GOLD COAST FLOORING BLOG

Let's talk about carpet stretching and why you have tsunami waves through your house.

Loose Carpet? Need a professional carpet stretching/repair company?
At Gold Coast Flooring, we come across a lot of carpet jobs that need stretching,
we are going to describe the reasons why your carpet may be loose or damaged,
and the steps you can take to correct this problem.
Read this article to find out how to stretch/repair your loose carpet.

The Most Common Reasons For Loose Carpet / Rippling Carpet

Poor Installation / Fast/Improper Install
The main reason your new carpet may be loose in as little as 1 year to 3 years is due to poor installation.
When carpet is to be installed it must be installed with a power stretcher, but most
installers skip this and use a knee kicker to save time and rush through a job.
These installers get paid for how many yards/sq. ft. they install in a day, so their
main concern is how fast they can get through your job, not the quality of the work done.
Installing with a knee kicker will make the carpet look like it is installed at first, but
the infamous carpet ripples will start appearing shorty after.
By the time you notice these ripples and call your installing company, it may have been too late.
We get a lot of customers that fight back and forth with big name companies to repair
their bad installs and end up giving up.
Poor carpet installation can void the warranty of your carpets as well.

High Humidity/Moisture
Carpet is made up of layers of backing which is held together with latex.
Through seasons, excessive humidity can cause the latex to absorb moisture and expand.
If the carpet is not tight, wrinkles/ripples will occur.
We have noticed some jobs where right after cleaning the carpet, bubbles form through the house.
This is not the fault of your carpet cleaner, the carpets are simply not tight and need to be stretched.
Most of the time, once the carpet fully dries, the bubbles/wrinkles disappear.

Heavy Furniture / Sub floor with Tack Strips
Dragging heavy furniture across rooms can cause wrinkles and damage the carpet or pad.
Always use sliders or pick up and move furniture that is heavy.
Also tack strips that become loose will cause carpet to become loose.
Simply reinforce the wood strips to the concrete or wood floor and stretch the carpet.

Commercial Carpet / Glue Down
Commercial carpet installation is usually glued down, so there is no padding and no wood tack strips.
The main reasons for bubbles on this carpet is improper installation by not using enough glue.
Another reason is the floor has a high alkaline level. Every flooring contractor must test the sub floor
before installing to make sure the glue will adhere to the surface.
Solvents and water that has stayed too long will break down the adhesive as well.
We do a lot of estimates at therapy centers or massage offices where oils are spilled
onto the carpet and break down the glue causing ripples.

Delamination / Heavy Traffic Areas
Delamination happens when the latex that holds the carpet together breaks down.
This can be cause by heavy foot traffic in one area (such as hallways) or it can
be caused by harsh solvents being used or carpet staying wet for too long.
We get a lot of carpet repairs where a different carpet cleaning company has tried to remove
a stain by using solvents and has made a hole in the carpet.

Always hire a local Carpet Installer with Experience and a good reputation

The flooring in your home is valuable and should be installed with care so that you
can enjoy it for many years to come.
Go with a reputable company instead of going though the repair, stretching process.
A professional installer can guarantee his installation for the life of your carpet.
Imagine moving all your furniture to do the installation to find out you have to
move everything again a few years later just because of a poor installer.
Call Gold Coast Flooring today and let us take care of you and your flooring needs.