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Specifier Over Sold 3rd Generation NylonThe homeowner who is the commissioner of this report, was told by the dealer that the carpet was ‘bullet proof’. It turned out that the carpet was a forth generation nylon/olefin sisal. THE CARPET FIBER/ ID METHOD: Nylon/Olefin-According To Manufacturer & Chemical Testing FIBER HUE: Tan CONSTRUCTION: Tufted Loop YARN STYLE: Sisal-Patterned SQUARE YARDAGE: 147 BACK SYSTEM: Conventional Tufted PRIMARY BACKING: Woven Polypropylene SECONDARY BACKING: Polypropylene THE INSTALLATION LOCATION TYPE: Residential DATE INSTALLED: 7/9/97 METHOD: Stretch-In CUSHION: 40 Oz Felted Pad . SUBFLOOR: Plywood AREA INSTALLED: Hallway & 4 Bedrooms USE & MAINTENANCE INFORMATION AT THE TIME OF INSPECTION LITERATURE RECEIVED WITH PURCHASE: Wear Warranty & Manufacturing Sects TEMPERATURE: 79°F - 26.1° C RH 71% ADULTS: 2 - CHILDREN: 2 - PET(S): 2 - Rats DO THEY SMOKE? No SPOTTING AGENTS: Spot Cure VACUUM/FREQUENCY: Upright Weekly ENTRY-MATS? Yes SOIL: See Report HEATING TYPE: Central Force Air Gas COOLING TYPE: Central - Electric CLEANING: Never Been Cleaned INSTRUCTION FOR THIS INSPECTION Determine why crushing and staining were occurring. THE REPORT Site Conditions and Geographical Information The carpet was installed in the claimant’s free standing two story house located in a residential neighborhood within a few blocks off the Pacific Ocean. The house was owner occupied at the time of the inspection. BACKGROUND INFORMATION MADE TO THE INSPECTOR ACCORDING TO THE CLAIMANT -- The carpet was selected when the claimant was purchasing and moving into this house. There was an initial interest in Berber but the dealer and specifier said that Berber would not be a good choice. Wool carpet was also mentioned by the dealer and the idea was dismissed due to the fact that it stains too easily and it was too costly. Instead the dealer and the specifier recommended the carpet in question which was a 32 ounce Sisal-pattern nylon, designed for commercial use. This carpet was reportedly suitable for residential and the dealer reportedly said that stain resistance was built into the yarn and that the carpet should wear like iron. ACCORDING TO THE INSTALLER, whose name was Arthur, stated that an inspection for crushing was noted immediately after the installation. A line of cut fibers was noted in the walkway and was attributed to a manufacturing error called a ‘Stop Mark’. Arthur claims that he is a carpet inspector too, but is not certified by the IICRC. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER, the carpet was sold as one that was very wearable and cleanable and that cleaning could be done with soap and water. The dealer reported to this inspector that the dealer made it perfectly clear that this carpet did not have many of the ‘bells and whistles’ that other residential carpets had. ACCORDING TO THE SPECIFIER, the Interior Designer with an AA degree in interior design, stated that the claimant wanted something to carry through the years and have something to be very cleanable. ACCORDING TO JOHN COSTLY OF ASTON MILLS INCORPORATED, the high rows of the carpet in question were BASF solution-dyed nylon 6, and the low rows were olefin. The nylon has not been treated with any type of soil or stain release protectants. In addition, cleaning can be done with bleach. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE INSTALLATION, the claimant noticed that footprints showed easily and spots were not easily removed. Later, the following things were noticed: 1. The carpet in the hallway was being distorted by crushing 2. There was pulled loop noticed that the dealer recommended to the claimant to cut the pulled. 3. There was a straight line of cut fibers. 4. Finally, a spot next to the bed in the master-bedroom was not removable. DESCRIPTION OF PROBLEM AREA BY THIS INSPECTOR The inspector was directed upstairs where the carpet was installed. Crushing was immediately noticed upon entering the upstairs hallway. Tackless strip from prior carpet had been installed on the stairs, but no carpet had been laid. To the right of the stairs, a straight line of cut fibers covered most of the width of the hall. In the master-bedroom a dark spot was noted next to the bed. ON-LOCATION FIELD TESTING An ultra-violet light was used to draw a reflection from substances with optical brightening agents. Yellow reflection will come from most urine stains; a blue or lavender reflection from detergents. The result of this test revealed that there were no reflections. 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 some moisture in the spot next to the bed but no where else. A DuPontŪ Stain Resist Test was performed on yarns taken from a remnant to determined the amount of possible stain resistance on the face yarn. The results of these tests showed no stain resistance, but the testing showed that the yarn could be made stain resist. The carpet was pulled back in this room to determine if the carpet had been power stretched. There were no oblong stretch marks from the nails in the tackless strip noted, thus, it is unlikely that power stretching was performed.. THE ISSUES OF THIS REPORT The issues of this report are: 1. Does this carpet perform in a manner consistent with other residential carpets? 2. Can its appearance be easily maintained? 3. Does it meet the expectation they were represented? GUIDELINES FOR EVALUATING THE ISSUE The claimant’s expectations & the representations made concerning this carpet are: 1. For this carpet to carry through the years -- according to THE SPECIFIER 2. For this carpet to be very cleanable -- according to THE DEALER & SPECIFIER 3. That stain resistance was built into the yarn -- according to THE DEALER 4. That will wear like iron -- according to THE DEALER INDUSTRY STANDARDS & DEFINITIONS 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. Concerning power-stretching, the CARPET AND RUG INSTITUTE RESIDENTIAL STANDARD says: 9.14 Power Stretching - Following seaming, carpet must be power stretched and firmly hooked onto the tackless strip at the starting walls in surrounding area. The use of a power stretcher is mandatory. According to the ACADEMY OF TEXTILES & FLOORING, they say this about the generations of nylon -- 1st - Early Nylons Marketed in 1946 2nd - Modified Cross-Section For Soil Hiding 501 Nylon Built filament Marketed in 1957 3rd - 2nd Generation Plus Antistatic Properties Marketed in 1968 4th - 3rd Generation Plus Fluorochemical Soil/Stain Repellent Marketed in 1981 5th - 4th Generation Plus Acid Dye Blocker Treatment Marketed in 1987 6th - 5th Generation Plus Crush Resistance Marketed in 1994 According to the ACADEMY OF TEXTILES & FLOORING, they say this about olefin -- The advantages of olefin are as follows: · Solution dyed during extrusion · Least absorbent - no shrinkage · Economical · Stain resistant · Light weight (floats on water) · Strong -excellent abrasion resistance The disadvantages of olefin are as follows: · Not resistant to oil · Lowest melting temperature - soften at 200°F. and evaporates at 300° C. · Poor resilience For comparison of this carpet to a stain resist carpet with DuPont Stain Resist the following warranty is given. Limited Five-Year Stain Resistance Warranty DuPont warrants, for a full five years after purchase, that the surface pile of STAINMASTER Master Life Carpet will resist stains by foods and beverages (except as noted below) with the use of DuPont recommended cleaning procedures. DuPont will repair, or replace if repair cannot be made, any area of the carpet that does not perform as war-ranted. According to the FLOORCOVERING DICTIONARY is says this about STOP MARKS: STOP MARKS - This condition appears as if a row of tuft were missing across the width of the carpet. It is more pronounced looking in loop pile; however, it can occur in any type carpet. The condition is caused when the primary backing moves forward a fraction of an inch after the needle bar is stopped in the up position. Sometimes in cut pile carpet this condition can be minimized by steaming. According to the FLOORCOVERING DICTIONARY is says this about wear and wearablity: WEAR - A reduction in pile density as a result of traffic, abrasive soil build-up, maintenance and use. Wear is most apparent in high traffic areas, especially when compared to adjacent untracked areas. WEARABILITY - The ability of a floorcovering to retain its original characteristics after being subjected to normal wear and use. THE INSPECTOR'S ANALYSIS STAIN RESISTANCE -- Whereas the dealer allegedly stated that wool was not a good choice due to its lack of stain resistance, neither does ordinary nylon offer a better choice. The industry norm is for all residential nylon to be stain resist. The consumer’s expectation that this carpet would be "as worry free" as seen in commercials during the 1980s is not unreasonable. Thus, the modern interpretation of ‘easy to clean’ is; if there is a common household stain to be removed, then mild detergent would be suitable to perform the job. However, in a commercial installation where static control has a higher consideration than stain resistance, trouble-some spots and stains are dealt with powerful chemicals by trained technicians. Since, this carpet was manufactured , with untreated solution dyed nylon and olefin, the claimant must also use bleach to remove the stains. As such, there was no ‘care & maintenance’ literature furnished and there is only guess work on what kind of bleach to use, what concentration it should be used, and how it should be applied. Improper application of bleach may do damage to other furnishings. Therefore, the nylon portion of this carpet would be unsuitable for residential use based upon a reasonable expectation of removing spots and stains easily. Performance will be similar to those made a quarter century ago. Considering that the claimant has children and pets, spots and stains will persist and will detract greatly from the carpet’s appearance. Thus, the carpet is far from representing the claimant’s desires of protection from carpet mishaps. SOLUTION DYED NYLON 6 -- Solution dyed nylon creates more problems than it solves problems for residential use. In addition to this, nylon 6 is characterized as being more stainable than nylon 6.6. When this is combined with the fact that solution dyed nylon leaves all of the natural dye sites open for accidental stains, the appearance of the carpet generally degrades quickly. This once again is not a problem in commercial installations where strong chemicals could be used safely but would less desirable for residential use. CRUSHING -- Olefin is the most crushable fiber, but is another factor contributing to the crushing problem. Whereas this is a 32 ounce high/low pattern, the high row is not supported with sufficient bulk to keep it from crushing. Concerning the representations that were made -- 1. For this carpet to carry through the years -- The carpet in question in a brief period of time was failing to meet the specification of cleanability and wearability, based upon its appearance problems. 2. For this carpet to be very cleanable -- Both the olefin and nylon portions of this carpet present cleaning challenges that are well beyond the norm for most residential carpet. Cleaning will require harsh chemicals be used. 3. That stain resistance was built into the yarn -- The nylon portion of this carpet is the most stainable of all synthetic fibers made. Stain resistance is natural only to the olefin portion which attract oil. 4. That will wear like iron -- The wearability with respect to appearance will be poor with respect to appearance. Wear in this carpet should be good, if it is properly power stretched and the pulled loops and cut fibers are properly dealt with. OTHER ISSUES -- · THE STRAIGHT LINE OF BROKEN OR CUT FIBERS fits the pattern that would occur when an installer attempts to cut a section of carpet on top of another piece of the same carpet. In this scenario, the installer's knife penetrated the piece being cut and sliced the looped fibers underneath. On a cut pile carpet, there is no problem since there are no loops to cut, but on a looped carpet, the result has caused irreparable damage. The installer’s explanation of this does not fit the definition for a stop mark. · THE PULLED LOOP in the hallway should not be cut or pulled. To correct this problem the yarn should be reburled. Cutting could lead to a pulled section of yarns that may look like a zipper that has come undone. · Another factor is that the carpet did not appear to be power stretched. Whereas the CRI105 RESIDENTIAL INSTALLATION STANDARDS say in bold print, ‘The use of a power stretcher is mandatory’ observations of the carpet’s backing did not indicate this. The result of this could be compared to an automobile tire that has been in-correctly balanced; the longevity and appearance have been detracted from. Later down the road the carpet will likely buckle and delaminate. CONCLUSION 1. The carpet in question is not like normal residential carpets in that it stains and crushes like carpet of a quarter of century ago. 2. Base upon a lack of protectants the carpet in question can not be easily cleaned or maintained and cleaning will need to be done on a more frequent basis. 3. The carpet in question does not fit the claimant’s expectations with respect to appearance and wearability nor does it meet the representations of ‘carrying them through the years’, ‘being very cleanable’, ‘having built-in stain resistance’, and ‘wearing like iron’. RECOMMENDATIONS Replacement of with a Sisal carpet that has stain resistance and has better resiliency can be done at a price that is comparable to the one paid. |