Vacuuming Frieze Carpeting

[Jay]

I purchased frieze style carpeting for my home several months ago and had it professionally installed. I thought I had done my homework before my purchase...asked a lot of questions and shopped around for some time before making the purchase.

After the install was complete, the installer mentions to me that I could not use a vacuum on the frieze that had a beater bar / brushroll. ?????!!!!!!! This was one of the things that I had specifically asked the sales person before my purchase. Several styles in the showroom had "suction only" signs on the samples...I was concerned and wanted to ensure that vacuuming wasn't a problem. I guess I considered myself ignorant on the issue because it just seemed crazy to me that a carpet manufacturer would make a carpet that could not be vacuumed! Anyways, being a pet owner, pet hair is an issue, but I was assured by the salesperson that she herself had my style of carpet and that she used a vacuum with beater bar on hers with no problem.

So one can imagine my frustration...I needed a new vacuum for my new carpet. This was where my search started. Long story short... (and after having learned a few things about vacuums and what they could do in destroying new frieze carpet scraps in as little as a single pass), I ended up purchasing a new shop vac to replace the vacuum I had. The suction on the shop vac was awesome, and I actually thought I was better off.

Fast forward 3 months...

The shop vac doesn't effectively remove the pet hair. Suction is great in getting out the loose dirt....but hair? Nope.

I spent $3K on new carpet for the house and can't get it clean without damaging it. I have considered ripping it out and replacing it with carpet that costs half as much as this frieze...carpet that can be vacuumed with a brushroll.

Can anybody help?

[TFP Admin]

Help would be much easier if we knew what your carpet was - brand and style names. Frieze carpet comes in many different qualities and any one of several different yarns (olefin, polyester, nylon, etc.) and any number of natural or added stain protectors - good gosh, there's a million different combinations. The more information you can provide, the better our members will be able to help.

And welcome to TFP.

TFP Admin

[ortiz34]

Personally I vacuum my daughters bedroom which is a 60+oz SHAG with a beater bar vacuum. Unless it's a cheap poly or stapled nylon I would vacuum away, just my 2 cents.
There is alot of inspectors on here who may be able to help with choosing a vacuum with a beater bar. First as TFP admin said we need to know some specifics on the carpet to help.
Even pictures will help

[Daris Mulkin]

the reason for not vacuuming with a roller type vacuum is it will/could do what is called carding. Takes the twist out on the tips. I would use the shop for regular cleanings and maybe once a week or two use the brush/roller vac to get the hair. But make sure it isn't a Dyson or a roller that has extraordinarly stiff bristles.

But manufacturers instructions always supercedes so if a problem and you are using a roller type sweeper you knowingly went against them.

Daris

[FlooringGirl]

If the original poster comes back, hope he sees my story.

Once again, we got the cheapest poly frieze 3 years ago - bought it since it was guaranteed 100% we'd have to change it after our dog passes. She digs pretty hard on herself, which does blow out the carpet in her fave spots. Got Stainmaster pad, so we will be fine to keep and go back over that.

Amazing, this shit carpet has held up very well. I have a vacuum with option of the beater on or off, and am now to the point of always on ... it does not seem to hurt this cheap poly frieze. Since this carpet is temporary, we test, why not?

Tia

[Jay]

The frieze carpet that I purchased is made by Shaw...Design Twist Platinum (55 oz). Has the softbac...I believe our color was called Driftwood.

I used 2 different upright vacuums on some of the carpet scraps left over after it was installed. Both vacuums chewed the carpet up in as little as a single pass...the carpet fuzzed up good...on the highest setting.

The brushrolls on both of theses sweepers were pretty stiff, so I was thinking that if they made a sweeper out there with softer bristles it might be enough to get up the hair and not make the carpet look like it's been there since the 70s.

[Jim McClain]

If I were the dealer fielding your complaint, I would be contacting Shaw to find out more. You have a 55oz. 100% Anso® Caress BCF Nylon, which should be able to take a regular vacuuming with a beater bar or brush vacuum cleaner with a height adjustment. If the manufacturer has other requirements as to care and regular cleaning, this information should have been given to you on manufacturer logoed/letterhead documentation.

Jim

[rgfloor]

Open the link, go to select the best vacuum.

Shaw Carpet: Vacuuming Tips for the Best Flooring Care -ShawFloors.com

Also in their warranty brochure, under vacuum frequently.

http://s7.shawimg.com/s7/brochure/fl...log1&locale=en

[ortiz34]

Jim McClain said If I were the dealer fielding your complaint, I would be contacting Shaw to find out more. You have a 55oz. 100% Anso® Caress BCF Nylon, which should be able to take a regular vacuuming with a beater bar or brush vacuum cleaner with a height adjustment. If the manufacturer has other requirements as to care and regular cleaning, this information should have been given to you on manufacturer logoed/letterhead documentation. Jim

Excellent point Jim, that is not a carpet that should be falling apart due to a decent vacuum with a beater bar that has a height adjustments. Like I said my daughters shag (shaw) is vacuumed with a beater bar with no adjustment. Albiet a but harder to push and pull but nothing to bad, and the tips and texture are just fine.
Sometimes Shaw , Mohawk, and bealieau construct some pretty sub standard friezes IMO.
All wall to wall carpets SHOULD be able to handle a medium duty vacuum IMO. If it cannot, don't make it
It's almost like producing a car paint you cant wash with a sponge

[Curt Durand]

Had an inspection last week that involved a cute older couple with new carpet and a problem. They had problems with their existing vacuum not being able to move after being turned on. They bought 5 new vacuums (Hoovers, Dyson, Bissell, Simplicity) since their new carpet was installed and none of them would move once you started them up.
They even went so far as to bring a bigger piece of carpet left over with them to the vacuum stores and tried vacuuming the carpet on-site before they bought the vacuum. Some kinda worked until being used in their home and over the installed pad. They even borrowed vacuums from their neighbors and family to try out. Every vacuum including the Hoover Windtunnel I brought just suck down and don't move. The carpet sucked up around the vacuum and the vacuum seal created locks down all of these vacuums. Waiting to hear how this is handled.

ortiz34 said Excellent point Jim, that is not a carpet that should be falling apart due to a decent vacuum with a beater bar that has a height adjustments. Like I said my daughters shag (shaw) is vacuumed with a beater bar with no adjustment. Albiet a but harder to push and pull but nothing to bad, and the tips and texture are just fine. Sometimes Shaw , Mohawk, and bealieau construct some pretty sub standard friezes IMO. All wall to wall carpets SHOULD be able to handle a medium duty vacuum IMO. If it cannot, don't make it It's almost like producing a car paint you cant wash with a sponge

[Jay]

Just wanted to give everyone who responded here a follow up on my problem with vacuuming the new frieze...

Like I had said earlier, we had tried 2 different vacuums with beater bars / brush rollers that proved to do significant damage (fuzzing) when tried on scrap pieces left over from my installation (after the installer warned not to use a beater bar). I had settled on a shop vac that also proved not to be getting the job done with the dog hair.

So...I carried my sample piece of carpet essentially from door to door of family with different vacuums. I ended finding that an old model Kirby equipped with brush bar and height adjustment did NOT damage the frieze. I believe now 100% that the key factor with this was those bristles on the brush bars of these vacuums...the Kirby's was not near as stiff and hard as the other ones.

I'm here to tell you that I never had even considered purchasing a Kirby vacuum...but push came to shove and I needed something that wouldn't damage our frieze. There was no way that I was going to spend the outrageous price for a new one. So....I hopped on eBay....and found a 7 year old model for $150. I picked it up earlier today.

My problem is solved...I vacuumed the frieze with a beater bar / brush roll for the first time since it was installed in May. Works great...and it does NOT damage the carpet.

I learned a few things in the process here...learned a lot about vacuums and the junk that's out there on the market. In my case, I was trying to use a brand new throw away "sweeper" to do the job of a vacuum.

Makes me wonder how many people out there have made the mistake of using one of those models and destroyed their new carpet.

Thank you everyone for your comments and input. You get what you pay for...one just has to make sure that he or she knows what that is.

[Daris Mulkin]

who'd a thunk it, a Kirby. I've never been a firm believer in a Kirby. To much junk that comes with it and the price.


Daris

[ortiz34]

Jay said Just wanted to give everyone who responded here a follow up on my problem with vacuuming the new frieze... Like I had said earlier, we had tried 2 different vacuums with beater bars / brush rollers that proved to do significant damage (fuzzing) when tried on scrap pieces left over from my installation (after the installer warned not to use a beater bar). I had settled on a shop vac that also proved not to be getting the job done with the dog hair. So...I carried my sample piece of carpet essentially from door to door of family with different vacuums. I ended finding that an old model Kirby equipped with brush bar and height adjustment did NOT damage the frieze. I believe now 100% that the key factor with this was those bristles on the brush bars of these vacuums...the Kirby's was not near as stiff and hard as the other ones. I'm here to tell you that I never had even considered purchasing a Kirby vacuum...but push came to shove and I needed something that wouldn't damage our frieze. There was no way that I was going to spend the outrageous price for a new one. So....I hopped on eBay....and found a 7 year old model for $150. I picked it up earlier today. My problem is solved...I vacuumed the frieze with a beater bar / brush roll for the first time since it was installed in May. Works great...and it does NOT damage the carpet. I learned a few things in the process here...learned a lot about vacuums and the junk that's out there on the market. In my case, I was trying to use a brand new throw away "sweeper" to do the job of a vacuum. Makes me wonder how many people out there have made the mistake of using one of those models and destroyed their new carpet. Thank you everyone for your comments and input. You get what you pay for...one just has to make sure that he or she knows what that is.

Good to see it worked out.
What do you mean by you get what you pay for? Was the carpet inexpensive?

[Barry Carlton]

ortiz34 said Good to see it worked out. What do you mean by you get what you pay for? Was the carpet inexpensive?

I think he is referring to vacuums.

[Jay]

ortiz34 said Good to see it worked out. What do you mean by you get what you pay for? Was the carpet inexpensive?

I was referring to the "sweepers" that I was trying to use to vacuum this new frieze. Both had been purchased at the local Walmart...and to be honest I always thought that a sweeper was a sweeper.

Come one...spending $1,500+ for a new vacuum just seems absurd...and still does. Even $500 is just too much when you can buy a throw away for $150-$200, right? I saw first hand what the stiff brush rolls on these cheaper models did to that new carpet, though.

And the carpet...it was by no means cheap. It is a 55 oz Shaw Design Twist Platinum. If the installer hadn't warned me, I would have made that new carpet look like it had been there for years.

It must be noted again that the installer indicated to me NOT to use a beater bar / brush roll at all on this carpet. At the time, it just seemed so absurd that a carpet manufacturer would sell a carpet that couldn't be vacuumed with a beater bar. I proved to myself that "suction only" can not keep a frieze clean.

My frustration in this whole ordeal was so great that I really wished I hadn't ever picked this style of carpet out to begin with. That was my own fault because it was due to my own ignorance in what I was purchasing.

There are other consumers out there who may find themselves in the same situation as I was in. I admit that if the salesperson had told me that I was going to have to use a special vacuum to clean the frieze, I may have been pretty suspicious of their intentions. My consolation now is that someone out there will be read all the info from this forum and come away more educated.