All carpet will be laid in accordance with the guidelines outlined by the Carpet & Rug Institute Installation Standard CR-105, along with specific manufacturers recommendations where applicable.

Before Installation:

Have a clear understanding of the services provided by the installer and what you must handle, ie., who moves furniture?

Stairs:

On stairways, the pile should sweep down.

After Installation:

You may notice shedding (caused by some of the outside of the fibers of yarn bundles becoming detached during early carpet wear stages) or sprouting (single tufts extending beyond the carpet surface). Frequent vacuuming in the first week, followed by regular vacuuming will remove most loose fibers during the first year and any sprouts should be trimmed (do not pull them out). Should any tufts be missing or damaged, they can easily be replaced by hand or by retufting, and be readily fixed on site by a skilled installer. It is recommended a small piece of spare carpet be retained to provide a source of additional tufting yarn. There may be a “new carpet smell”, most of which will generally dissipate within a few weeks.

Seams/Joins:

Seams may be required during carpet installation. There are no invisible seams, and seams my be slightly more apparent with a loop pile carpet rather than a cut pile. Please discuss with your consultant.

Peaked Seams in Stretch-In Carpet Installation

Seam peaking can be a frustrating carpet installation problem for both the installer and the consumer. Although seams in carpet are necessary and common, many consumers expect them to be invisible, which in reality cannot be guaranteed.

The Mechanics of Seam Peaking

Seam peaking is an expected response to the natural line up of force to stretching carpet. The condition is based on the principle that the backing absorbs the forces of stretching until it reaches the point where the carpet has been joined together with a seaming tape adhered to the carpet's secondary backing. As the force is applied to the seamed area, the seaming tape is pulled upwards to align itself with the approximate center of the carpet backing. This creates an elevation in the carpet along the seam which causes the pile to gap open in a V-configuration (see figure). When light strikes across the peaked seam, the edge facing toward the light source appears lighter than that facing away from it. Thus, a more visible seam is the result.

Making Sense of Carpet Underlay

Although you can’t see it, the underlay is almost as important as the carpet itself. The right underlay can add sole-soothing comfort to the carpet, and helps insulate the floor so your room feels warmer and quieter. Generally, quality underlay will extend the useful life of your carpet.

The composition of underlay can range from polyurethane foam and recycled bonded foam to natural materials, including wool. Carpet cushion and carpet are designed to work together as a complete flooring system. Ask your carpet dealer to match a quality underlay with the quality and proposed use of your carpet.

For residential uses, cushion thickness of not less than 8mm not exceeding 12mm. Firmer, thinner underlay generally perform better.

FAILURE TO HAVE YOUR CARPET INSTALLED ON APPROPRIATE UNDERLAY USING THE ABOVE GUIDELINES CAN VOID YOUR WARRANTIES.