Seams are Fuzzy from Double CutThey got low-lines from Manufacturing too.THE CARPET COLOR: Multi-Color CONSTRUCTION: Tufted Looped STYLE: Level Loop SQUARE YARDAGE: 544.67 BACK SYSTEM: Conventional PRIMARY BACKING: Polypropylene SECONDARY BACKING: Polypropylene THE INSTALLATION TYPE OF SITE: Commercial TYPE OF BUSINESS: Manufacturer METHOD: Direct Glue Down SUBFLOOR: Slab AREA INSTALLED: Office Area With Cubicles, And Entrance Way. USE & MAINTENANCE INFORMATION AT THE TIME OF INSPECTION LITERATURE RECEIVED WITH PURCHASE: Not Determined NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 120 TEMPERATURE: 75°F - 23.8° C RELATIVE HUMIDITY: 60% VACUUM TYPE: Upright FREQUENCY: Weekly ENTRY MATS: Yes CONDITION of THE CARPET: See Report SOIL: None Noticed HEATING TYPE: Central Force Air Gas COOLING TYPE: Central - Electric CLEANING: Professional METHOD: Steam Cleaning TYPE OF CHEMICAL: Not Determined DATE LAST CLEAN: Not Determined TREATMENTS APPLIED: Not Determined REASON FOR COMMISSION The carpet has reportedly streaked. THE REPORT Geographical Background Information The carpet was installed in a single story building in a commercial zone. The building was occupied by 125 employees at the time of the inspection. Twenty-five employees worked in the office where the carpet was. The condition and maintenance of the property was good. BACKGROUND INFORMATION MADE TO THE INSPECTOR The carpet was installed as part of the moving-in process. Immediately after the installation the employees noticed lines in the carpet. Some of these lines looked fuzzy and others did not. The fuzzy lines got fuzzier with time. Also, there was one ‘gap’ where there was no yarn at all. DESCRIPTION OF PROBLEM AREA BY THIS INSPECTOR The fuzzy lines ran on the seams throughout the installation. The fuzziness was made of loose ends of fibers matted together in the seam. The seams were butted together with a near perfect fit. This line though was quite noticeable. A second but less noticeable line was located two feet and two inches from the seams. These non-fuzzy lines were rolls of yarns that were lower than the adjacent rolls and had no other differences in hue, texture, or twist. There was a single globular shape gap of missing yarn measuring 3/8 of an inch in diameter. It was located approximately 27 inches from a seam near a wall. ON-LOCATION FIELD TESTING An ultra-violet light was shone throughout the installation and revealed no reflections. 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 revealed that the seam ran the same direction. THE ISSUE OF THIS REPORT The question that I have been asked to address is: what caused the streaks on the carpet in question? GUIDELINES FOR EVALUATING THE ISSUE Lines Can Be Caused From 1. Manufacturer’s defects from · Oil contamination · Dye · Defective yarn * From size * Improper twist * tension variations on the beam 2. Elongated soil patterns remaining in the carpet following cleaning. 3. lines or ridges of uneven floor finish in rows 4. Installation errors · stretching · improper blending or fold marks · when cushion seams separate, such as when there is not duct tape covering the seam INDUSTRY STANDARDS, PRACTICES & DEFINITIONS The CRI104 is the commercial installation standard. THE INSPECTOR'S ANALYSIS A likely scenario of how the fuzzy lines were made could be that the carpet of one panel was laid over the adjacent panel and then both sections were cut together, one on top of the other. This is common practice with vinyl and some other styles of carpet and would explain how the two edges of this carpet came to fit so closely together. However, on a looped pile the bottom cut is not likely to be between the rolls, but on the roll of yarns itself. This leaves frayed loose fibers that distort the appearance of the seam. This may be what happened in this case. The non-fuzzy line is likely the result of what is referred to as a ‘low line,' but this problem was far less noticeable and the photograph speaks for itself. The gap in the carpet is a mystery. The source of such problems could be related to manufacturing, installation or usage.. CONCLUSION The fuzzy line is the result of installation error from inappropriate cutting techniques. The non-fuzzy line is a manufacturing problem known as low-line probably from a bent needle being bent. Conclusions are based upon the inspector’s observations. |