"Don't stretch the width?," in the Carpet Q&A forum, begins: "Anyone install Masland contract carpet lately?
In the instruction paper in the roll, it says to get 1-1½% in the ..."
In the instruction paper in the roll, it says to get 1-1½% in the length, but snug tight in the width to prevent seam highlighting & peaking.
It also says, "over stretching the carpet in the width will increase the probability of seam peaking.
They must have learned from all the guys I followed around restretching the widths after wrinkles appeared from only powerstretching the lengths and kicking the width, so they wouldn't get called back for a peaked seam. Instead I get called to go restretch buckles in the width.
I believe it to be the same stuff Stephen was doing, where he couldn't get a row drawn through it, because of the small loop, looped around the bigger loop, Or loop entanglement.
Here is the front, and the battery died in my cammera before I could get a good picture of the backing. My camera or my floppy disc is messed up and file errors the second and third pictures. It just started doing it.
You know, this is one of the things I have always disagreed with. It has been my experience that carpet simply does not stretch as much in width as in length. I know things were different when I installed but I never had a problem with seam peaking. This was before 6 inch irons and I used a flat iron. I waited more than 20 seconds to stretch the carpet. I sometimes would have a return call for wrinkling (probably less than 5 in a decade of installations) but that was a simple restretch repair. I did always stretch the width, just not as much as in length. Some times simple truths get over looked by those forming standards. I also always stretched the length first and the width last. If the CRI standard had called for 1/2 to 1 percent in width stretches many carpets would have never peaked or wrinkled. Also I noted in my new copy of CRI 104 and 105 IICRC was involved in writing the standards. I think it is a mistake to have a cleaning organization involved with installation standards.
i always stretch the length first also,then width last.stretching away from the seam(if there is one)the last masland carpet was hard to stretch though if remember right too much latex or something i never "kicked carpet" ex cept stairs...dj
Some of the berbers have so much latex in the back that you cannot get the amount of stretch recommended. and of course sofbac will not stretch that much either. maybe standards should be written by installers. Of course there are a lot of installation rules that do not work in the real world. Like having the carpet laid out in an occupied for 24 hours.
Customers asking for restretches are always amazed when I suggest (over the phone without having seen the job), that all the wrinkles run in the same direction............... I tell them that I am also a psychic. Inadequate stretching width wise is the cause......................... ...... Why do I know? 2 restretches of my own work in 30 years sums it up fairly well. (bragging whenever I see an opportunity)
Location: I live in a nondescript hamlet in Canada.
Posts: 82
I found the post from Floorguy (aged flatulence) to be most interesting because it points to a symptom which is generally a condition of sickness.
In this case it points to problems with seam peaking which points to two possible sicknesses: improper stretching specifications - one to one and a half percent, OR, the fact that the laws of physics cannot be overcome by current seaming methodologies despite the fact many uninformed mill reps feel they can.
Interestingly, either case is not a byproduct of poor installation. This is immutable fact. Sadly though, poorly trained mill reps will beg to differ and in many past cases have caused installers to either pay for something they had no control over or caused the installer to lose their job when the installer refused to admit culpability.
I've been to court twice on seam peaking problems where the customer refused to pay because an inspection report said the installer was at fault. In both cases my client prevailed with dismissal and costs awarded. I charged my clients hard for my service - beer and a dinner.
One called me the eleventh commandment: "Thou shalt not get away with it."
if remember right too much latex or something i never "kicked carpet"
