CM/Spotlight: Carpet Care this case, the technician never expects to see this customer again. Not So Seamless A Situation Although carpet bubbles are a problem, another common problem that often devel-ops or is first detected after carpet clean-ing is detached seams. Seams are the lines formed by joining the edges of two pieces of carpet. These can be more than simply unsight-ly; seams can also present a safety hazard. When installed, all carpet seams and edges must be properly trimmed to ensure a tight fit. Seaming tapes, hand sewing or other techniques may be used to hide the seams. If the carpet has not been properly sealed, it can delaminate, which means the secondary backing separates from the pri-mary backing of the carpet. Additionally, there can be edge ravel, which occurs when tufts — carpet yarn or pile — pull loose at carpet seams. In some instances, carpet bubbles or ripples may appear after cleaning. Often, they will go away on their own. Sometimes, they will not. But, the process can also have unintend-ed side effects such as ripples. The heat and pressure of the extractor can make the carpet more pliable, causing it to buckle, swell and create bubbles and pockets. Essentially, the base of the carpet is no longer aligned parallel to the floor. In many cases, the situation is temporary and the bubbles slowly disappear. However, as in the situation mentioned earlier, sometimes the ripples remain. Although the ripples may be the result of hot water extraction, the problem is more often the result of improper installation. Possibly, the carpet was not properly stretched into place when installed. To correct the situation, the carpet may need to be re-stretched into place and secured to the track strip installed around the perimeter of the room. However, the fact that the bubbles or rip-ples appear after the carpet has been cleaned unfortunately still points the finger at the carpet cleaner. In such a situation, the carpet cleaning technician really has only two options: Have the carpet re-stretched and refit-ted in the hope of keeping the customer happy and earning repeat business Walk away from the situation, blaming the bubbles or ripples on the installer or manufacturer and claiming it is not the result of the carpet cleaning. In Staying Ahead Of The Game Carpet cleaning technicians must know that not all carpet installations are the same. So, how can technicians determine if the carpets they are about to clean are proper-ly installed? The first thing to do is ask the cus-tomer questions such as: Have you ever experienced bubbles, tears or torn seams in the carpet? Are any carpet edges coming loose? When was the last time you had the carpets cleaned? How were they cleaned? The next step is to do a visual inspection. Customers may be so accustomed to the way their carpets look and were installed that they may not even notice that seams are becoming visible or that there are “soft spots” that may actually be bubbles. Show customers these areas and note them on your service invoice before cleaning. This keeps you one step ahead of the situation, detecting and pointing out poten-tial problems before you are blamed for them. CM An experienced carpet installer will take the time to ensure carpets are properly stretched and seams are not exposed. 16 CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management ® • August 2010
CMM – Archives Aug 2010: 16
