Color Change in Carpet: Visual and Real

Visual and Real Color Changes

When viewing a carpet one frequently sees what appears to be a color change, but has the color truly changed or is it something different? Has the carpet gained or lost color?

Much of the time when an installed carpet is evaluated under lighting that is consistent across the entire area being reviewed, what the eye had previously registered as a color change is found to have been no more than shadows or a difference in light reflection.

• A window or open door places light and shadows on portions of carpet and may even make it appear stained.
• The shadows cast by a piece of furniture or other fixed object may make a carpet appear to have a dark blotch in it.
• A difference in artificial lighting may make areas appear to be different colors such as making one area appear yellow or green and another area more white or blue.
• Tinted windows regardless of how light the tint can make sections of the carpet appear a totally different color.
• When a carpet is walked on the fibers bend or compact so that more light is reflected from the side of the pile in some areas resulting in lighter and darker appearing areas.
• As a carpet becomes soiled or the fiber is abraded the traffic areas may develop a gray, brown or yellow appearance.
• At other times a carpet develops stains (color added) of bleached areas (color loss). Large area color losses may also develop from heat and sun or impurities in the environment.

In part 2 we will discuss visual color change.