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.
Shading: When a carpet is manufactured the pile is steamed and set in a single direction. Once a carpet is installed natural directional changes begin to take place. These changes range from slight bending of the pile tufts, opening of the tuft ends (bloom) and compacting (crush). At times areas of the carpet pile will even take on a total reversal from their original direction. Most shading occurs in areas where you have repeated or pivotal foot traffic. Shading while not a real color change will often give the appearance of an actual change in hue. While the color change may appear real it is actually visual and due to differences in light reflection and absorption over a given area.
Shading is a broad term without total industry agreement as to how to define these areas. The definitions that we use in this chapter are those most commonly used by the Carpet and Rug Institute and the International Standards Organization.
Shading (Temporary Shading): A reversible localized change in orientation of the pile of a textile floor covering during use (sometimes described as normal characteristic of certain cut pile textile floor coverings).
The only true temporary shading are marks such as those left by footprints and vacuum cleaners! In reality, shading is almost always a permanent condition. The shaded appearance may be temporarily changed through vacuuming, steaming or cleaning but it will rapidly return once the carpet is walked on.
Traffic lane shading usually develops first in the higher and pivotal type traffic areas. The areas may look lighter or darker depending on the direction they are viewed form. When you run your hand across the pile it takes on a darker appearance in one direction and a lighter appearance in the other. This condition is normal and almost always permanent. Traffic lane shading is considered by the manufacturer to be a normal characteristic and not a defect.
Shading is a normal characteristic of cut pile carpet, especially those with a smooth pile such as velvet and saxony plush. Shading is considered an aesthetic quality of fine carpet and is not considered a defect. A person that finds shading objectionable should select a carpet with a denser construction, lower pile height, textured yarn. Examples would be textured saxony, frieze, and berber.
Vacuum cleaner marks, is temporary shading that is left on the carpet by the brush and/or wheels of the vacuum cleaner! These marks may be noticeable for a few minutes or a few days depending upon the texture and resiliency of the fiber. Most deep-pile and smooth pile carpets will show vacuum cleaner marks. A vacuum cleaner mark is considered a normal condition unless otherwise excluded under a carpet warranty. Vacuum cleaner marks are least noticeable on loop pile and denser cut pile carpet where the yarn has a tight twist and a textured appearance.
Footprints are temporary shading marks left by humans and animals walking across the carpet. They may be noticeable for a few minutes or a few days depending upon the texture and resiliency of the fiber. Most deep-pile and smooth pile carpets will show footprints. Like vacuum cleaner mark, footprints are considered a normal condition unless otherwise excluded under a carpet warranty. Footprints are least noticeable on loop pile and dense cut pile carpets where the yarn has a tight twist and a textured appearance. Printed carpet is also good at camouflaging footprints.
Tracking: A gradual change in appearance of a textile floor covering from edge to middle of a narrow band caused by repeated walking over the same area which may result in a localized change in pile orientation and may be irreversible.
Tracking may be seen as single or double narrow bands. Double marks often give the appearance of railroad tracks running down the middle of a hall or other repeated traffic area. Severe tracking marks are most commonly found at installations where the occupants shuffle their feet, have difficulty walking, or walk in such a way that the feet are regularly not lifted above the pile height. Like other forms of shading, tracking marks are not considered a manufacturing defect.
