Visual Color Change in Carpet: Tinted Windows

Tinted windows can cause the appearance of dark areas on a carpet. The areas may appear yellow, gold, gray or other color depending on the color of the window tint and carpet involved. These areas will sometimes make the carpet appear to have stains on it and the consumer will likely see it as a problem with the carpet and not the windows. In reality though it is a reflection problem and not a carpet defect.

Common Identifying Characteristics

• What appears as discoloration is mainly in front of areas of glass!
• Stained appearing areas that cross over seams, maintaining the pattern.
• You may notice footprints that have the same stained appearance.
• The window glass usually has a tint to it. The tint may be light or it may be dark. The darker and brighter the tint the greater the shadows will usually be
• If you place a remnant of the same carpet or a white sheet in the area the identical shadow pattern will be seen.
• In areas without glass you do not see the apparent discoloration.

The same procedures as above can be used to detect just about any type of shadow. The carpet professional needs to show the consumer what they see are shadows and not a defect in the carpet. At times, no matter how hard you try to explain this to an end user they still don’t understand it. Understand it or not, shadows are not a legitimate reason to replace a carpet or offer an adjustment.