What makes carpet stretch

The average life of a carpet is twelve years with normal use and over those dozen years, there can be many things that happen! However, with the help of our certified professionals, your aging carpet can gain an extended life.

Even after only a couple of years of use, your carpets can become loose and rippled. To properly stretch a carpet the room should be emptied of all furnishings which can be a huge undertaking. We understand this can be an inconvenience so we will try to work with you on this.

Repairs are always far much better than replacements in most cases and this is mainly for the monetary value. Call us today at or email us for a quote or an in-home evaluation and consultation or order carpet stretching services online. Previous Next. Share This Article!

About the Author: Angelo's Carpet Cleaning. Angelo's Carpet Cleaning provides cleaning solutions for the entire Philadelphia Delaware Valley area. Carpet wrinkles are areas where the carpet has been folded or crushed during storage. It is best if this condition is identified before the carpet is installed.

If possible the wrinkled portion of the carpet roll should not be used. The carpet retailer or installer may tell you to wait and the wrinkles will relax over time.

However, this is not the case. Wrinkles not only affect the surface yarns, they go all the way through the carpet backings and may be permanent. This condition can be improved by steaming and grooming the carpet, but the results will vary based on the type of carpet yarn, backing, and the severity of the wrinkles.

Ripples are small waves that usually appear some time after the carpet is installed. The most common reason that carpet develops ripples is installer error. In order to avoid ripples, carpet should be installed using a power-stretcher. Often an installer will save time by using a knee-kicker rather than a power-stretcher. This results in inadequate stretch and the potential for ripples to develop as the carpet relaxes. Another reason for ripples is carpet that was not properly acclimated to the structure prior to installation, especially if the carpet is installed in cold weather.

A carpet needs to acclimate to normal room temperature and humidity for at least 48 hours before installation. It is difficult to stretch cold carpet, so as the carpet warms and absorbs atmospheric moisture, it will relax.

It may take months for ripples to appear. Occasionally, carpet will develop ripples immediately after cleaning. This can be quite disturbing to both the cleaner and the homeowner. The cause is moisture absorption into the adhesive layer between the primary and secondary backings of the carpet.

Even though the ripples appear after cleaning, the root cause is improper stretch of the carpet during installation. Another common reason that carpet may buckle is the dragging of heavy furniture or similar item across the surface of the carpet.

When a heavy item is dragged across the surface, it tugs on the carpet and can cause the carpet to stretch. To avoid causing your carpet to buckle when moving furniture or other heavy items, you must take precautions. It is best to lift the item and carry it if it is possible.

If the item is too heavy to be completely lifted off the carpet, then use two sheets of sturdy plywood to move it. Once you have the item completely on the second sheet, lift the first sheet and place it in front of the second, and continue in this manner until the item has been relocated. Carpet buckling may occur as a result of poor installation of the carpet. When a wall-to-wall carpet is installed, it must be stretched tightly and then is secured in place with tack strips along the edges of the carpet.

If the installer has not stretched the carpet tightly enough, it may loosen slightly, which could cause it to ripple. Ideally, carpet should be stretched during the installation using a power stretcher, which will reduce the chances of buckling. If the carpet is being installed in an area in which the conditions are significantly different than where it was previously stored for example, from an unheated warehouse to a heated home , then the carpet should be allowed to acclimate before installation.

This should reduce the possibility of buckling. If an improper cushion is used under the carpet, it could cause the carpet to buckle. This would occur if the pad was not dense enough to adequately support the carpet, and allowed too much flexibility in the carpet.

To prevent this issue, the correct underpad must be used under the carpet. Broadloom has a primary backing, which is what the fibers are fastened to, and a secondary backing, which holds everything together and is what you see when you look at that back of the carpet. Delamination occurs when the secondary backing detaches from the primary backing, due to a breakdown of the latex adhesive.

When this occurs, the top of the carpet is free to move and can buckle. Delamination can occur as a result of wet carpet see below or a manufacturing defect. If you suspect that the carpet is defective, contact your retailer or carpet manufacturer, who will likely send an inspector to look at the issue. Just as too much moisture in the air can cause a carpet to buckle, so can too much moisture in the carpet itself.

Carpet that has become overly wet, as the result of flooding or improper steam cleaning , is extremely susceptible to stretching.