Streak in an Wilton
This was a dealer inspection against the mill
THE CARPET
FIBER/ ID METHOD: Wool
FIBER HUE: Black W/ Green Dots
CONSTRUCTION: Wilton
YARN STYLE: Wilton
SQUARE YARDAGE: 61
BACK SYSTEM: Woven
PRIMARY BACKING: Woven
THE INSTALLATION
DEALER: Contempo Floor Covering
INSTALLER: Same As Dealer
LOCATION TYPE: Residential
DATE INSTALLED: 3/98
METHOD: Stretch-In
SUBFLOOR: Not Determined
AREA INSTALLED: Stair-Landing And Hallway
USE & MAINTENANCE INFORMATION AT THE TIME OF INSPECTION
LITERATURE RECEIVED WITH PURCHASE: No
TEMPERATURE: 69°F - 20.5° C RH 62%
ADULTS: 3 - CHILDREN: 3 - PET(S): 1 - Dog
DO THEY SMOKE? No
SPOTTING AGENTS: None Yet
VACUUM/FREQUENCY: Upright Twice Weekly
ENTRY-MATS? Yes
SOIL: None Noticed
HEATING TYPE: Forced Air Gas
COOLING TYPE: Central - Electric
CLEANING: Never Been Cleaned
REASON FOR COMMISSION
The carpet has reportedly developed lines.
THE REPORT
Site Conditions and Geographical Information
This modest sized mansion was located in a secured neighborhood at the end of a small canyon, just below Mulholland and across the I-405 Freeway from the new Getty Center. The house was undergoing remodeling, but was owner occupied with a small staff of professional housekeepers.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION MADE TO THE INSPECTOR
After the installation, a line was noticed that has not changed in appearance. No corrections had been attempted.
DESCRIPTION OF PROBLEM AREA BY THIS INSPECTOR
A two inch wide straight line with well defined edges, running continuously in the length was noticed immediately upon seeing the carpet. It was lighter than the surrounding pile and was noted in two separate panels. It remained consistent when viewed in different directions and had no apparent variations to hand or texture.
 |
 |
ON-LOCATION FIELD TESTING
An inspection lamp placed directly over the lines made them disappear.
A Pile Direction Test was done using a piece of paper and a pencil and the pile direction of the carpet was confirmed as running the same direction in the line and beside the line. However, the pencil moved considerably faster in the line.
A portable steam generator was used for approximately 30 minutes in a 15 foot section. After the steam cleared there was essentially no change in the appearance of the line.
THE ISSUES
The issues of this report are: to determine the source of the line and what can be done to eliminate it.
GUIDELINES FOR EVALUATING THE ISSUE
Lines Can Be Caused From
1. manufacturer’s defects
2. lines or ridges of uneven floor finish in rows
3. installation errors
INDUSTRY STANDARDS & DEFINITIONS
The FLOOR COVERING DICTIONARY has this to say about WILTON:
WILTON - Takes its name from a town in England where it was first made. It is woven on a loom with a specialized combination of a Jacquard system. A distinguishing feature of the loom is a series of pattern cards perforated like player-piano rolls. These cards automatically regulate the feeding of different colors of yarn into the loom. Though the number of colors possible to use on this loom is not unlimited, the Jacquard mechanism assures accurate reproduction of intricate patterns with grate clarity. One color at a time is drawn up as pile, the other, are buried beneath the surface. This gives additional body, resilience and strength to Wilton carpet, and is responsible for its "hidden-value" reputation. Good quality Wilton is a luxurious and long-wearing carpet with deep, dense pile. It is available in a wide range of multi-color designs and also solid colors. Many new texture variations, including modern carved effects, still further widen the choice of Wilton carpets and rugs. According to CRI 105, hand sewing is recommended for seaming most woven carets and is required for all Wiltons carpet.
THE INSPECTOR'S ANALYSIS
When a line disappears in intense lighting, the problem is considered a texture problem, thus this line is not a dye streak. A texture variation that is lighter than the surrounding carpet is higher than the surrounding pile. A texture variation higher than the surrounding pile would likely be more related to the weaving process rather than crushing and detection is often location sensitive. The steaming of the carpet should have eliminated the problem if crushing were the culprit.
Lengthwise, straight lines are generally inherent in manufacturing; while random lines are inherent from the natural tendencies of natural woven floor-covering textiles. Installation and handling make lines that are not consistent with what was found here. Thus neither natural tendencies or installation are worthy candidates; but manufacturing is a likely candidate..
Whether or not they are excessive depends upon:
1. how noticeable they are
2. how well they are captured in pictures
There is little debate that these lines did capture on film, thus the line clearly falls into a problem worthy of correction or replacement.
CONCLUSION
Based on the above inspection process, the lines are a manufacturing problem that needs to be addressed for corrections or replacement.