Stop Marks not Severe
The lines in this carpet are visible only to the careful observer.
THE CARPET
FIBER/ ID METHOD: Wool-Manufacturer's Specification
CONSTRUCTION: Tufted Cut Loop
BACK SYSTEM: Conventional Tufted
PRIMARY BACKING: Jute
SECONDARY BACKING: Jute
THE INSTALLATION
DATE INSTALLED: Not Applicable
USE & MAINTENANCE INFORMATION AT THE TIME OF INSPECTION
LITERATURE RECEIVED WITH PURCHASE:
REASON FOR COMMISSION
The carpet has reportedly developed lines.
THE REPORT
Geographical Background Information
The Dealer’s store is located in a business park, in the Los Angeles Basin, six miles from the Pacific Ocean.
THE CLAIM HISTORY
According to the intended purchaser of the carpet in question, the problems with the carpet were noticed upon delivery of the carpet. The carpet was not installed. The inspection was performed at the dealer’s place of business.
DETAIL PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION BY THE INSPECTOR
The lines in the carpet in question were not noticeable to the inspector at first glance. After the lines were pointed out the following observations were made.
The lines in the carpet were few. They were continuous and intermittent and ran only the width of the carpet. The intermittent lines in most cases run three or four inches. The continuous lines (of which the inspector only observed one), were more prevalent on one side of the carpet than on the other.
The lines become more or less visible when seen from different directions. They follow individual rows. There was no discernible pattern in the distance from one line to another.
The lines themselves are created by pile distortions. The pile itself is a combination
of two yarns; one that is fat and looped, the other that is small, stringy, and sheared.
The small, sheared yarns are the source of the distortion. On unaffected yarns these yarns
run the same direction while in the lines the pile direction of these yarns vary. The
yarns themselves have no other distortions including size, bulk, flares, or twist. If
there is a height difference, it would be less than 1/32 of an inch.
There are also other types of lines in the carpet that are attributed to fold mark. To the best of this Inspector’s understanding, the claimant was not concerned with these lines.
There was a bubble observed in one location in the carpet. This rise in the carpet was somewhat circular and approximately four inches in diameter. On the backside of this area the jute had a distortion. This distortion was in three areas. They were in close proximity to one anther. The yarns in these areas did not run in straight lines, but were wavy. Also the yarns itself were distorted.
TESTING
The carpet was brushed in the affected areas to see if the distortion would disappear. No lasting changes were made. No other testing seemed applicable to this carpet.
THE QUESTION THE INSPECTOR HAS BEEN ASKED
The question that I have been asked to address is: what has caused the carpet to develop lines?
CONDITIONS THAT CAN CAUSE THE PROBLEM
Width Lines Can Be Caused By:
1. soil contamination
2. fold marks from storage
3. stop marks in manufacturing.
INDUSTRY STANDARDS, PRACTICES & DEFINITIONS
According to the IICRC FIELD REFERENCE GUIDE, it says this about STOP MARKS:
stop marks - Imperfections across the width of tufted carpet, usually caused by improperly starting or stopping a tufting machine.
Also according to the IICRC FIELD REFERENCE GUIDE it defines RANDOM SHEARED as this:
random sheared - Textured carpet pattern created by lightly shearing (shaving off) some of the top or higher loops and leaving others in the looped configuration.
THE INSPECTORS' ANALYSIS
The lines in this carpet are visible only to the careful observer. To the best of this inspector’s resources, the only kind of mill defect that would run the width of the carpet and follow an individual row, would be a ‘Stop Mark’. However, since the lines are very slight, they most likely are not from an actual stopping and starting of the machinery, but rather momentary tension variations in the shearing process.
The distortions in the jute have the appearance of improper handling while the latex was still soft. It is debatable as to whether the bubble that is apparent on the face yarn would disappear with installation and stretching.
INSPECTOR'S OPINIONS
The lines in the carpet are the result of stop marks inherent in manufacturing.