A Common Installer Mistake

I’ve repaired a lot of carpets over the years (decades actually….yikes!), so I have seen many common mistakes that happen with installations. And here is one:

The original installer had stuck the seams to the underlay! Carpet generally comes in twelve foot widths so in doorways between the hallway or rooms wider than twelve feet, there will be a seam or connection in the carpet. This is normal and good. The problem occurs when the installer sticks the seam to the underlay. This prevents the carpet from being stretched properly as the carpet is stuck to the floor! So in this repair the hallway had never been stretched at all during the initial installation! No wonder it rippled!

Unfortunately this never has to occur as good installers use a very very low tech solution when seaming, called a flat board. Here is mine:

Unfortunately not all installers do this, but all that needs to be done is place a thin board underneath the carpet, over top of the underlay, do the seam and then remove the board before the area is stretched. This low tech solution prevents the above mentioned problem and makes the seams infinitely stronger than working over the underlay directly. As well when a carpet is not perfectly straight this little board helps the installer correct carpet flaws.

Tricks of the trade are the difference between craftsmen and labourers. We take pride in our work and our craftsmanship is evident on all of our projects. You can be confident that we have the experience and know-how to repair any project the right way!

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