Carpet seams showing is often the difference between and ordinary carpet installation and a masterpiece. While invisible carpet seams are not always possible, it is the goal of many great installers to construct invisible seams. While this is an admirable goal, invisible seams should never be promised. In fact it is advisable for the sales person to tell the consumer in advance of the installation that the seams cannot be guaranteed invisible.
Having performed carpet inspections into the thousands the author has had the opportunity not only to see countless carpet seams showing up abnormally but also many outstanding seams. Many of the bad seams have been by installers with years of experience. Before we get to far, I am not saying that you get worse with time for just the opposite is normally true. What I am saying is just because you have been installing carpet for twenty years, time alone does not make you an expert or mean that you care about quality. In every industry and floor covering is no exception, you have individuals that have been doing the same job for years and still fail to do it right. Many things can result in carpet seams showing and far too often these are easily avoidable installation problems.
Following are common examples of concerns that consistently lead to the complaint of carpet seams showing. Many of these concerns are easily avoidable. Many carpet seams showing complaints may be a bit more difficult to avoid though a competent carpet installer will do their best to avoid them.
Carpet Seams Showing and Related Problems
- Failing to explain to the consumer in advance where seams will be placed.
- Failing to explain that the seams cannot be guaranteed invisible
- Not running the seams into the major light source may result in what appears as a sidematch condition.
- Extra seams in traffic lanes to save yardage.
- Failure to seal or improper sealing of seams, allowing tufts to pull out.
- Leaving gaps at the end of seams.
- Overheating the seaming tape a sure fire way to have carpet seams showing.
- Under heating the seaming tape.
- Unlevel seams due to seaming over the cushion instead of a seaming board.
- Seam zippering and delamination due to absence of or misapplied seam sealer.
- Puckered seams from overheating.
- Severely peaked seams not only result in carpet seams showing they also may result in what appears as two shades of carpet due to light variations.
- Wide gaps and overlaps at the seam edge.
- Failing to take a wide enough trim at the seam.
- Back or trace cutting when row cutting would have made a better seam.
- Shading and discoloration at seams from excessive or trapped heat.
- Light or dark dye edges on the carpet that should have been trimmed off.
- Failure to match the pattern. Patterns not matched will almost always have the carpet seams showing.
- Failure to work with a pattern to correct pattern elongation.
- Multiple narrow lines along the seam from using the wrong seam roller.
- Going ahead with an installation without the manufacturer authorization on a carpet that cannot be properly seamed due to a manufacturing problem.
- Seams opening due to urine damage, which is a consumer, related problem.
- Too much filler in latex bonding the primary and secondary back. (Manufacturer)
- Weak backing laminate strength. (Manufacturer)
Carpet Seams Showing – Seam Related Conditions
Areas of Loose Secondary backing Along the Edge
During installation the installer may find that the carpet is delaminated along the edge of the roll. This is a visible manufacturing related condition called “Off Tenter,” that developed during the coating process and unless the area can be cut off or repaired the job should be halted and the manufacturer advised. Failing to do so will most like result in a later complaint of the carpet seams showing.
Sometimes the delamination is not severe at the time of installation and is not observed by the installer but later delaminates. In this situation the delamination at the seams will extend a few inches as opposed to lack of seam sealer which is at the edge of the seam.
Type of Claim: Manufacturer and is the result of the carpet and/or the secondary backing failing to be hooked on the pins or the tenter chain of the coater resulting in poor lamination. If it is suspected that the strength of the laminate is low, submit a test sample.
Correction: If not too bad, correctable by bonding with a seaming adhesive.
Band Appearance along Seam 1″ to 2″ Wide Pattern Trim
This appearance is most common on a carpet that is a patterned commercial style. The narrow band occurs when the edge of the carpet is improperly trimmed resulting in the pattern being off and the consumer complaining about the carpet seams showing.
Type of Claim: Installation related condition.
Correction: Sometimes corrected by reseaming.
Carpet Seams Showing Band Appearance along Seam
Carpet seams showing what appears as a band 0f a different shade. The band will be 4″ to 6″ wide, the width of the thermal plastic seaming tape
The band will be on both sides of the seam and directly above the seaming tape.
Type of Claim: This installation related claim developed from the use of too hot of a seaming iron, no heat shield, or heat being held in from the use of a metal tray or other object that held heat and change the pile setting.
Correction: Steaming should be tried but this installation related condition is often not correctable.
Delamination Urine
Carpet seams showing severe separation of the primary and secondary back. There are additional chemical factors in the urine composition that will delay drying. Deposits of urine salts will hold water in a carpet back. Continued walking across the damp backing and the chemicals and organisms within the urine damage the latex causing the delamination which results in the seams opening.
Common Identifying Characteristics
Urine odor, which can be increased for testing with a spray of warm water.
Sprouting or at seams, groups of tufts protruding above the pile surface.
A weak tuft bind in the area of the damage and a normal bind outside of it.
Fluorescence under ultra violet
Wet reading with moisture meter. (Urine salts hold moisture.)
Greasy feeling on back of carpet or seam tape.
Type of Claim: Consumer. If the latex appears chalky and the urine damage is minor, the manufacturer may be responsible. Obtain a sample of undamaged carpet for testing.
Correction: If not too severe, cleaning and laminating once the source of the problem has been controlled.
Delamination Flooding or Improper Cleaning
When a carpet remains wet for an extended period of time and receives heavy traffic it will cause delamination. All too frequently in places such as taverns where the cleaner is doing a lot of extraction to remove spills that cause resoiling, the carpet is left wet. These places are often closed for short hours and it results in heavy traffic over a damp backing. While cleaning with water is a good method, speed drying with fans should be used in this type of situation. Failure to properly and quickly dry the carpet will lead in both the carpet backs showing do to seam delamination and overall delamination in the traffic lanes.
Type of Claim: Consumer or cleaner. Manufacturer if the latex is a poor consistency that can not stand any amount of water. Will need a sample of carpet for testing.
Correction: None unless minor where the backing can be laminated.
Light and Dark Edges
Carpet seams showing light and dark edges. This occurs when the carpet shifts out from under the dye application causing the edge of the carpet not to be dyed or the selvedge can fold over during steaming which will cause dark edges. If light it is can sometimes be improved with dyeing.
Type of Claim: Going ahead with the installation without trimming off the problems turns a manufacturing condition into an installation condition.
Correction: These edges must be trimmed back prior to installation.
Pattern Not Matched on Multicolored Saxony or Sculptured Print
This often appears as a straight line running through the carpet at the seam. The carpet normally has a splotchy pattern with no repeat and the seam is running straight through the splotchy pattern. When carpet has been printed or dyed with a system that has no pattern repeat in sculpture or dye, the pattern must be “monkey matched” as good as is possible. Since there is no pattern, it is usually impossible for the installer to hide all of the dark/light lines. The fact that this carpet does not match does not make it a defective carpet. The consumer needs to be made aware of these characteristics to prevent a carpet seams showing complaint.
Type of Claim: This condition is a natural characteristic of this style of carpet.
Correction: It is advisable to explain this characteristic to the consumer at the time of purchase.
Seam Poorly Constructed
Carpet seams showing what may give the appearance of a straight line. The affected seam is unusually quite visible. You may have gaps in the seam. (Gaps up to the thickness of a credit card are acceptable.) The seam may be overlapped or not level. The outside row of tufts, at the seam, may be crushed down to the primary backing. You may have a large gap at the seam edge due to the first row of tufts being cut short.
Type of Claim: Installation
Correction: Usually corrected by taking apart, trimming and reseaming.
Seaming Roller Tooth Marks (Spur Roller)
Carpet seams showing lines that are very close together located on both sides of the seam and about the width of the seaming tape are usually from the teeth of a spur roller that was used by the installer.
Type of Claim: This claim develops when the installer uses a spur roller on a dense cut pile carpet and the warm yarn is reset.
Correction: Steaming may improve but may not totally correct the problem. To prevent this problem use a smooth surfaced seam roller on smooth textures.
Delamination or Zippering at Seam Edges
CRI 104 & 105 states, “Trimmed seam edges should be sealed with an appropriate seam sealer. Unsealed seams can lead to seam delamination of tufted carpet or loss of face yarns with unsightly results
CRI installation guidelines states, “To prevent fraying and raveling at the seams, a 1/8″ continuous bead of seam adhesive should be applied to the base of the first edge where the face yarn enters the backing. This will seal the first edge as well as the second when the edges are butted together to form the seam.”
Type of Claim: Installer if no seam sealer used or not properly sealed. If thought to be a manufacturer-related problem obtain a sample for testing.
Correction: Possible repair such as insert or reburl.
Do you have seam concerns that you need analyzed. Contact Terry and Kevin at The Weinheimer Group. They are expert certified carpet inspectors serving the states of Oregon and Washington.
why is a seam in berber carpet visible when the light is off and not visible when the lights are on ?
Richard
If the seam in your carpet was made using a thermal plastic tape there is always at least a very slight raise at the seam. When the lights are on, both sides of this seam is likely receiving a fairly even flow of light so the seam is not easily seen. When the lights are off there may be side lighting such as windows or light from another room that places more light on only one of the panels or only on the slightly elevated seam area and thus the seam shows. There may be another causes though this is the most common.
Terry
Hello — I’m having some very low pile carpet installed — it’s about a 1/4th inch high. It’s dark gray, with a lighter fleck. I am curious about how such low pile material should be installed, to minimize seaming issues. I realize that there will be some. Could you clue me in on type of tape, type of pad? I have seen commentary that it should be installed “toward the light source,” but I am not clear what that means.
Any help you can offer would be appreciated. It is to be installed by the carpet retailer, and i am not that confident in their knowledge of very low-pile products.
Cathryn
What you describe sounds like a commercial style carpet. How much seam visibility can be reduced depends much on the style of the carpet and the ability of the installer. Running towards the light source refers to running the seams towards the major windows. When a seam runs in front of windows, one side of the seam will often be highlighted more which results in the seam showing more. As far as cushion for a commercial style carpet, I would select either a 3/8″ or 7/16″ bonded urethane in a minimum of 8 pound density, or a felt (fiber style) cushion.
Installing pin dots if the pattern has elongation before seaming it’s how many inches is to much n is a manufacturer defect
To check for PATTERN ELONGATION
a. Measure the distance between the patterns at 2 designated points.
b. Count the number of patterns in 5 feet. It must be accurate!
c. Measure opposite section of the carpet and repeat same procedure.
d. Measure 10-20 feet of the carpet and count the patterns to compare with the first count.
e. There should be no more than ½- inch between the patterns.
f. Continue measuring the entire length of the carpet.
g. If the difference is greater than ½-inch in 5-feet, contact manufacturer.
We recently had a large installation from Lowe’s. The first installers did a horrible job and did not stretch the carpet well, nor did they tack it down around the edges well. It can be pulled up and down, you can see it move when it is walked on, etc… There is no argument about whether or not it needs re-stretched. However, there is a seam that is coming apart that they attempted to fix once. It was not fixed and came apart again. The next installer said there was nothing he could do and that if he needed to stretch it again, we would have to take everything out of the room. He said that if he reheated the seam again it would begin to break down the backing on the carpet and it would not last as long. Finally, the president of the install company came out in person and told us that it is fine, he can restretch, trim the carpet and fix the seam all without having anything taken out of the room. Please let me know your opinion on this matter.
The first installer that came out sounds like a real carpet butcher and not a carpet installer. The president of the installation company that came out may have been part correct stating that the carpet can be restretched and e may be correct in saying the seam repaired. The second installer was correct in stating the furniture needs to be taken out of the room and he also may be correct in saying the back will come off. If it were me I would allow them to attempt a correction by reseaming and restretching with all furniture out of the room. I would want it it writing from the installation company that the installation will be performed to the manufactures standards or the CRI standards. I would also insist on a letter from them in advance that stated that if the correction failed they would replace the carpet at their expense and that it would be installed based on CRI or manufacturers standards. That is what I would want, how you handle it is up to you. Good luck!!
We just got new carpet and you can almost see what seems to be the tape line (1-2″ wide) under where it was seamed. Is this something I can expect the company where I got the carpet to stand behind (they also did the installation) What can I expect from them or am I out of luck?
Also wondering if I should be able to lift the carpet up if I pinch it and lift up. Should it be tight enough that I can’t do that?
The line you see is likely a slight peak from the seaming tape. When a carpet is properly stretched tight you should not be able to pinch it and lift it up. When tight the peak in a seam will often show more but go down some as the carpet relaxes. Invisible seams cannot be guaranteed.
HI There
Have just had a carpet fitted stairs, landing and hallway.
The hallway is the main traffic root into the house, the company and fitters who supplied the carpet have placed a seem joint across the hallway but didn’t inform me of this. I was lead to believe the hallway was to be fitted as one.
I am not happy as the joint can be seen when sunlight shines through the front door and because of the heavy usage worried it might fail?
Can you please advise me as to your views.
Kind regards
Paul
Paul
Most carpet is manufactured in a 12’ width, you will generally have seams. It is a shame that the dealer did not give you a layout showing where the seams would be located.
Some styles of carpets will show seams more than others. Some carpet installers (fitters) are not as good at hiding seams as others.
While the seam may show, if it has been constructed properly, it should perform fine. Unfortunately carpet manufacturers are unable to guarantee invisible seams and the store that sold it or the fitter should not either.
Terry
REGARDING: COMMENT ABOVE FROM
Richard said…March 2016
If the seam in your carpet was made using a thermal plastic tape there is always at least a very slight raise at the seam. When the lights are on, both sides of this seam is likely receiving a fairly even flow of light so the seam is not easily seen. When the lights are off there may be side lighting such as windows or light from another room that places more light on only one of the panels or only on the slightly elevated seam area and thus the seam shows. There may be another causes though this is the most common.
Terry
Terry
I have this issue with brand new berber. carpet…..it almost seems like an optical illusion. Is there a way to correct this.. Do you think the problem is what you mentioned that the tape has made the carpet raise slightly and when there is more light it does not show as much as when it is darker? Is this as you say the most common problem. It does not appear to have been burned and the pattern match looks perfect. Please help me on this, I am losing sleep. I paid $4000 for this carpet and it is beautiful, but the seam in the big room makes it look terrible..
Thank youfor helping me get peace of mind,
Cathie
Cathie
From your description, you are experiencing natural profiling of thermal plastic seaming tape. When the room is darker, is there more natural or artificial lighting at one side of the room? To help you decide, take a white sheet and spread it out smoothly so across the seam. Are you seeing a similar appearance?
I do not know if the carpet was seamed with a standard or wide seaming tape. A wide tape shows profiling less. If you now have a narrow tape and you want to change it to wide. this is not always possible as taking a seam apart and re seaming will sometimes make the seam show up even more, especially where there is a pattern match as the edges cannot be re-trimmed.
If there is a slight texture difference on one of the joined panels, that will often cause an appearance difference. Often a slight texture difference will correct itself over time with use and vacuuming.
Terry
Terry,
I appreciate the prompt reply and the sharing of your wealth of knowledge. I am going to wait on the update of information from the inspector. The seam is just so obvious, we can’t believe it would ever just correct itself over time.
Thank you so much,
Cathie
I JUST had carpet installed last Thursday, I have a small 10′ long hallway, the carpet has a pattern that runs the length of the hall, 3 feet in they cut a seam ACROSS the hall and across the vertical pattern.
The seam is showing and even has some fibers coming up.
The carpet person insists that seams are normal,(which I agree with), my issue is where the seam is placed.
I, in good faith I have paid them, hoping it would just not bother me, talked to him today, asked him NOT to take my funds and correct the problem, willingly correct IF I PAY AN ADDITIONAL $200. Claims that the installer can fix it.
I am going to dispute the charge, I am sick about this.
Do you have any recommendation or comments not this issue?
Gale, while the seam may or may not be in the correct location and some seams will show. If the seam was not properly constructed it will show even more, and you should not have fibers coming up. The way you describe your concern, it sounds like the installer may not have properly sealed your seam. If the installer did not do the job correctly the first time, they certainly should not be charging you additional money to correct the problem.
Buster
While you could talk with an attorney or go to small claims court, if you are unwilling to allow the installer to attempt corrections, it may make it more difficult for you to obtain another remedy.
We just had carpet installed in a 600 square foot room for $1870.00
There is a 8 inch cut in the carpet. The installer said because it’s not cut through it will be okay. He will give us $100.00 off should I do it?
You need to carefully check the cut to make sure it has not cut the back of the carpet. Decide from there how much the cut bothers you, if $100 is satisfactory, and make your own decision.
I had carpet installed upstairs, 680 sq. feet including steps, landings and hallway
the carpet was measured incorrectly and it fell 13 inches short of the wall. They seamed in the landing pieces and have left the landing uncarpeted for 2 weeks.
It seems like a 13 inch strip of carpet will not last as long as a larger piece. And the bed goes right where the seam is, which is a heavy bed and is moved often for bed making.
Is there guidelines as to how small a seamed piece should be? I think that whole piece should be redone but i’m afraid if they tear it up the padding underneath will be ruined. Is that an unreasonable request and a discount should be given for leaving 2 landings uncarpeted for so long.
CRI 105 – 2015 Standard for Installation of Residential Carpet states, “5.1 Seams: Keep seams to a minimum. When possible, position seams so that: · Seams should run the length of the area. · Main traffic should run parallel to, rather than across, the seam. · Natural light does not strike across the seam. · Seams are away from areas subjected to pivoting traffic. · Seams are not perpendicular to doorway openings.”
While the above are the standards, if the seam has been properly constructed including the sealing of raw edges. If the seam looks bad, that is another issue.
We had a low pile wool carpet installed; they used a memory foam pad and indicate it was 5/16th and they have had good luck with it.
After install, horizontal ridges or humps are visible every six feet across the entire flooor horizontally. The owner advised us it would relax and flatten soon. It did not. The ridges are where the pad runs. Not seams which look good and are vertical.
The installer is stumped. Ideas? He is willing to pull up carpet but not sure what he will done or how he will fix.
Thoughts/ideas? Thank you!
Thank you.
Craig, this is my suggestion.
Check for dye-bands. I rarely see dye-bands on wool carpet. To check for dye bands use a high powered lamp about 500 watts. Hold it above the pile so even light flows across the band and the space between. If the carpet all looks the same shade, it is unlikely dye bands.
Check pad seams. Where you see these bands go over to the end of them next to the wall. Lift just enough carpet to see if the bands are directly over a seam. If they are and there is a tape over the seam, measure the tape and the band. If they are about the same size, this is likely the pad tape telegraphing through the carpet.
If the bands are not directly over the seams, measure the width of each band and the distance between each band. If the bands and the distance progressively get a bit narrower or wider, you most likely have roll crush. If roll crush the bands should go away after a few weeks and if they don’t they can usually be removed with a bit of direct steam. A steamer used to steam wrinkles out of clothing should work just fine to remove them. Keep in mind that when steaming, if you are not steaming all bands in the correct direction to the sweep of the carpet, you can make things even worse.
Hope this helps you get your answer,
Terry
I have selected a low-pile carpet for the upstairs of our condo (about 3/8″ thick). The owner of the carpet shop came to measure and indicated he will need to seam at both bedroom doors and hall closet door or one seam across main hallway in order to install. I am concerned about the seams wearing at doorways or main traffic area and visibility. My neighbor has the exact same condo floor plan as me and she does not appear to have any seams. Does this seem like a “hack” installation? I am debating about getting my refund back from this company and going elsewhere despite their established reputation. Any advice?
Annette
It sounds like the carpet company is being honest with you. Carpet is manufactured in standard widths. When installing carpet in multiple areas such as a hall and bedrooms, the area will be wider than the width of the carpet. Usually you end up with a seam at the doorway between the rooms. Depending on room and hall layout, you may also have them in the hall. A good carpet installer (fitter) will properly prepare the seams so that they will perform just fine. A good installer will do their best to hide them though they cannot be guaranteed to be invisible. You might want to ask the shop owner to draw you a diagram showing the location of the seams in the location he recommends them. As far as hall or doorways, this has to be your final choice.
I have a question., We had whole house carpet installed last July, Obviously many seams. Each seam has a 3″ wide pattern running the length of the seam. This is plush carpet with H2O backing.. 182 yrds. We are sick about it. these show both with the lights on or off and natural light.. The company so far thinks it’s fine. Any comments
James, while there could be an issue it is difficult to comment without actually inspecting. Keep in mind that while seams are sometimes invisible, they cannot be guaranteed.
We have a Beautifully installed Berber carpet throughout our basement & recently had a cold water line blow leading to our toilet tanks in our basement woke up to a flooded basement luckily it didn’t do a lot of damage, but we acted quickly & sucked up most of the water with a shop vac & my rug shampooer. We called a local Damage control company to come in & dry it with their heavy duty fans & lg humidifier worked great & we saved the carpet.. we now however can see a seam probably the width of the tape used under it.. had a carpet guy in to reattach a few areas they had to lift to get fans blowing underneath..like a person in previous post said not always able to see it only in certain light.. bugging me however. carpet guy said best to leave it alone any suggestions???
Every time I shampoo my carpet the seams start fraying and my rental company is blaming me for carpet damage. What can I do to prove it’s from poor carpet or installation? TIA
My suggestion would be an onsite inspection by a qualified carpet inspector. Here is a link to the National Institute of Flooring Inspectors. https://www.nicfi.org/search.aspx
Hi! I had nylon loop carpet installed in my living room and bedroom! It is pieced between the 2 room! You can see the seem but since it’s low pile i expected i would! The problem is the seam is getting some fraying, nothing major, but it’s noticeable! What could be causing this and how can it be corrected? Thanks!
If it is just have some frays along the seam, trim them off. If the edge of the seams are opening and the tufts pulling out, especially if this is looped carpet, you have a potential problem. Sometimes installers will skip edge sealing the carpet at the seams. Edge sealing helps to prevent fraying.
TWG,
I need an opinion from a seasoned expert. We built a house and used looped berber in all the bedrooms. All but one room has done fine. The large room is a bedroom for my 2 girls. You could see a seam, but that really did not bother me. It’s a big room and I expected a seam. What did bother me was my daughter was vacuuming and a thread caught at the seam and ripped a whole line out. I called the builder. They sent the carpet guy out and he did a patch job. Now, I spend all my time gluing down nap. It’s always coming loose around this square. My other gripe is that the seam is right down the middle of the room. They could have laid it in the other direction and the seam would have been within 2 feet of a wall and less traffic. So, is it bad carpet or a bad install job? They tell me all this is normal and they will do nothing else about it. If you give me an email, I will send you a picture, if that helps. Please answer as soon as you can. I don’t trust they are telling the truth.
Mark
Regarding the fraying of the carpet edges, if the installer did not edge seal before seaming, this is an installation related concern. If the carpet was edge seamed and the carpet is delaminating it may be a manufacturing, installation or site related/maintenance concern.
Regarding the seam down the middle of the room. if the carpet is attached to carpet in a joining area, it is likely the seam had to be in that location to run it all in the same direction. If it is an isolated room the direction that placed the seam along the wall would have been preferable.
You can send photos to twgroupmail@gmail.com
I just had a commercial grade carpet installed in my basement, 50 ounce dark gray with a 8 ounce padding. The seam seems to be cut fine but it looks like the carpet is running in two different directions because of the light and dark color.. installer states within a month the seam should be gone but I don’t think so. Can this even be fixed?
Hi, I just had carpet installed to my whole house. The carpet is rather plush. Inside the bedrooms the seams are hidden well except for one bedroom that has a small 1′ by 2′ patch of carpet and runs to the doorway. The carpet comes in 12 foot rolls. The seams at the doorways are very visible, it appears that the cuts are not straight at the seams. Would this cause such visible seams? The other issue is that we have two doorways across from each other with a seam in each doorway as well as one across the middle of the hallway connecting the two seams at the hall. The seams look like a wide ‘H’. We also have an extra seam in the same hallway that is only 3.5 feet into the hallway although they are 12 foot rolls. The carpet company had not ordered enough carpeting to complete lower floor of the house and there is almost nothing left over. Is it possible that the carpet was pieced together to complete the install? The flooring company tells us this is the way the layout should be and that the seams will “settle”. Will we have an issue where the seams intersect in the middle of our hallway?
Installation of high pattern European carpet from Marion’s Carpet Warehouse was done on 12/11. In dealing with sales representative, stressed importance of not having visible seam, but also wanted expensive carpet with pattern. Carpet installed in high end movie room I’ve worked on for over 4 years. 1rst measurement required additional $700 in carpet to match pattern. 2nd measurement from another installer reduced price $1,100.
Discussion with installer last night when asking to get paid said $500 more in carpet would have pattern matched the carpet on lower level theater. However seam is as good as it can be which is visible on upper level.
Maybe a carpet inspection by your company would be prudent before I determine if I have any rights for a charge back or carpet removal.
My carpet seam is showing, that’s why I’m wondering if it can still be fixed. I never knew that this might be the cause of weak backing laminate strength. Maybe my carpet can still be saved, I just have to find an excellent carpet patching service.
I just had wool “buddha” carpet “like level loop berber” installed i can really see the seams and it seem not to be flat against some of the corners. This is heavy duty carpet so I’m wondering if this is normal? I had a Berber carpet before and could not see the seams.
While invisible seams cannot be guaranteed, viewing this image it does appear as there may be a seaming issue. I would suggest you have your dealer look at it. If you are not satisfied after the dealer takes a look, you may want to hire an independent carpet inspector.
We recently had a low profile Berber installed – the seam is unfortunately in an obvious place. While the seam seems to be installed correctly, what can we do to help it settle in? Would a seam roller work to help reduce the visibility of it? We don’t have a ton of traffic on that particular area. I don’t think it was done improperly but how can we help reduce viability over time?
Thanks so much!
Sam
Viewing the image it appears that the seam runs paralegal to a major light source. At the right side of the image towards the back of the room, I see uncovered windows. If the seam has even a small peak, which is often the situation, more light is reflecting at one side of the seam, an appearance difference. The seam may become less noticeable with time as the carpet relaxes. While I doubt it will help to roll the seam you have nothing to lose by trying. Just make sure you use a flat roller and not one with spurs on it. You may just have to live with the situation if the carpet is installed correctly and there is not a problem with the carpet itself.
Thank you so much for the quick response! Is it possible for them to lift up the carpet and move the seam or would that require all new carpet? I would even possibly be willing to pay a small fee – just wondering if it’s possible without ordering all new supplies.
It may be possible to take up the carpet and move the seam. This depends on the layout of the room. It is possible that you would need additional carpet to do so. Call your dealer or the installer, have them look at it. They should be able to tell you if the seam can be moved and how much it would cost.
Dreamweaver installed Feb. 2020. Carpet started shedding. Holes on stairs risers and hallway. Seams are noticeable. What are the possible causes? Wrong install? Defective carpet?
Dreaweaver Exceptional II. Installed Feb 2020. Carpet shedding hasn’t stop. Holes on stairs risers and hallway. Seams are very noticeable.
All of the above.
I just had new carpet installed. I’ve had berber before, and even have the same carpet installed in another room but I’ve never had such an obvious seam. You can definitely see other seams when you look for them but this one draws your eye as soon as you enter the room because it runs down the middle of the room and appears to be a slight bump. I inquired about it as they were doing the install and immediately followed-up with the company’s customer service after the install (and sent them pics) and the shrugged it off as unavoidable and said it “may” get better over time. Is that really the best I can hope for? Is this an acceptable level of workmanship? And is there really no viable way to improve it short of complete replacement? (BTW, the sales person said nothing about seams during the sale, to your point above.)
It appears that you have a peaked seam and a lot of light coming from the side of the room where the carpet has a lighter appearance. Some times a peaked seem will become flatter as a tightly stretched carpet relaxes and the peak lessens. To reduce a sidematch appearance, it is best to run a seam into a major light source instead of across it, though that is not always possible.
I’m in the process of ordering carpet to be installed in my master bedroom. Because the carpet is 12″, there is going to be a seam in the room where there is a doorway to our master bath. Being this is a major walk way, I told them I really don’t like that idea but doesn’t seem like I have much of a choice unless I pick a carpet that is wider than 12″. Do you see this being a problem area in the future?
It would be preferred that the seam is not in a major walkway. If the carpet is not connected to another room with the same carpet, could you run it in a different direction? To do so, you may need to purchase more carpet. You also mentioned purchasing another carpet that is wider, that may be a good choice. If the seam must go there, just make sure you hire a quality carpet installer that is going to stay with the manufacturer and industry standards such as sealing the raw edges prior to seaming. If the seam is performed properly is should perform fine. The biggest problem is that the seam may not be invisible and for those that expect invisible seams, they cannot be guaranteed.
I’m a professional carpet installer for 20 years. Guess what everyone, seams are visible. All brands, all types, all installers…you are going to have to deal with seams. I’m so tired of the complaining about it. It’s not cut to order to fit in your house perfectly, it’s in 12’ rolls that talented pros cut and seam to work in your house. We break our backs, knees, and hands to make it look nice. Show some appreciation, quit knit picking and tip your installer for the hard work they did to make your house nicer. It’s a knife that makes it possible not a Harry Potter magic wand!
I just had a patterned carpet installed and at the top of the stairs, where top step meets the upstairs hallway, the pattern was turned so the carpet could run the length of the hall, but it’s very obvious the pattern does not match. They did the same thing on the landing downstairs. This caused the pattern to be sideways in the 3 bedrooms, and in one room a seam was required in front of a window as you enter the room (a few feet in, not the threshold). Very noticeable and raised. Had the pattern been continued in the same direction as the stairs a narrow seam in a different area could have been hidden under furniture. This change in pattern direction and the seam are bugging me. The store says they were saving me money by using less carpet. I wasn’t asked and would have paid more. Is this standard for installation?
i have found that stretching the length of the seam a bit stronger it will dip a little. so when i stretch across it even out and won’t peak as bad.
The dealer should have explained this too you in advance and given you the option. Turning carpets like this without the consumers knowledge is not a standard that is practiced by most reputable dealers and installers.
Thank you for sharing.
New carpet installer, I have a problem when making seams that the carpet overlaps when it is done but was fine when I put it together. Is something I am doing wrong?
I would suggest that you contact ICFI – International Certified Flooring Installers. In my opinion this is the best organization for both Training and Certification of flooring installers. In my experience I have found that they are helpful to all installers a member or not. Their contact is https://cfiinstallers.org/contact/
Dixie Home Larson in Wicker carpet… In this photo the carpet looks to be running in the opposite direction at the seam based on color difference. Sales rep said, ‘Better carpet seams show.’
The seams seem ‘buckled.’ What are your thoughts?
Just had carpet installed and where the baseboard and carpet meet I can stick my finger under it and touch the wall. Is this normal?
Kristy
The way you describe this it sounds like you have either:
1- An elevated baseboard and he carpet was installed after the baseboard, or,
2- The drywall is raised off the floor leaving a gap. The standards of the Carpet and Rug institute (CRI) for tack strip states, “The gully, or distance between the tack-strips and vertical abutments, is required to be slightly less than the thickness of the carpet but not exceed 3/8 inch (9 mm).” With either 1 or 2 above, in order to meet the CRI standard, the baseboard would need to be removed to make any changes. Keep in mind that carpet installers are not finished carpenters and usually do not remove baseboards.
Newly installed carpet has three seams in doorways to the bedrooms from the hall. The carpet is high pile without any pattern. One of the three seams is perfect – not visible at all. Two other seams are not just visible – they are ugly. Installer tried to fix them and, eventually, said that everything is done correctly and cannot be improved. IFCII inspector found that the seams cut is jagged, sealer and glue were not applied correctly. Other installers agree that the seams are done incorrectly, but nobody wants to fix them, saying that in this case only replacement of the carpet on the entire floor is a solution. Your opinion?
Likely correctable by a competent installer as long as there is enough stretch in the carpet.
I just had some medium to low pile stain master carpet installed. It has a linear pattern to it. This seam is very visible-see pic. Deal with it, or complain to the installer? I just don’t know what is acceptable.
I really cannot tell cause by your photo. We would need to see some close ups of the carpet seam and when taking the photo, you would need to place lighting so that it places the flow of light evenly across the seam. I dp see a pewer stretcher in the photo, which says to me that the carpet installer likely cares about the quality of work.