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Aaron McPeak
Aaron McPeak has over 11 years of experience in the floor covering industry, holding various positions including sales, operations, marketing and advertising, installation, and leadership. Other significant experience was with the U-haul Company where he spent 10 years ending as the district manager for Kansas. He is degreed from Friends University in business management and is currently attending Wichita State’s EMBA program. He can be reached at amcpeak@starlumber.com or at 316-941-1753.
Carpet, Tile & Floor Covering
2007-12-01 10:04:00
What causes carpet wrinkles?
Carpet wrinkles are a combination of the following factors: humidity and temperature at the time of the install, proper installation using a power stretcher, and proper cushion and the quality of carpet. In Kansas, the humidity and temperature can vary greatly making the carpet hard to work with in cold weather and causing the carpet to loosen with the change in seasons. Ideally, carpet has time to acclimate before installation and heating is absolutely required to allow the installer to work with the carpet to get a proper installation. CRI (Carpet & Rug Institute) standards require that stretched in carpet be power-stretched. A power stretcher is a tool with a head that has pins, a pump handle and poles that are braced against an opposing wall. While a knee kicker is a useful tool during the installation it is impossible to get a proper stretch without the use of a power stretcher. CRI standards also state that a low-density cushion may result in wrinkling and buckling and that the cushion thickness should not exceed 7/16 inch in most cases. Most manufacturers suggest a firm, dense cushion for the best performance. Higher quality carpet will normally have either a higher quality backing or soft backing that are construction methods that help reduce the need for a re-stretch, however, these enhancements do add to the price of the carpet. Any reputable installer or retail store offers a re-stretch as part of the installation warranty to account for the known factors that cause this wrinkling. Re-stretching your carpet does require the rooms to be emptied and involves an installer using a power stretcher to remove the wrinkles and trim back the excess carpet. Regarding the seams showing, assuming they are constructed to CRI (Carpet & Rug Institute) standards by a qualified installer, seam visibility is part of broadloom carpet appearance. Most rooms are wider then 12’ (the width of most carpets) and thus will require a seam. Short story is that seams are almost always visible but some factors make them more readily apparent. The largest factor in determining how visible a seam will be is to analyze the lighting in the room. Seams construction perpendicular to a light source will create a shadow that will be easily seen. When determining the material necessary the estimator should draw a scale drawing and note any significant windows, doors or other light sources. The goal is to run the seams when possible with prominent light sources in the room. Every effort should be made to reduce the number of seams by reducing fill pieces or considering a carpet that comes in 15’ or 13’ 6” widths if this will help remove seams. Many times by purchasing a couple more yards a seam can be removed or moved if seam visibility is a big issue. The style of carpet being chosen also has a significant effect on seam visibility. Looped carpets or those with pattern matches are more difficult to hide then a textured or a frieze piece. An improperly made seam may also be the culprit if the edges are gapped or overlapped. Proper planning and discussions with your retailer and installer are the best way to insure that you will have the best seam-construction and seam-placement possible.
 
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