August 2005

Question:
I have noticed that our carpets do not seem to fit our family room properly. There seems to be rolls or waves in it. Will cleaning make the situation better or worse?

Answer:
Lately we have recieved several calls about similar concerns. When rolls present on a stretch-in installation it is not a good thing. Rolls that are present for extended periods of time eventually peak. When they peak, it is a signal that the backing of the carpet has been compromised. It is broken. Once that happens, tears and holes will soon appear. They also present trip hazards in homes with seniors or persons with disabilities.

Sometimes, ripples and bumps appear shortly after cleaning. If this happens to you, call your carpet cleaner. There are specific things happening, and a qualified technician will be able to walk you through
what is going on.

Very often however, the problem is a result of someone moving very heavy furniture without lifting the weight off the carpet. Modern carpet is quite sturdy and built to take abuse but.... dragging a 300 lb sectional across the living room will hurt your carpet. Never drag weight over a ripple. In large open areas, industry guidelines specify the need for power stretching, as opposed to simply using a knee kicker to stretch out an installation and attach it to the tackless strips. Sometimes when a home owner installs a carpet, powerstretching may be overlooked. When that happens, traffic patterns will eventually cause rippling and rolling.

Did you know?

Poplypropelene (olefin) has a melting point of 250 Degrees. Dragging a piece of furniture across an olefin berber can create a very noticeable
friction burn!

On rare occasions, extremes in temperature, especially high temperatures coupled with high humidity levels can cause some backing materials to expand - usually this will go away by itself as the weather levels out. By itself this situation does not mean your carpet is not of good quality, nor that your installation was flawed. If your carpet is new, talk to your store. It has been my experience that carpet stores in Medicine Hat take pride in providing after sales support to their clients. They are flooring
experts, and have a great deal of knowledge about their products.

If you have been watching the ripples in your carpets growing, you may have decided to do something about it. Contact a professional installer, or the installation department of your favourite carpet store. Have an estimator look at your flooring and make sure there are no secondary issues. This person will likely explain what the installer will do to improve your home’s appearance, and arrange a date to do so. Clearing furniture from a room that will be re-stretched is not just practical and courteous, it is your responsibility. In the week or so prior to re-stretching, arrange for a professional carpet cleaning of the
affected areas.

At Graham’s we do not offer carpet installation or stretching. But as part of our committment to provide the best carpet care and cleaning resourses for our customers, we do have IICRC certification in carpet repair and re-installation. If you have questions about caring for your carpets, please feel welcome to call.