Wrinkles, which can be unsightly as well as create trip hazards, accelerate carpet wear, and cause the carpet to delaminate are rarely a result of manufacturing. Experience shows that proper installation techniques greatly reduce the potential for wrinkling.

Steps that can be taken during installation to prevent carpet from becoming loose are:

First, the carpet should be acclimated to the environment in which it is to be installed.

Cold, stiff carpet cannot be properly stretched, and it will eventually become warm, relax, and loose, regardless of how tightly it was originally stretched.

Second, carpet installed via the stretch-in installation method MUST be power stretched

1 to 1½% over both the length and width of the carpet (CRI-105 1995*, Section 9.14).

It is mandatory that the carpet be power stretched using power stretchers with extendable poles, not kicked with a knee kicker. Knee kickers are useful installation tools designed for positioning carpet, not for stretching. Power stretchers with tail pins or spikes, most often referred to as a “stinger” are not to be used because they may damage the face yarns, the primary and secondary backings, the cushion, and possibly even the floor.

Third, use the correct carpet cushion. Cushion that is too thick and too soft (low density) will allow excessive flexing of the carpet causing it to lose its stretch. CRI recommends cushion be no thicker than 7/16 inch for residential applications.

Fourth, the tack strip must be adequate to hold the applied stretch. For distances over 30 feet, use architectural strip with three rows of tacks. Position the strip no more than 3/8 inch from the wall or other vertical surfaces.

Finally, always refer to and follow manufacturer’s installation instructions and/or the CRI-105 Standard for Installation of Residential Carpet.

The severity of the potential bubbling or wrinkling can often be influenced by changes in temperature and humidity. In addition, carpet that is loose may also wrinkle and buckle when wet cleaned; however, it will oftentimes return to its original position upon drying.

Technical Bulletin: CARPET WRINKLES (“BUCKLES” or “BUBBLES”)CRI-99 Page 1 of 1 – The Carpet and Rug Institute, P.O. Box 2048, Dalton, Georgia 30722. Phone: 800-882-8846 x2125 Fax: 706-428-3125. E-mail: cri-tech@carpet-rug.com Website: www.carpet-rug.com

Owners of even the best-trained pets will occasionally encounter pet urine accidents. Often, the urine is not discovered until long after the accident. The types of damage from pet urine can be diverse and are dependent upon the makeup of the urine. Urine content will change over the pet’s life because of the pet’s diet, medications, age, health, sex, and reproductive cycles. Because of these variations, some urine stains may not be removable.

To treat urine-damaged areas, blot damp areas as soon as the urine is detected, with plain white paper toweling. Apply a solution of 1/4 teaspoon of a liquid dishwashing detergent (non-bleach and non-lanolin) with one cup of lukewarm water. Do not use automatic dishwashing detergent or aundry detergent. Absorb the moisture with paper towel, rinse with warm water and repeat the application of detergent. Continue rinsing and blotting with the detergent solution and water as long as there is a transfer to the toweling or improvement in the spot. Follow the detergent application with a solution of two tablespoons of ammonia with one cup of water. Rinse with warm water and repeat. Blot dry. Blot the area with a solution of one cup white vinegar to two cups water, and blot dry. Apply a half-inch layer of paper towels to the affected area, and weigh down with a flat, heavy, non-fading object. Continue to change paper towels until completely dry.

Urine can affect the dyes used in carpet, although not all occurrences will result in a permanent stain. Success is dependent upon the content of the urine, the dyes and finish used, and the time elapsed after the deposit. Some urine spots may be immediately noticeable, while others may take weeks or months for a reaction. The dyes may change color immediately after contact with urine. Color can sometimes be restored by treating the area with a solution of two tablespoons of a clear, non-sudsy ammonia in one cup of water. While this treatment is not always successful in restoring color, the ammonia can be effective in removing urine content and reducing objectionable odors.

When urine spots develop slowly and are noticed after much time has elapsed, the dyes and carpet fibers may be permanently damaged. In beige carpet, blue dyes are attacked by pet urine, leaving behind the red and yellow dyes with a resulting stain appearing red, yellow, or orange.

Pet urine, left unattended, can damage carpet in several ways. Moisture can weaken the layers of the carpet, allowing separation or delamination of the backing material. Seam areas can be particularly damaged and can separate.

Another problem, especially with cats, is odor. Unless the cat urine can be completely removed, complete odor removal is unlikely. A number of products are available to combat odor, but may simply mask the odor, and, in times of high humidity, the odor may reappear.

Recently, enzymes, available at pet stores and veterinary offices, have been developed that are more effective; but they may be better used by a carpet cleaning professional. If odor cannot be removed, the damaged area of the carpet can be replaced with a piece from reserved scrap. If carpet replacement is necessary, then replacement of cushion and even subflooring may also be necessary.

Some carpet manufacturers have developed backings that resist spills and even prevent the spillage from penetrating the carpet into the carpet cushion and, perhaps, the subfloor.

Check with your carpet dealer about these products.

Technical Bulletin #115

03/01 page 1 of 1

The Carpet and Rug Insitute

Layout and Seam Placement

The knowledge of a few basics of measurement and layout are a must for the sales representative, installer, consumer or other individual that is measuring rooms for the installation of a new carpet. It is equally important for the inspector, for you will be called upon to determine the amount of yardage required for a defective installation, confirm that the amount of yardage purchased was the amount installed, and in some situations you will need to confirm that the seams were properly located. The following is one method of measurement and layout and not the only way.

Measuring and Diagramming Procedures

Tools and supplies

• Graph paper to layout (draw) the diagram on. For a standard installations 1/4 inch grids. On larger installations you may prefer to use 1/8 or 1/16-inch grids.
• Pencil – preferably a #2.
• Ruler to assist with the drawing of accurate lines.
• Yardage Guide or pocket calculator to determined the amount of floor covering.
• Tape measures should include a 25-foot or longer retracting tape measure and for larger installations a 100-foot steel or steel reinforced cloth tape. If you chose to use a cloth tape measure remember to check it regularly for accuracy as they can stretch. An electronic measuring device can be used but requires a great deal of practice and careful use for exact calculations.
• Awl for holding one end of the tape measure in place.)
• White chalk for marking areas.

Important Measuring and Calculating Points

While bidding an installation often requires that the calculations be made from a blueprint, whenever possible do your layout of the actual room where the product is to be installed as changes often take place between the time a blueprint is drawn and the room is completed.

Before starting the layout drawing it is helpful to know the width that the floor covering is available in or in the case of an already installed floor covering, the width installed. Most carpets are 12′ wide (some carpet is manufactured in 13′6″ or 15′ width).

With a carpet style that has a design the pattern will repeat at regular intervals. You will need to know the type and size of the pattern match. The pattern should be matched so that the design will be uniform no matter which direction the installation is viewed from.

Some carpets have a sculptured pattern that is produced during the tufting or weaving process and a second pattern that is printed on. With this style of carpet the printed and sculptured patter may not line up. In this situation you may only be able to match one of the patterns and it is generally advisable to match or monkey-match the printed pattern.

Drawing Your Layout

• Using a pencil and graph paper, layout the room sizes accurately showing placement of all doors and the correct relationship of all rooms to the other.
• You may find the lay out easiest when each square on the graph paper represents one foot. On larger installations you will need to use smaller grids and/or use a multiple for each grid such as one grid square equals two feet. (The multiple should be noted on your paper to remind you when doing your lay out or calculating the yardage).
• Start with an outside wall that is common to joining rooms.
• Start with the longest adjacent wall or dimension in an installation so that you can tell right away if you are going to run out of space on the paper and need to use a smaller grid or multiples of grids.
• Remember to measure into the doorway where the seam will be made. When carpet is installed in joining rooms, the seams are generally constructed so they will be under the door when it is closed.
• If you have both a baseboard and a quarter round, measure up to the baseboard or you may end up short.
• On long measurements you will find it helpful to anchor the end of the tape measure with an awl.
• After taking a measurement, either free hand (with a steady hand) or using a rule draws the line of the wall that the measurement represents. Be sure to take note of the placement of your first line so that the entire layout will accurately flow on your paper

Figuring Your Cuts

• Add three inches to each cut.
• Figure all main cuts so that the carpet nap lays in the same direction in all connecting rooms. Be sure to pay special consideration to the placement of the seams in relationship to the traffic pattern.
• Seams should be kept to a minimum and away from areas subjected to pivoting traffic and should not run perpendicular to the openings in doorways.
• Whenever possible, the main traffic should run along instead of across the seam.
• To reduce seam visibility it is preferable to have major seams run into instead of across the main light source.
• Figure all fills and other partial cuts from a single piece in order to avoid unnecessary seaming.
• Adequately identify all cuts on the diagram to avoid leaving out or duplicating the amount of material required for the job.
• Double-check your mathematics to avoid shortages and overages.
• An accurate layout and measurements will allow you to determine the amount of material required for a proper installation. In the case of a new installation it will make the installation go smoother.

If the Material has a Pattern

• If the material has a pattern match you must compute the yardage to allow for making the match. If you require two or more lengths of carpet that are to be seamed side by side, you need not figure a match on the first cut but must figure it on each subsequent cuts. As an example, your first cut is 20′6″ long and the carpet has a set-match of 3′ (lengthwise repeat) you will need to figure your cut at the next highest multiple of the repeat, which in this case would be 21′. 7 x 3′ = 21′
• If the pattern is a drop-match, you can estimate the multiples of the repeat plus 1/2, 1/4, or whatever the multiple of the drop-match is.

Vocabulary

• Pattern Match Lining up patterned carpet in such a way that the design element is continued across seams, making the finished installation appear uniform and cohesive Patterns must be matched in the same way as they appear on the carpet itself, either in a set match or drop match.
• Repeat indicates the distance between identical design elements in sheet goods. The most widely used is an 18″ repeat, with range from 3′ to 54″. Common are 9″, 12″, 13 1/2″, 27″, and 54″ repeats (9″ and 12″ repeats usually found in small block or tile designs).
• Drop Match: Each corresponding pattern element drops down a certain distance, such as a quarter or half pattern repeat in length, instead of simply repeating horizontally across the width as in set match. A quarter repeat is referred to as a quarter drop-match and a half repeat a half drop-match, etc.
• Set Match: In a set-match the design is positioned or set, side-by-side so that it is located on a straight line across the width of the carpet.
• Set Match (In relation too resilient): Geometric sheet goods with the pattern design matching straight across the sheet from edge to edge.
• Monkey Matching: Monkey matching is a type of pattern matching where the overprint pattern must be matched and the tufting pattern allowed to fall wherever it may be.

A floor covering does not become a finished product until it is installed. Fortunately many very knowledgeable installers are out there. Unfortunately many butchers that call themselves installers are also out there. Installation is a key element in how a product is going to perform a fact that cannot be stressed enough. A few of the common examples of improper installation are:

• Carpet where the seams that are not properly sealed may fray and allow the backing to separate along the seam edge; seams not properly performed or the carpet stretched as tight as it should have been. Seams in cushion that have not been properly joined.
• Laminated floors where the seams are not properly joined, acclimated or locked in against fixed objects and planks not properly staggered.
• Sheet vinyl where the seams are not properly sealed will open, shrink and turn upward. Material not properly rolled, the improper adhesive or underlayment.
• Hardwood floors that are installed at the proper moisture level, bad boards not pulled, improper nailing and finish problems.

The floor covering industry is striving for improvement in many areas including the area of installation. The WFCA – World Floor Covering Association offers many courses for both members and non-members. The CRI – Carpet and Rug Institute has developed a “seal of approval” that it issues to companies meeting specific installation criteria. The CFI -Certified Floorcovering Installers Association and the FCIA – Floor Covering Installers Association – have developed excellent programs for improving the quality of floor covering installers. The NWFA – National Wood Flooring Association offers continuing education for both members and non-members. Flooring distributors and Manufactures are continuously offer regional programs.

With all of the programs offered one would expect the floor covering installers are very well trained. Unfortunately only a small percentage of installers are willing to invest their time and even less willing to invest their money in continuing education. The buyer must beware and check out the quality of the installers work by asking for references.

Watch for continuing articles in this series.

My father was a chemist in the oil industry. About 1939 his sister’s husband was killed in an automobile accident and my father helped her manage her husbands carpet workroom until it could be sold. Soon after he started his own carpet workroom, which led to him becoming a highly successful person in the floor covering industry.

His company installed carpets and other floors for retailers like Sears and worked closely with manufacturers such as Mohawk, Karastan, Lees and others. As a child I worked for my father learning hands on. Eventually I owned my own floor covering companies.

My father wanted to give the consumer the best value that he could. He gave them that value in several ways and it was not by offering the cheapest price.  His prices were always just a little higher than the competitors and this was not because he was greedy. He was always willing to spend more money for a quality product though he had to sell it for a little more. He taught his employees to do the job right the first time. He paid his employees a little more than they could make doing the same job for others. He treated the customer with respect and if there was a problem it was taken care of right away.

My father had a saying printed on his business cards and on a plaque that hung over his desk, “Price is soon forgotten but quality still remains.” Living by that motto brought him many friends and devoted customers and made him a very successful man.