The appearance of carpet tracking can be very disturbing. You install new carpet and within a couple of month or years the carpet has these ugly dark areas in the traffic lanes. You know that you have not been hard on the carpet, you take off your shoes, vacuum regularly and if there is a spot you remove it immediately.You have the carpet cleaned and these dark tracks are still there. This absolutely has to be a defect and you want the carpet company to do something about it.

So what is carpet tracking? Tracking is a gradual change in appearance of the pile. Tracking is commonly seen as two narrow bands like the tracks on a railway. Tracking can be seen as a wide single path and in all instances it develops in an where the traffic is repeated and often pivotal.

With tracking the pile of the carpet often takes on a darker, dirty appearance that when viewed from some directions is hardly seen or is much lighter in appearance. Tracking is usually seen in softer, cut pile carpets such as a plush pile though it is not limited to plushes. This appearance is commonly seen in areas between rooms and hallways. Often the occupants of the residents are older or tend to shuffle their feet.

Tracking is traffic lane shading a form of pile reversal. Through usage the lay of the pile begins to turn. Since more light is reflected off the sides of the pile and part of the yarn has turned a different direction you are seeing light and dark areas. While this appearance can make a carpet look worn out the carpet is not necessarily worn.

Carpet manufacturers consider tracking and shading to be a characteristic and not a defect.

There are many types of warranties on carpets some fiber warranties especially on more expensive carpets include texture retention. Since it is always possible that the texture within the trafficked area has changed to the point to where it is covered by a texture retention warranty you may still want to report your concerns to the dealer or manufacturer and request that your concerns be addressed.

The best way to avoid tracking is to purchase carpet with a denser construction, lower pile height, textured yarn. Examples would be textured Saxony, frieze, and Berber.

By Terry Weinheimer
Every person in the floor covering industry and especially those that sell, install, inspect and service carpet need to understand the broad variety of complaints that they will face at any given time. These same people need to understand that appearance and wear are not synonymous and in fact the two frequently used words are as different as apples and oranges. Most consumers and far too many “experts” in the industry do not understand or refuse to understand the difference between appearance and wear. By the time you get through this chapter, the author is hoping that this difference will be understood.

There is saying in the carpet industry that has been around at least as long as nylon carpets. “Carpet doesn’t wear out it uglies out”. Unfortunately, a knowledgeable inspector often finds that a carpet has uglied out due to improper cushion selection, inappropriate maintenance or consumer ignorance or neglect. When these types of problems are found it usually results in a consumer and sometimes salesperson that feels they have been taken for a ride. Educating the consumer at the time of purchase can usually prevent these problems.

How Cushion Contributes to Ugly Out

Installing New Carpet over Old Cushion

It is common for an inspector to investigate an installation and find poor performing carpet installed over the old cushion. While this old cushion may have looked pretty good to the installer or salesperson that talked them out of a new one, it has often lost much of its resilience. Was the salesman so unskilled that he or she was unable to explain the need for a proper cushion? Was the installer just too lazy to take up and install a new cushion? While the knowledgeable inspector might not know the motive for installing a new carpet over and old cushion, they certainly can tell when the cushion is bad. When a cushion is bad they will report that fact in their findings. A manufacturer may reduce coverage or refuse to warrant a carpet that is installed over an old pad.

Installing Carpet over Improperly Specified New Cushion

Just as with carpet installed over an old cushion, a carpet installed over a new improperly specified cushion will exhibit premature wear. The Carpet and Rug Institute, Carpet Cushion Council, FHA, and most carpet manufacturers have recommended standards for carpet cushion. Every individual that is selling carpet needs to know and follow these standards. Just as with used cushion a manufacturer may reduce coverage or refuse to warrant a carpet that is installed over a cushion that does not meet their standards. The Installer also needs to be aware of cushion standards for they are often blamed for restretching problems that are actually due to improperly specified carpet cushion.

Improperly Specified Carpet

Carpet that is not properly specified will ugly out regardless of what it is installed over. Most everyone has heard the statement “a good quality cushion will make an inexpensive carpet last longer.” While there is a certain amount of truth to this statement, the best of cushion can only do so much for a poor quality carpet. A carpet that is constructed with a loosely plied yarn and sparse in construction might do fine in a spare bedroom but it is not designed for the traffic of an active family. Inexpensive plush is not going to hold up on stairs regardless of how good the cushion is. By the same token, the finest piece of carpet is not going to hold up when installed over a cushion of improper thickness or density.

Carpet color is another important specification option. A light or pastel color will perform poorly in a high traffic area. A carpet installed in an executive office is unlikely to perform in an automobile showroom or restaurant. A white colored carpet may look great in a few places but in an area with a lot of traffic, household pets or the potential of tracked in soil it is going to ugly out quickly.

The Importance of Maintenance

Can You Over Clean a Carpet?

Dirt is a real problem and it is important for the salesperson to instill to the end user the importance of correct maintenance. With some consumers this will be an impossible task as there are individuals that just don’t take care for their belongings. Some consumers neglect their carpet due to shear ignorance and unfortunately a well-meaning uneducated salesperson or installer may have educated them.

A consumer may have been advised not to vacuum their carpet too much as this will wear it out, when in fact the more dirt you keep out of the carpet the better it will perform. The consumer may have been advised that cleaning will make a carpet get dirty quicker. A carpet that is never cleaned will not resoil at all, for the dirt has to first be removed before it can get dirty again.

It is sometimes true that a carpet will soil quicker after cleaning. A major cleaning problem is the use of an inferior cleaning product or too much of a good cleaning product. Many individuals have the notion that if a little cleaning chemical will do a good job a lot will do a better job. When an inferior product or too much of a good product is used the carpet will dirty quicker as excess chemical residue will be left on the fiber.

The do-it-yourself Cleaner

The do-it-yourself cleaners will often use too much or an inappropriate cleaner. I have seen situations where the consumer has found a product that worked wonders on the patio carpet or the concrete so they used it on the carpet. Some do-it-yourself cleaners tend to over wet the carpet or to use home machines with abrasive brushes. The wrong chemical or procedure will cause the yarn to untwist and mat together and when this happens the problem belongs to them and not the manufacturer.

The fly-by-night Cleaner

Another major cause of carpet soiling quickly is the so-called “professional” or “fly by night” cleaning operator. These individuals will often use strong cleaning chemicals to increase speed. This group of cleaning companies also tend to use inexpensive, inferior cleaning chemicals and strong preconditioner’s that are not properly rinsed from the carpet, and the sticky residue is left behind to attract new soil.

After Market Chemical Applications

The consumer, cleaner or other service applying a product to the face of the carpet can potentially cause it to fail and mat. Manufacturers of the fiber used in a carpet state in their warranty that it will be voided if a product that they do not approve has been used. These products include many soil and stain protectors, insecticides, deodorizers and other types of chemicals.

Manufacturers Require Routine Professional Cleaning

Most fiber manufacturers require that a qualified professional cleaner professionally clean a carpet every 18 to 24 months and more often under heavy use. Failure to comply is cause for a company to void all or part of a warranty. Some manufacturers may still warrant a product but decline the warranty until the carpet has been professionally cleaned and inspected.

A quality carpet cleaning will not leave excess sticky residue. While on the surface the cost appears higher, a qualified professional cleaner will remove soil and extend the appearance of the carpet. My wife and I live in the country in the beautiful but wet state of Oregon. Our home has lots of carpet. We also have dogs and my wife has a husband “me” that sometimes forgets to take off his shoes when he comes in from walking the pastures or hiking the hills. Our carpet gets vacuumed regularly, and about every six months a qualified professional cleans the high traffic areas. When we lived in the city and had lawns, patios, decks, and sidewalks, the cleaning frequency was less. At every home we have ever owned, our guests have frequently asked if our carpet is new or how we keep it looking so good. I believe it to be five reasons, which are:

1. Select a quality carpet in a color that is appropriate for its environment.
2. Install the carpet over a quality, properly specified cushion.
3. Pay the extra expense of a qualified installer.
4. Vacuum the carpet frequently.
5. Clean the carpet routinely using qualified professionals.

Following these basic rules have allowed us to replace the carpet when we got tired of it and not because it has worn out or uglied out.

By Terry Weinheimer, The Weinheimer Group LLC

Manufacturing

• Latent Problems are those that become apparent only after the floor covering has been installed for a period of time.

• Visual Problems are those that are readily visible and should be seen prior to or at the time of installation.

Consumer

• Normal appearance change for the carpet style, care and usage.
• Improper maintenance.
• Animal Damage
• Abuse

Installation

• Installation error
• Improper installation of carpet or cushion
• Improper installation products
• Not following the proper inspection and claims procedures.

Specification

• Improper selection or specification of carpet and cushion.
• Improper installation products
• Not following the proper inspection and claims procedures.

The Carpet and Rug Institute Carpet Claims Manual, states on page 5, Guideline 4, “No claims will be considered on carpet, which has been installed with visible defects. Dealers are responsible for checking all merchandise for correct style, color, dye lot, and any other visible defects before cutting and installing.”

Some carpet leaves the manufacturer with visual defects that are so blatant that it is obvious that proper inspection procedure was not being followed.

A lot of carpet also leaves the manufacturer with defects that are difficult to see until the carpet is rolled out in lighting conditions different then those of the production line. Visual manufacturing defects belong to the manufacturer prior to installation of the carpet.

When a carpet is installed with a visible defect, the dealer and/or the installer can be held responsible for the repair or replacement of the carpet. Do not make a manufacturer problem yours!

Manufacturers want to know about problems so that a prompt correction can be made at a reasonable cost. When a defective carpet is installed it becomes much more expensive to correct or replace at the later date. The dealer and installer must follow the proper procedure for reporting problems unless they wish to own them as their own.

Dealer and Installer Protection

Dealer and installer protection comes through the careful inspection of the product before it is installed and stopping an installation until the manufacturer is notified when a defect is found. Unfortunately many dealers are placing this responsibility upon the installer alone without properly informing, training and compensating them. Nonetheless, any installer that installs a carpet with visible defects may be inheriting some one else’s problem.

What if the carpet was cut before the problem was found?

Even though the CRI claims manual states that “No claims will be considered on carpet, which has been installed with visible defects.” manufacturers do understand that problems such as sidematch may not show up until after the product is cut. If this occurs the installer must immediately pick up the phone and call the dealer so that the manufacturer can be contacted. This gives the manufacturer the opportunity to furnish a full or partial replacement on a rapid basis and it protects both the installer and the dealer.

What happens if the installer decides on his own to install a defective product?

Too often during inspections the consumer states, “the installer pointed out the problem but went ahead with the job so that a days work would not be lost”. The installer may not have lost that days work, but just might have to work many extra days in the future to pay for the replacement carpet.

What about Correcting the Problem Before Installing?

If the installer can work around the problem area or make a proper correction to the defective area the installation can continue. This keeps the installer from loosing a day’s work and saves the expense of replacement. Many manufacturers will reimburse the installer a reasonable fee for the time they spend correcting a manufacturer defect to save the carpet. To assure payment for the correction it is always a good idea to save the defective area and contact the manufacturer first unless standing arrangements have been worked out in advance.

The Wise Installer and Dealer

Another common statement heard from consumers during an inspection is, “the installer saw a problem and called the dealer and the dealer instructed the installer to go ahead with the installation”. This was a wise installer, by following the proper procedure the problem was transferred to the dealer and if the dealer was wise, authorization to proceed was obtained from the manufacturer, placing the problem where it originally belonged.

You Need to Protect Yourself

The Carpet and Rug Institute, Carpet Claims Manual sets out a policy for handling claims. Carpet manufacturers subscribe to the standards sit fourth in this manual. Every individual involved in the marketing, installing or servicing of carpet should order a copy from CRI if they haven’t already done so. At the same time they need to order copies of the Standards for Installation of “Commercial” and “Residential” floor coverings which are known as CRI 104 and CRI 105. The Carpet and Rug Institute can be contacted in Dalton, Georgia at 706-278-3176.

Manufacturer Inserts

Inserts are placed in rolls of carpet that are intended to warn the dealer and installer. The inserts not only protect the manufacturer but also assist the installer by providing a notice that can be shown to the consumer when a problem is found. These inserts make statements such as:

Specifications are derived from averages resulting from normal manufacturing tolerances in yarn, fiber, temperature, and humidity and may vary within normal industry tolerances. Performance is not affected by such variances. Variance may be up to seven percent, plus or minus. Quality control test to accept or reject goods must be performed prior to cutting and installation.

In future articles we will discuss identification of visual defects and installation problems. We will also suggest ways in which many problems may be corrected to the consumer’s satisfaction.

As in the example below, a carpet manufacturer may issue a set of claims policies that covers what they will and will not do. These policies are usually based on the Carpet and Rug Institute Claims Guidelines.

Residential Claims Policies & Procedures

• Claims are accepted for consideration only on carpet, which is graded and sold as first quality.
• Fiber company warranties take precedence over manufacturers warranties and should be submitted directly to them.
• The dealer is responsible for inspecting the carpet prior to our consideration of any claim.
• Claims will not be honored for carpet cut or installed with visible defects.
• Claims will not be honored for carpet damaged by improper installation. CRI 105 is our minimum standard.
• Claims will not be honored for carpet damaged by improper maintenance or improper cleaning, misuse, or abuse.
• Claims for merchandise shipped F.O.B. that is lost or damaged while in transit must be filed with the carrier.
• Claims will not be honored for matting, crushing or soiling nor will claims be honored for fading unless specifically warranted for the product. These are not manufacturing defects.
• Claims will not be honored for slight color or texture variation between runs and samples.
• The manufacturers claim liability shall in no case exceed the actual dealer cost of the carpet.
• Labor charges will not be honored in connection with the settlement of any claim unless specifically warranted for the product. The manufacture will not be responsible for related charges such as furniture moving, trip charges, and delivery delays. Etc.
• Claims will not be honored for pile reversal, pooling, and shading or “water marking”. These are construction characteristics of tufted carpet and are not manufacturing defects.
• Claims for manufacturing defects will be honored for a period of one (1) year after installation.
• Claims will not be honored for lightweight if within 7% of tufting specifications. This is consistent with industry practices and conforms to FHA/HUD requirements.
• Independent inspections will be ordered whenever possible to evaluate where a manufacturing defect is present when a claim is submitted. The cost of the inspection will be billed to the dealer if no manufacturing defect is found.
• The manufacturer must authorize returns in writing. Return authorizations are valid for 30 days. Goods returned must be properly wrapped and returned by carriers specified by the manufacturer. We reserve the right to charge back to dealer for differences in returns by unspecified carrier if the return freight rate is higher.
• A 20% restocking fee, plus freight, will be charged on all carpet returned that is found not to be defective.
• A 20% restocking fee, plus freight, will be charged on all accommodation returns. Accommodation returns will not be accepted for carpet less than 21 ft.
• Cancellation Policy – A cancellation number is system-assigned if an order is canceled prior to shipment. Merchandise that is refused or returned without evidence of being canceled is subject to a 20% restocking fee plus freight.
• Cut orders, special orders, etc. are not subject to cancellation.
• Claims on residential carpet installed in commercial application will not be honored unless specifically warranted for that product.
• All residential carpet must be installed over pad. The carpet manufacturer recommends a minimum 6.0-lb. Not more than 7/16″. We recommend 3/8″ on Berber.
• All consumer claims must be filed through the dealer.
• The Customer Relations Department must authorize final disposition of all claims.

The end user and the floor covering professional need to understand what is covered in a warranty and who the warrantor is. Often more than one warranty and more than one warrantor cover a flooring product. The company that produced the product usually offers a warranty. The company that manufactured the yarn or other components of the finished floor covering product will usually have some type of warranty. Additional warranties may include those of flurochemical companies; hardwood finish product manufacturers, distributors, cushion manufacturers, dealers, installers and others.

Using carpet as an example, a carpet manufacturer may decline a claim because they believe it to be a fiber problem. A fiber company may decline the same claim because they believe it to be the problem of the Flurochemical Company. At times an inspector may evaluate the same claim for more than one commissioning party before it is settled. While multiple inspections may appear to the consumer, as shifting of the blame, some commissioning companies unfortunately find it necessary. Where the fiber and yarn manufacturer usually handles that portion of the warranty, the carpet manufacturer covers the construction of the components used in the carpet. Some manufacturers extrude and spin their own yarn and in this case they would also cover the fiber, yarn, and construction and possibly the soil and stain resist warranty.

Curious why the pile yarn on your carpet is fuzzy, has little balls on it, or the vacuum canister is filling up quickly? Are you worried that your carpet is defective or wearing out? Below I describe some of the methods that professional inspectors will use to make this determination. Follow these step by step instructions and determine if your carpet is fuzzing, shedding or pilling and what the cause of it is.

Is the Cut Pile Carpet Fuzzing of Shedding?

Rub your hand across the carpet in a brisk tempo to check for loose or attached fuzz. If fuzz develops do not jump to any conclusion as yet.

• Is the fuzz short and releasing or minimally attached? This type of fuzz is not unusual on cut pile constructions with spun yarn systems. Staple yarn filaments, which are cut during the tufting process and not bound at the backing by latex, are free to be pulled to the surface by traffic and abrasion. This type of surface fuzzing is known as shedding and it diminishes and becomes less noticeable with time. Shedding is a characteristic and not a defect.
• Check for long fiber that is not releasing. Grasp fibers between the thumb and forefinger and pull upward on them. If this results in a lot of long strands that are not releasing this is called fuzzing or bearding and may indicate inadequate latex saturation on the yarn bundle. If the latex penetration into and around the yarn bundled is inadequate the fuzzing is a manufacturer-related condition.
• Check the yarn bundle for latex penetration and encapsulation. Checking penetration and encapsulation requires some special knowledge so you may need to send a piece of the carpet to a laboratory. If you have both heavy fuzzing or bearding combined with inadequate latex saturation of the yarn bundle the problem is often manufacturing but many manufacturers will require that you send a scrap of carpet to them so they can perform there own test.
• Do you find some sprigs of fiber that are considerably longer than the other fibers in the yarn bundle? Using magnification, check some of the tufts that these long sprigs are coming from. Do you see fibers that are curled and tangled within the tuft shaft which, when straightened, extend well above the carpet surface? This problem appears to be directly related to the processing of the fiber. Again verification by a lab, manufacturer or both will be required as positive identification does take specialized knowledge.

Is the Fuzzing Being Caused by Poor Maintenance?

• Obtain and check a small sampling of the vacuum cleaner bag or canister contents. Determine the fiber length and debris content. Commonly you will find abrasive soil, short lengths of fiber, human and animal hair. The vacuum debris can tell you a lot about the soiling conditions the carpet is subject to.
• Check the carpet for excess soil or lack of maintenance. If you are not vacuuming regularly and deeply, have pets or gritty soil gets tracked into the house these all are hard on carpet.
• If you have an animal that is having accidents on the carpet or using cleaning chemical that leave residues on the pile you should be aware that urine and chemicals damage carpet. Beware that a qualified carpet inspector will usually find these concerns with ultraviolet light or other testing.

Type of Claim

• Consumer: Embedded dirt and grit is cutting fibers but leaving them still bound at one end.
• Manufacturer: Poor latex penetration and or encapsulation, which should be at least 75% – 80% on most cut-pile carpets. Need sample for testing the yarn bundle for latex penetration and encapsulation.
• Fiber: Poor yarn spinning, twisting or heatsetting. Need sample for testing.
• Normal Characteristic: If staple yarn and no consumer, manufacturer or fiber problem has been identified.

Correction of Fuzzing

Fuzzing can be removed by micro shearing. This will not be a permanent correction if maintenance problems continue or the carpet has poor saturation at the yarn bundle.

Why is the Loop Pile Carpet Fuzzing or Could it be Shedding?

Loop synthetic piled carpets rarely shed as most all of them are made with continuous filament yarn. In the rare situation that you are dealing with a spun synthetic yarn or a natural fiber such as wool you will find the same type of characteristics including shedding as described under cut pile carpets.

Fuzzing will appear on loop pile continuous filament products as a beard or fuzz on the surface. Poor or improper maintenance will cause it and so will inadequate latex encapsulation and penetration of the yarn bundle. At times you may find both poor maintenance and poor yarn bundle saturation. As with cut pile carpet a yarn bundle with poor saturation will allow fibers to slip and work its way to the surface with traffic and abrasion. Since the sprigs of filament are continuous and the synthetic fiber is strong it is difficult for them to break loose and this results in the fuzzy appearance.

Inspectors will often test a loop carpet with a “Velcro Roller.” This roller looks like a paint roller with Velcro on it. The test is most commonly performed by running the roller over carpet10 times in two different directions as they watch for the development of fuzz. Whenever possible this test should be made in a closet or on a scrap of the carpet for if your installed carpet fuzzes and it is not a covered claim you may have a fuzzy spot to live with. It should be noted that this test is very controversial and not recognized by some manufacturers.

• Check carpet for excessive soil or lack of maintenance.
• Check vacuum for samples of its contents, improper setting or damaged beater bar. If this is direct glue down carpet a rotating brush is usually okay but a beater bar can pound and damage the carpet.

Type of Claim

Manufacturer if poor latex encapsulation and penetration of the yarn bundle. 75% minimum level loop. 50% minimum heavy, loop piles such as bulky Berbers. Inadequate latex coverage will allow a continuous filament fiber to slip without release. A sample will usually be required for testing in the manufacturers own lab.

Consumer if the fuzzing is due to improper cleaning, abrasive soil or vacuum problems.

Glossary

Foreign Fiber or Foreign Matter:This is any material, which does not belong in the make-up of the floor covering such as dirt, soot or shear lint. When a carpet arrives from the manufacturer with foreign matter it is often correctable by vacuuming, picking out the debris or cleaning.

Fuzzing: (also referred to as bearding): A hairy effect on the carpet surface that develops when fibers work loose under foot traffic. Individual long filaments work free from the fiber bundle and began to extend above the pile surface and become visible as a taller sprig of fiber. These taller filaments are in fact bound in the backing system, which makes them difficult to remove. Fuzzing can occur on both staple and continuous filament yarn systems.

Pilling: A condition in certain fibers in which strands of the fiber separate and become knotted with other strands causing the appearance of little balls of fuzz or a rough appearance. Pilling on loop-pile wool carpet is less common than on synthetic carpets because wool fibers tend to break before the pill forms.

Shedding: New carpeting, especially cut pile, will shed little bits of fiber for a period of time. Eventually, these loose fibers are removed through vacuuming. With natural fiber and spun yarn (staple) the carpet may continue to shed some but to a lessor degree.

The Weinheimer Group LLC

Certified Inspectors / Consultants

Carpet that is not properly specified will ugly out regardless of what it is installed over.  Most everyone has heard the statement “a good quality cushion will make an inexpensive carpet last longer.”  While there is a certain amount of truth to this statement, the best of cushion can only do so much for a poor quality carpet.  A carpet that is constructed with a loosely plied yarn and sparse in construction might do fine in a spare bedroom but it is not designed for the traffic of an active family.

Inexpensive plush is not going to hold up on stairs regardless of how good the cushion is.  By the same token, the finest piece of carpet is not going to hold up when installed over a cushion of improper thickness or density.