Shedding | Sprouting | Snags | Shading | Rippling | Crushing
Matting | Static | Fading | Traffic Laning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

S hedding

New carpeting made from spun yarn, especially cut-pile, will shed little bits of fibre for a limited time. Eventually, these loose fibres will be taken up in the vacuum cleaner. Shedding is more common with wool than nylon and other synthetics. To avoid shedding select continuous filament fibres.

 

Sprouting

Occasionally, you may find small tufts of fibre sprouting above the carpet surface. Simply trim with sharp scissors. Don’t try to pull them out since you may pull other fibres out in the process.

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Snags

Sharp-edged objects can grab or snag a carpet fibre. When this happens cut the snag off. If the snag is especially large, call in a professional.

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Shading

Shading is a characteristic of fine, cut-pile carpets. Household traffic causes the pile to assume different angles. As a result, the carpet appears darker or lighter in such areas. It’s part of the natural beauty of plush carpet - light reflects differently as the pile is pushed in different directions.

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Rippling

In wall-to-wall carpeting, high humidity may cause rippling. If the carpet remains rippled during normal humidity, have a professional restretch the carpet with a power stretcher, not with a knee-kicker.

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Crushing

Unless you plan to live without furniture, your carpet will display crushing in spots where heavy objects are set. To raise the pile back to its former height, you’ll have to do some vigorous brushing. If the indentations are particularly stubborn, you can try passing a hot steam iron over them - but no closer than six inches above the carpet, be sure not to press the iron down.

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Matting

Matting is not the same as crushing. Matting is the physical entanglement of the fibres on the surface of the carpet pile; when compacted under use, a loss of pile height may result. Many different factors can contribute to matting; for example; tip bloom (when tips of carpet tufts lose some of their twist) often leads to the entanglement of the carpet fibres. Any foreign material in the carpet can accelerate the condition. Sticky residue left from a spill or improperly used carpet shampoo is especially harmful as well as materials used as runners or walk-off mats which rub against the surface pile can also contribute to matting. Proper maintenance is the key to reducing matting problems.

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Static

Cooler outside temperatures often create static electricity. To avoid the problem altogether, look for carpets with a built-in anti-static protection. Meantime, a humidifier will help control static build-up.

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Fading

All Richmond Carpets meet or exceed Colour Fast Standards as per the Canadian Carpet Institute Guidelines. However, all carpets will slowly lose some colour due to natural and artificial forces in the environment. This can be delayed by:

1. Frequently removing dirt by vacuuming
2. Regularly changing air filters in heating and air conditioning systems
3. Keeping humidity and temperature from getting too high
4. Reducing sunlight exposure with window coverings or sunlight filter materials
5. Claims for excessive fading will be limited to 5 years unless otherwise stated.

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Traffic-Laning

A Carpet’s Worst Enemy

Since the average adult exerts three or four times their body weight with every step, over a period of time busy pathways on a carpet can begin to show unsightly signs of wear and tear, or what carpet people call "traffic lanes".

Saxony carpets, designed to look their best when each tuft is distinct and upright, are particularly susceptible to traffic-laning, as tuft definition can be destroyed by the beating a carpet takes in high-traffic areas.

The result is a matted traffic lane that can detract from the appearance of an entire room, even though only a small portion of carpet may be affected.

The two main culprits of traffic-laning

1. Simple Soiling

Nylon will not stick to itself as long as it is clean, but when dirt and soil build up, a sticky film can develop and cause the tufts to stick together. Fortunately, this sort of traffic-laning can be corrected by cleaning the carpet to remove soil buildup.

2. Yarn Crushing and Unravelling

This is a more serious problem, as clean, properly cared-for carpet can mat and crush if the tufts lose their twist.

When the twist is lost, the individual tufts lose their definition and carpet becomes frayed and fuzzy-looking. Although there is no way to correct this problem, you can avoid it in the beginning by selecting the right carpet for your home.

This is why it is essential to understand what constitutes true carpet quality and insist on nothing less when you shop.