This worn out carpet looks worse than what I just got rid of!!
The plain fact is that the manufacturers only consider your new floor covering to be worn out carpet or a wear issue if it has 10% or more loss of face fiber. If your carpet had 10% or more loss of face fiber it is quite probable that you would see holes in it. So using the words “worn out carpet” may not get you anywhere if your carpet is starting to look older than the carpet you just replaced.

There are a number of things that can cause your carpet to look worn out.

Pooling,Shading & WatermarkingCrushed & Matted CarpetSoiled Traffic Lanes

• Pooling, Shading & Watermarking
• Matting & Crushing
• Pile Reversal
• Heavy Soiling or Poor Maintenance
• Poor Installation
• Tight Traffic/Pivot Areas

Each one of these is seen regularly by carpet inspectors. So what causes these things to happen and whose fault is it?

The answer is… It Depends.

Often carpet is specified incorrectly. Many time a budget dictates the choice. The color may be too light or the style may be wrong for the use. Fiber characteristics for synthetic or natural carpets are different. Nylon, polyester, olefin/polypropylene and wool fibers react differently. Some are more resilient (stand back up after walked on) than others. Some hide soil better. Some carpets have appearance problems that are not a manufacturers defect. Other issues can be related to the installation (retailers fault) or manufacturing process.

When consumers talk about carpet they should be speaking about its expected “Performance”. In fact when purchasing carpet it is the first thing you should ask the sales person. How well should I expect this carpet to perform for this use? You may want the carpet in your second bedroom to be different than in your living room. Is a level loop better than a cut pile carpet? Depends on the use and the face fiber. Educate yourself first . Call an owner of a local carpet cleaning company. What cleans up the best in your opinion?

Uglied Out Carpet

Other Questions you may want to ask the sales person may include:

• What is the density/face weight of the carpet?
• Can you see the backing by easily spreading the fibers apart using your fingers?
• How soft does the carpet feel?
• Is there a pattern in the carpet?
• What does the warranty cover?
• What is the normal use life of the carpet?

Carpet rarely wears out.. it uglies out. Some sooner than others. So do your homework first before you chose that builders upgrade, big box store sale item or super store sellout. Know what to say to a retailer when you voice your opinion about your new carpet performance.

If you feel that your carpet is not performing….First you need to report it to the retailer/builder within the first year of use. No later than 12 months after the installation date. Then you need to have pictures and documentation of the first time you noticed the problem. Finally you need to follow all maintenance guidelines. Hope this blog helps.