Pooling In Residence

THE CLAIM STATISTICS

PROBLEM REPORTED: Rings Of Dirt

WAS A DIAGRAM MADE?: No

SAMPLES FROM INSPECTION: None Taken

PERSONS PRESENT: Inspector & Claimant

THE CARPET

FIBER PROTECTANTS Scotchgard®

FIBER/ ID METHOD: Nylon-Manufacturer's Specification

COLOR: Tan

CONSTRUCTION: Tufted Cut Loop

STYLE: Saxony

SQUARE YARDAGE: 60

BACK SYSTEM: Conventional Tufted

PRIMARY BACKING: Not Accessible

SECONDARY BACKING: Not Accessible

THE INSTALLATION

TYPE OF SITE: Residential

METHOD: Stretch-In

SUBFLOOR: Plywood

AREA INSTALLED: Living-Room, Dining Room, 2-Hallways

USE & MAINTENANCE INFORMATION AT THE TIME OF INSPECTION

LITERATURE RECEIVED WITH PURCHASE: Yes

TEMPERATURE: 82.5°F - 28.0° C

RELATIVE HUMIDITY: 39%

ADULTS: 3 CHILDREN: 0 PETS: 0

DO THEY SMOKE? No

SPOTTING AGENTS: Nylax & Chemdry

VACUUM TYPE: Canister

FREQUENCY: Weekly

ENTRY MATS: Yes

CONDITION of THE CARPET: Good

SOIL: None Noticeable

HEATING TYPE: Central Force Air Gas

COOLING TYPE: None

CLEANING: Never Been Cleaned

REASON FOR COMMISSION

To resolve what the rings in the carpet are from.

THE REPORT

Geographical Background Information

The carpet in question is installed in a free standing house in a residential neighborhood. The house was in good condition. The maintenance was meticulous.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION MADE TO THE INSPECTOR

The claimant reports that they have been in the house for 31 years. The old carpet was replaced due to a remodeling effort. No problems were noticed at the time of the installation. At some point after the installation the claimant noticed rings or lines forming in the carpet. The lines formed boundaries that looked as if the carpet had pools of water. The dealer of the carpet viewed the conditions and had no resolution as to what had caused the problem.

DESCRIPTION OF PROBLEM AREA BY THIS INSPECTOR

The problem is primarily in the trafficked areas of the insulation. The affected areas were lighter or darker than the surrounding carpet depending upon what angle they were viewed from. The problem was not under rugs and heavy furniture.

FIELD TESTING

A Pile Direction Test was done using a plain piece of paper and an ordinary pencil. The pencil is rolled on the paper while it is laying on the carpet. As it is rolled the paper begins to move. This movement confirms the pile direction of the carpet. The results of this test where the seam runs revealed that the affected areas have a different pile direction than the surrounding carpet. The carpet was then brushed vigorously to see if the pile could be changed. No lasting change was made..

THE ISSUE OF THIS REPORT

The issue of this report is: what caused the pile reversal in the carpet in question?

GUIDELINES FOR EVALUATING THE ISSUE

Pile reversal can be caused by:

1. manufacturer’s defects

2. excessive wear on the carpet or improper maintenance procedures

3. heat in combination with mechanical action.

4. spills from liquid that would soften the latex backing

5. unknown force referred to as Pooling or Shading.

INDUSTRY STANDARDS, PRACTICES & DEFINITIONS

According to the IICRC REFERENCE GUIDE FOR INSPECTION OF TEXTILE FLOORCOVERINGS within the glossary of term the following definition is given:

pile reversal - Abrupt changes in pile lay, generally encountered along the edges of traffic lanes or seams.

pooling - A form of pile reversal in which the direction of the pile’s orientation changes abruptly at narrow, serpentine interfaces, usually located in or adjacent to trafficked areas. The cause of this condition has not yet been determined.

shading - An apparent change in the color of carpet pile caused as light is reflected in different ways when pile fibers are bent or abraded. The sides of fibers reflect more light and appear brighter and lighter in color than the ends which absorb more light and appear to be duller and darker in color. Shading is aggravated when carpet fibers are subjected to abrasive soil and heavy traffic. Shading is not a defect, but a characteristic especially of cut-pile fabrics.

watermarking - A slight reorientation of fibers in dense pile carpet, which creates irregular light/dark contrast in the pile and makes the carpet look "wet." Water marking is characteristic of densely tufted or woven pile designs, and is not usually considered a defect. No specific cause or permanent corrective solution has been discover for watermarking.

THE INSPECTOR'S ANALYSIS

There is no evidence of manufacturing defect, spills or excess foot traffic that would create this problem. It is a classic case of most pooling problems. At the time of the writing of this report, no official cause for this condition has been found. It is not considered a manufacturing defect by the CARPET AND RUG INSTITUTE.

CONCLUSION