loss of color. Caused by actinic radiation such as sunlight or artificial light,
atmospheric gases including ozone, nitric oxide, and hydrogen sulphide, 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.
The pH of common substances is as follows:
apples, 2.9 to 3.3 hydrochloric acid, 0.1 sodium meta
silicate, 12.4 t 12.6
banana, 4.5 to 4.7 lemons, 2.2 to 2.4 soft drinks, 2.0
to 4.0
beer 4.0 to 5.0 borax at .25%, 8.8 sodium
tripolyphosphate, 9.4
human bile, 6.8 to 7.0 phosphoric acid at 0.1%, 3.2 to 3.6
trisodium phosphate at 0.25%, 12.3
human urine, 4.9 sodium hydroxide at 1%, 12.1 drinking
water 6.5 to 8.0
THE INSPECTOR'S ANALYSIS
The original problem reported was fading. However, when discoloring is darker than the
surrounding carpet, it is due to something being added. When spots like the one treated
with CHEMSPEC's Rx FOR BROWNING are lighter than the surrounding yarns, then color has
been removed. Thus the redness is color added and fading is not an issue.
CHEMSPEC's Rx FOR BROWNING is designed to destroy dyes that bleed onto cotton fringes of
wool rugs. As such, it is effective on destroying a wide variety of dyes such as was
demonstrated by the light hue of the yarns where it was applied. What is interesting is
that the red substance was not affected. The implication of this is that the red substance
is not dye and is impervious to substance that would have a destructive effect on the rest
of the carpet. fluorochemical protectants would have this characteristic. Furthermore the
removal of this substance is likely beyond a consideration of the available technologies
offered to cleaning and restoration technicians.
1. The pH readings of this carpet are abnormally low. Typical soil carpet will have a pH
in the sixes and one that has been cleaned with CHEMSPEC's FORMULA 90 should have pH
readings in the eight's. Acid extraction solutions, which are on the opposite end of the
pH scale of CHEMSPEC's FORMULA 90, would typically leave the pH of the carpet in the fours
or fives. It has been the practice of some carpet mills to apply acidic substances on
carpet to prevent yellowing and other harmful effects to the stain resistance. However,
the remnant pH reading was 5.85 which would be only far less than one hundredth of the
installed carpet. The most likely cause of this condition would be that an acid has been
applied to the carpet since the truckmount extraction with CHEMSPEC's FORMULA 90.
This inspector does not necessarily agree with the survey taken from other experts. The
fluorochemical protectant has been a part of nylon carpet since the fourth generation
fibers came out. Brand names of these types of products have included TEFLON and
SCOTCHGARD. Furthermore, after market products using the same names as well as others like
the FLUOROCHEMICAL TREATMENT have also made it into the market place. Common to all of
these products is the fluorochemical molecule of which the Imperial formula would be C2F2.
Different chain links or polymers of this monomer would determine whether its application
should be for carpet or for pots and pans. Ideally the average mixture for carpet should
be around seven or eight. However, this would be the average and some polymers could and
likely would be higher. Polymers around '20' would begin to take on a red hue. Since these
molecules are heavier, they could settle out of solution to the bottom of a container over
time. The most significant evidence that would support this scenario is what looks like
red wand or spin pad marks seen in the upstairs landing.
CONCLUSION
Redness in the carpet in question was due to substance impervious to strong bleaches such
as a fluorochemical protectant based upon current observations, tests performed, and a
professional opinion.
The association of the redness in the carpet in question is related to maintenance or more
specifically a floor machine typically used in the Dry Absorption, Spin Pad Or Bonnet
Method of carpet cleaning based upon the pattern of discoloring seen on up stairs landing
based upon observation, testing and a professional opinion.
There were no latent defects in the carpet in question and usage has been normal based
upon a professional opinion.