How strong is a carpet seam?

[kylenelson]

Two 10,000 pound forklifts, on piece of seamed carpet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oL5Ie15iU5c

[Tandy Reeves]

The test really does not test the seam. It only tests the carpet where the two small strips are pulling on the entire carpet. Notice the holding fork lift has a holding devise all the way across the carpet.

I agree a properly constructed seam is strong, but the test should be conducted equally.

[Peter Kodner]

A cute idea for a video but what bearing does it have in the real world? How many seams are subjected solely to horizontal stresses? In my experience, carpet seams are always subjected to repeated deflective movement which, over time, is going to weaken thermoplastic. Add in periodic wet cleaning and there are far5 more factors involved in seam durability than horizontal shearing strength.

They also do not identify what tape they are using. We all know seam tapes are not created equally or there would only be one for the entire market.

Still, all in all, a decent video in terms of production values for a "homemade" job.

[kylenelson]

I've rarely seen a seam "pull apart". If anything the lack of proper cutting is what I see most lead to failed seams. And the vertical movement of the seams always seem to be weaker than the horizontal movement. When people step repeatedly on a seam it moves up and down.

[Taurus Flooring]

The thing that has always fascinated me about the carpet trade is, most carpet don't have the same backing as the other and the manufacturer does not include information as to the type of "seam tape" should be used, nor do they include any info on stretch potential either. Heck!, they don't even stamp the company name on the product anymore. Does that make them No-Name brands?

[rusty baker]

Parlor tricks.

[Sean Moore]

OK, I didn't watch this video until I had a couple shots in me and man... I wish I hadn't watched it at all!

I hate that guy. I hate him and everything he stands for. He doesn't know jack squat about what a carpet seam goes through in its day to day life and from that I must infer that he doesn't know what carpet goes through in its day to day life. However, he is putting out this video for the public to view. From that I must infer that he doesn't really know what the hell he is talking about in general about flooring; Then I remember this dude is selling carpet. Oh yeah, he's a carpet salesman. 'nuff said. Sorry salespeople on this board, this dummy is how I view your profession.

Grrrrr. Rage... welling... up...

Serenity now, serenity now, serenity NOW!

Oh, and all you commercial dudes... get one of those clamps on the right for your winch demo puller. Much better than the silly double C clamp bar it got delivered with. Ours is Taylor Tools branded, I'm sure they just re-branded someone else's though. Use a scrap of demo in between the clamp and what you're trying to pull and that failure in the vid only happens half as often.

[Sean Moore]

Taurus Flooring said Does that make them No-Name brands?

Yes. Yes it does.

[kwfloors]

Too soft of pad allowing alot of vertical movement of the carpet thus splitting the seam right down the middle because they seamed it up with the heaviest tape they could get. That's what I see most of the time. Or they didn't melt a section enough or too much and burned it.

[kylenelson]

Sean Moore said OK, I didn't watch this video until I had a couple shots in me and man... I wish I hadn't watched it at all! I hate that guy. I hate him and everything he stands for. He doesn't know jack squat about what a carpet seam goes through in its day to day life and from that I must infer that he doesn't know what carpet goes through in its day to day life.

Haha, wow. You sure it was just a "couple" of shots

[Sean Moore]

It's the altitude up here...

Seriously though, I like to rant about things like that... hope if dude read it he doesn't take it personally. If he would like I could overstretch that piece of carpet with my stretcher and make the seam rip at the edge of the seamtape.

[kylenelson]

Sean Moore said It's the altitude up here... Seriously though, I like to rant about things like that... hope if dude read it he doesn't take it personally. If he would like I could overstretch that piece of carpet with my stretcher and make the seam rip at the edge of the seamtape.

Just out of curiousity, do you think that you could really stretch it hard enough to pull a seam apart?

[Sean Moore]

kylenelson said Just out of curiousity, do you think that you could really stretch it hard enough to pull a seam apart?

Oh sure. You can too.

Use a board to protect the wall and pick a spot that has a perpendicular wall behind it. Bury the poo out of the stretcher head and GOGOGO!

You *will* destroy the carpet. Usually it happens just past the seam glue, where the carpet was heated but doesn't have thermoplastic on it. It pulls the entire area that does have thermo on it and that part now needs to be patched.

In the real world this happens when the stretcher head is just over the seam, like in a 13.5ft wide room.

[kylenelson]

Haha, that makes sense. I imagine the area's just beyond the seam are where the carpet weaken's with nothing to re-inforce it. I guess I've never stretched anything that hard! I think 3'' in a 15' room was the most i've had to do.

[Sean Moore]

yeah, approaching 2% stretch is where it'll happen. it will happen a lot sooner if your seam guy doesn't mind his iron.