Panels Width too Wide
This report was written for the end user and most of the panels were not trimmed.
PROBLEM REPORTED: Snags & Seam Peaking
PROBLEM FOUND: Panels Width to Wide
PERSONS PRESENT: Inspector & Commissioner
THE CARPET
MANUFACTURER: Tuftex Industries
FIBER: Nylon
ID METHOD: Chemical
FIBER COLOR: Green
CONSTRUCTION: Conventional Tuft
YARN STYLE: Sisal-Patterned
SQUARE YARDAGE: 211.11
BACK SYSTEM: Conventional Tuft
PRIMARY BACKING: Polypropylene
SECONDARY BACKING: Polypropylene
INSTALLATION STATISTICS
TYPE LOCATION: Commercial
METHOD: Stretch-In
CUSHION: 1/4 Inch Recycled Textile Fiber
SUBFLOOR: Concrete Slab
AREA INSTALLED: Hallways, Third Floor
USE & MAINTENANCE STATISTICS AT THE TIME OF THE INSPECTION
LITERATURE RECEIVED WITH PURCHASE: Not Determined
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 20
TEMPERATURE: 73.1°F - 22.8° C RH 45%
VACUUM TYPE: Professional Service
VACUUM FREQUENCY: Nightly
ENTRY-MATS: In the Downstairs Lobby
SOIL: None Noticed
HEATING TYPE: Forced Air Gas
COOLING TYPE: Central - Electric
CLEANING: Never Been Cleaned
INSTRUCTIONS FOR THIS REPORT
Assess the problem reported and make a determination of the responsible parties.
SITE CONDITIONS & GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
This is a four story commercial building with a subterranean parking garage. The
commissioner of this report occupies all but a small section of the entire building. The
carpet in question is located in the third floor and has five employees working there.
This inspection was conducted during business hours with employees on duty.
This building is located in a commercial zone with other businesses. This street where the
building is located is less than ten blocks from the Pacific Ocean. Its condition and
furnishings appeared to be in good condition.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION MADE TO THE INSPECTOR
Immediately during or after the installation, the problem with seam appearance
caused the commissioner of this report to question the quality of the carpet or the
workmanship of the installation. No opinions as to what is causing the problem had been
offered at the time of the inspection. No corrections had been attempted either.
DESCRIPTION OF PROBLEM AREA BY THIS INSPECTOR
Seams of eight panels of the carpet in question had an apparent problem with
peaked seams. These panels ran the width of the main hallway located on the south side of
the building. In two of these seams, there were sprouting yarns. Panel widths were
measured at:
10' & 9" 11' & 11" 12' & 1"
12' & 0" 12' & 0"
12' & ½," 11' & 5½".
A kitchen area with a tile floor was also part of this hallway. Therefore, the width of
the hallway or the length of the panels varied.
The carpet was lifted up at two of the seams and holes made by the tackless-strip-nail did
not indicate that proper power stretching had been done. There were no cushion seams
located under the carpet seams in these two spots. Evidence of seam sealer was
inconclusive by either sight or feel.
ON-LOCATION FIELD TESTING
An ultra-violet light was shone to find evidence that seaming adhesive was used
on cut edges and indeed seaming adhesive was found.
A Pile Direction Test was done using a piece of paper and a pencil. The pile direction of
the carpet was confirmed as running the same direction on both sides of the seams.
THE ISSUE
The question that I have been asked to address is to determine whether the seams
are acceptable and if not, who is the responsible party.
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 installation, areas of responsibility for manufacturers, dealers, and
installers, and a manual for making claims with a carpet producer. The accepted standard
for this installation would be the CRI104-1996 and the manufacturer's specifications.
INDUSTRY STANDARDS & DEFINITIONS
The CRI104-1996 says this:
11.5 Carpet Layout and Cutting - Following the seaming diagram, cut the carpet to a length
sufficient to cover the area, plus approximately 3 - 4 inches, to allow for trimming at
the wall line. When installing patterned carpet, each cut should be sufficient in length
to meet pattern matching and trimming requirements.
11.6 Edge Securing - Once the edges are trimmed, an appropriate seam adhesive must be
applied to both trimmed edges. Improperly sealed edges can lead to seam delamination or
loss of face yarns, with unsightly results.
11.7 Seaming - The choice of seaming method is dictated by the type of carpet backing and
carpet construction.
11.7.1 Hot Melt Tape - This seaming method uses a fabric seaming tape precoated with a
thermoplastic adhesive which is centered beneath the seam. Heat from an electric iron
melts the adhesive, laminating the carpet backing to the tape. A grooved iron is
recommended for better penetration of the adhesive. Proper iron temperature is essential,
with special care taken for carpet with synthetic backing or synthetic pile yarns. Consult
tape manufacturer's recommendation for heat settings. Always run the iron in the direction
of the pile lay. A heat shield for the iron is required. A metal surface should not be
used to weight the seam behind the iron. Premium tape with high tensile strength and
sufficient adhesive on the woven scrim is recommended.
NOTE: In some critical seaming situations, to minimize elevating and peaking, a 6-inch
(150-mm) wide tape should be used.
Pre-stretch the carpet in the seam direction before making the seam.
11.8 Power Stretching - Carpet must be power stretched and firmly hooked onto the
trackless strip at the starting walls and on the trackless strips in the surrounding area.
The use of a power stretcher is mandatory.
According to the FLOOR COVERING DICTIONARY this about Seam Peaking:
SEAM PEAKING - To reduce stress re-alignment, resulting in seam peaking, all of the
following may be helpful: power stretching the carpet along the seam line before seaming,
constructing the seams ion a flat, rigid surface and constructing seams with six-inch-wide
tap.
THE INSPECTOR'S ANALYSIS
Tufted carpets such as this one normally come in twelve-foot widths; however, several
inches on each side of all tufted carpet is meant to be trimmed, (reference CRI104,
section 11.5). Failure to do so can lead to problems such as:
· Variations in appearance
· Sprouting yarns.
· Fraying of the edges
The reason behind this is because the latex is sparse at the carpet's edge, shearing is
not the same, and dyes do not share the same consistency with the rest of the carpet. In
most cases, having one extra inch on each side of the carpet will eliminate these
problems. In this case, if the first and last panels were 11', 10", then 17½ inches
would have been gained that could have narrowed the width of the other panels. Thus, there
would be no need to use more carpet.
Failure to properly apply seaming adhesive as noted in section 11.6 of the CRI104-1996
will also lead to sprouting yarns, gaps, and fraying at the carpet's edge. Most, but not
all seaming adhesive contains dyes that will shine under ultraviolet light. It is unknown
as to whether it has this type of dye, but sprouting yarns were noted in two seams.
Failure to properly power stretch as noted in section 11.8 of the CRI104-1996 can
aggravate the seam peaking noted in the hallway, (reference CRI104, section 11.7.1). In
this case, it may have allowed for the repair of the seam problem.
CONCLUSION
From a professional opinion, based upon background information, observations, and
field-testing done at the time of the inspection, the seam problem is due to installation
errors.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Since the carpet is designed to be stretched up to, 1½ percent, the selvaged edge of
these panels could likely be repaired. However, a highly certified technician would be
highly recommended to do the repairs on this carpet.
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