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Specifier Over Sold WearThis report is about a fourth generation nylon carpet and soiling and crushing were normal.THE CARPETFIBER/ ID METHOD: Nylon - Solution Dyed FIBER HUE: Gray CONSTRUCTION: Tufted Loop YARN STYLE: Level Loop SQUARE YARDAGE: 1919 BACK SYSTEM: Action Back PRIMARY BACKING: Polypropylene SECONDARY BACKING: Polypropylene THE INSTALLATION LOCATION TYPE: Commercial TYPE OF BUSINESS: Merchandise Marketing DATE INSTALLED: 9/18/96 METHOD: Direct Glue Down SUBFLOOR: Concrete AREA INSTALLED: Offices And Hallway On Two Floors USE & MAINTENANCE INFORMATION AT THE TIME OF INSPECTION LITERATURE RECEIVED WITH PURCHASE: Not Determined NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 23 TEMPERATURE: 71.9°F - 22.1° C RH 43% VACUUM/FREQUENCY: Not Determined Nightly ENTRY-MATS? Yes SOIL: Slightly Soiled HEATING TYPE: Central Force Air Electric COOLING TYPE: Central - Electric CLEANING: Multiple Cleanings REASON FOR COMMISSION To determine an issue of wear on the carpet in question. THE REPORT Site Conditions and Geographical Information The carpet was installed in this two story free standing commercial building located approximately five miles from the Pacific Ocean in Coastal Orange County. At the time of the inspection the building was occupied by the claimant under a lease. BACKGROUND INFORMATION MADE TO THE INSPECTOR According to the claimant, the dealer described the carpet as being ‘bullet proof’. The claimant also mentioned that there were some installation problems but were corrected to the claimant’s satisfaction. There were early concerns over soiling conditions. The dealer thus performed some cleaning that was later followed-up with a professional service company using the shampoo method. Both cleanings involved only a portion of the entire carpet. Later the carpet began to look worn in the trafficked areas. Thus, the soiling and worn look exceeded the claimant’s expectations. According to the factory representative the carpet has a Scotchgard treatment for soil resistance, but had no stain resistance. DESCRIPTION OF PROBLEM AREA BY THIS INSPECTOR The carpet was slightly soiled in the entrance. The trafficked areas were slightly crushed throughout the installation. There was no apparent loss of twist, no gaps, and apparent loss of yarn. No problems were noted with the seams, loose yarns, or buckling. ON-LOCATION FIELD TESTING A general spotting agent by Groom Industries called Perky SpotterŪ was applied to a towel and the towel was blotted onto the trafficked and spotted areas. The results of this test showed that the spots were easily removed. A DuPontŪ Stain Resist Test was performed to determine the amount of possible stain resistance on the face yarn. The results of this test revealed that the carpet was not stain resist. THE ISSUE OF THIS REPORT The issues of this report are: is the crushing and the soiling in the carpet in question beyond industry norms and standards? GUIDELINES FOR EVALUATING THE ISSUE Crushing can Occur when:
Rapid resoiling can occur when:
INDUSTRY STANDARDS, PRACTICES & DEFINITIONS Standards for installation are set by the CARPET AND RUG INSTITUTE of Dalton, Georgia and are called the CRI104 COMMERCIAL INSTALLATION STANDARDS. Standards for maintenance are set by the INSTITUTE of INSPECTION, CLEANING, & RESTORATION and are called S001-1994 Standard Reference Guide for Cleaning Carpet. Sources for manufacturing standards vary depending upon the problem, but FHA/HUD has the UM 44C & 44D. THE INSPECTOR'S ANALYSIS Some crushing is indicative of all synthetic carpets, but nylon is noted as having less of a problem than other fibers such as polyester and olefin. There was no evidence of detergent residue that would add to a crushing problem. If there had been installations errors, then applicable problems to a performance could be addressed, however there were no errors noted at the time of the inspection. Thus, the crushing that has taken place is beyond the claimant’s expectations, but errors in manufacturing, installation, or even usage have carried the problem beyond reasonable expectation of normal performance. Two types of carpet protectants are applicable to nylon carpet, one is a fluorocarbon treatment to protect against soil and oil problem; the other is an acid dye resistor to address common household stains. This inspector was unaware of the protectants that had been applied at the mill, thus the stain resistance test was made due to the fact the claimant said the carpet was "bullet proof." This test was not applicable because the fluorocarbon type treatment was the only application done at the mill. Although a stain resist treatment would have made the carpet’s performance better, it would not address the soiling problem. The type of problems such as a beverage like Koolaid that it would address were not found in this installation,.The detergent test indicates though, that normal maintenance should have no problem in removing soil. Thus, the soil that was present was rather normal and should be expected. Higher expectations could be realized with a more aggressive maintenance program. Both soiling and crushing performance could be addressed through professional cleaning services. CONCLUSION Soiling and crushing in the carpet in question were normal based upon the observations made at the time of the inspection. |