Corn rowing of wall-to-wall carpet sounds a bit strange. When you inspect, or look at a wall to wall carpet with cornrowing it is indeed odd appearing with bands or rows that are high and low.
Corn Rowing a Strange Carpet Term
Corn rowing is one of those strange terms you hear when discussing problems with wall-to-wall carpet and sometimes rugs. It develops across the width of a carpet. Corn rowing could be in either the length or width of the room. The appearance depends on the direction the carpet is laid. Gauge lines is a similar appearing manufacturer related condition to corn rowing that develops in the carpets lengthwise direction.
Corn rowing bands gives the appearance of a corn crop with one row standing erect and the next row mowed down. The rows repeat giving the appearance of a field of corn, hence the name corn rowing.
The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI), most small and all large carpet manufacturers including Shaw, Mohawk and Beaulieu do not recognize corn rowing as a manufacture related defect. As an end user, we think the manufacturer should replace the carpet. The odds that they will replace a carpet for corn rowing are slim to nil.
Why Carpets Corn Row
When carpet is manufactured, the tufting machine places the yarn at a set distance. With some carpet styles the pile yarn is tufted close together. With other styles, such as shags and longer piled styles the tufts are often farther apart. The styles of carpet where the tufts are further apart is where you will usually find corn rowing bands developing in a carpet.
Once a wall to wall carpet or rug is installed in your home and as it is trafficked upon pressure is placed on the pile yarn. On a dense piled carpet the higher density holds the tufts of yarn close to each other. On a sparser construction, there is not a great deal of support between the joining rows of yarn tufts and some of the tufts push over while the others remain erect and the corn rowing appearance is created. The cornrowing usually develops in the traffic areas as these are the areas that get the greatest foot traffic.
Identifying Corn Rowing
Carpet Construction: Usually has a wide stitch rate (wider distance between rows of tufts) and/or the carpet has a higher pile such as a shag or loosely constructed frieze.
Where it Develops: Corn rowing most commonly develops in the traffic lanes, at pivot areas or under doors that drag on the carpet.
More Common Causes
- Vacuuming with a very aggressive vacuum or with the brush set too low on the vacuum. Brushes should be adjusted to touch the tips of the carpets pile.
- Improperly installed carpet that has not been stretched tight enough.
- Improper carpet pad (cushion) that is too thick or too soft. Carpet cushion should be no thicker than 7/16″ with a minimum density of 6-8 pounds.
- Poor maintenance such as in frequent vacuuming or always vacuuming in the same direction.
- Doors rubbing on the carpet create the corn rowing condition in kind of a pie shape.
Preventing and Correcting Corn Rowing
- On longer shags and loosely constructed cut pile carpet, regularly rake with a carpet rake. Carpet rakes (groomers) can be purchased from a janitorial supply house.
- Regularly change direction when vacuuming.
- Do not set the brushes on your vacuum too low, only allow them to touch the surface of the pile.
- Carpet has a memory and once corn rowing sets in you may not be able to permanently correct it. Raking regularly may be the best you can do.
Manufacturer Related Corn Row Appearance
There is a similar appearing manufacturer related condition to corn rowing that can occur with cut pile carpet. This manufacturer related corn rowing is gauge lines. Gauge lines are fine lines that run lengthwise and always the same distance apart from 1/4″ to 2″ and they give the carpet a corduroy affect.
If your carpet develops bands a qualified inspector such as Kevin Weinheimer and Terry Weinheimer of the Weinheimer Group will be able to tell you if it is site related or manufacturer related corn rowing.
We have a definite corn-row effect in our new carpet and we are working with our provider to rectify the situation. Two inspectors have looked at the carpet and the result is the same. According to the inspectors, there is no doubt about a mislaid seam. The provider, however, says that he’s not responsible for the corn-row problem, nor is the manufacturer. Some advice as to how we should proceed would be greatly helpful and appreciated.
Thank you,
John Mott
We have the corn-row effect also. Our carpet is not even 2 years old and looks terrible and there is only 2 of us, no children, no pets. We’ve had many houses (new) over the years and never experienced a problem with carpet. Luckily I reported this to the store where we purchased the carpet. They sent an inspector out and Shaw is doing a full replacement on our pad and carpet. IMO, the corn-row apprearance is NOT acceptable. It is a flaw in the carpet. Shaw should discontinue this product.
Hi Donna, that is great news that Shaw replaced your carpet. We also have the corn-row effect on a luxury rated carpet, after 6 months, and feel it is not acceptable or expected. I would greatly appreciate any suggestions you may have on dealing with Shaw. Thank you
We, my wife and I, bought new carpet to replace the existing in the upstairs bedroom and hallway area when we moved into our home in October, 2012. There are just the two of us. We noticed corn rowing almost within the first nine months and had problems getting in touch with our installer. When we did, he referred us to the store where the carpet was purchased. The store rep came out and told us the carpet was corn rowed and that he would contact the manufacturer, Shaw, and they would send an inspector to look at it. The inspector came out and basically said get a rake and a new vacuum and good luck! I bought the rake, and it helped a little as you don’t walk on it. I have tried the inspector’s recommended vacuum without success. One year after buying this Shaw carpet, we have carpet that looks terrible and we can do nothing about it. It appears Shaw has different responses based on who they send out to do an inspection. What can we do now?
Corn-rowing is a natural occurrence in all residential carpet. Typically, longer nap carpet will show corn-rowing first. Many times it will take 5-10 years to develop on Nylon carpet that has been well maintained. Excessive wear, lower grade carpet, longer nap carpet and setting your vacuum too low will likely cause your carpet to corn-row sooner than normal.
Ironically, SmartStrand and Sorona Carpet that is actually made from corn will corn-row much sooner than Nylon. It is NOT uncommon for corn carpet to corn-row within 1-2 years. Don’t be fooled by the softness of corn carpet. It wears very poorly and cleans poorly too. Corn-rowing in a short period of time is a characteristic of SmartStrand/Sorona (corn carpet) and NOT a defect.
Matt, thank you for sharing your corn rowing observations you have made as a carpet cleaner in regard to SmartStrand and Sonora Carpet. While I have not observed more corn rowing with corn based fiber it would be interesting to hear what others have observed. The only actual relationship corn rowing has with corn is the term “corn rowing”. The term is used as the condition leaves the carpet yarn in rows that some say look like rows of corn.
Mike, You might want to consider hiring your own inspector and NICFI.org. What of the major problems that I have observed with early onset corn rowing the wrong carpet being specified or purchased for the areas in which it is used. Unfortunately in the carpet industry just as within other industries you have both very knowledgeable and educated sales people and sales people that only want to make the sale and know little about the product they are selling. The inspector that recommended a rake and a different style of vacuum was know doubt giving you as much advice as he or she could for an inspector is allowed to share little information with anyone other than the commissioning party. By hiring your own inspector you may get a bit more help but more than likely you are going to be told it is the wrong product for its use and not a manufacturing defect.
I know exactly what “corn-rowing” is. I see it on almost weekly basis for a long time. The majority of corn-rowed carpet I see is Nylon carpet which is usually at least 5-10 years old – in most cases. Corn-rowing after at least 5-10 years is often normal and not a defect. Nylon has overwhelming popularity, for good reason, and that is why I see it often.
SmartStrand has now become popular enough that I clean at least 1 house per week with SmartStrand installed. Approx. 75% to 90% of the carpet that is medium to long nap carpet has corn-rowing. Unfortunately, most of the carpet is less than 5 years old and on average – the majority is about 2 years old. This is very high percentage of corn-rowing especially when compared to Nylon carpet.
Some of the corn-rowing may be attributed to setting the vacuum too low causing excessive wear. I have seen that on several carpet warranty claims I have been involved with. However, the majority of the corn-rowed SmartStrand is using their vacuum properly and not excessively.
Hundreds of my customers loved SmartStrand at first, due to its softness, but are often disappointed with its premature corn-rowing, crushing/matting/poor resiliency. If the carpet doesn’t wear to their satisfaction – softness doesn’t matter anymore.
My customers with short nap SmartStrand/Sorona/Corn Carpet have been much more satisfied because it takes much longer to corn-row.
Again, SmartStrand/Sorona/Corn Carpet that has a medium to long nap seems to corn-row much, much faster than nylon with the same length of nap and quality. In many cases, it is at least twice as fast as Nylon – which is unacceptable to me and many of my customers.
Please remember – almost every carpet manufacturer recommends and requires Professional Truck-Mounted Steam Cleaning (Hot Water Extraction) on a regular basis. The majority require professional cleaning every 12-18 months. Soil is an abrasive, like sandpaper, which scratches and wears carpet fibers. A clean carpet wears less and lasts much longer than dirty carpet. Remember – corn-rowing is often caused by wear. Carpet manufactures require Professional Truck-Mounted Steam Cleaning because almost all carpet will wear out LONG before its wear warranty – unless it is professionally cleaned on a regular basis.
With proper maintenance, there is no reason your carpet cannot last 20 years or more. Please visit http://www.iicrc.org to find an Industry Certified carpet cleaner. Some manufacturers, like SHAW, actually require the use of an IICRC Certified Firm every 12-18 months.
Matt, It is always good to hear from IICRC Certified Carpet Cleaner’s such as you. For those unaware, IICRC Certified Carpet Cleaners have gone through specialize training on caring for rugs and carpets. I certainly was not inferring that you did not know he difference between corn based carpet and corn rowing but did not want those who did not have your background and training to become confused. I must say that your comments are appreciated and hope you will make additional posts. You are also invited to submit articles for posting on this site should you wish.
Terry
No worries. Sometimes it is tough to be clear and concise to someone who doesn’t know the industry terms. I think it is great to have consumers, flooring sales , installers, cleaners and inspectors perspective.
Carpet Cleaners, like myself, see just about every condition out there – especially someone who is passionate and not just doing it for a job or business. I clean about 700 different places per year so I have seen just about everything from the day it was installed to the day it is replaced. Stains, soiling, defects, wear, etc.
Also to summarize my long last post – SmartStrand/Sorona/Corn carpet just doesn’t wear as well as similar quality Nylon. This is ultimately why it corn-rows earlier than Nylon. Corn-rowing will eventually happen to just about all residential carpet. Whether it takes a few years or many years depends on so many factors.
For example, I just cleaned a short nap nylon carpet that is about 20 years old. The carpet was in fantastic condition and the corn-rowing is hardly noticeable because it is a short nap carpet.
Low nap carpets may not be as comfortable as longer nap carpets but they almost always wear better than longer nap carpet.
Longer nap carpets are comfortable but expect them to show more wear faster.
Thanks Matt, I absolutely agree with you when you say, “Low nap carpets may not be as comfortable as longer nap carpets but they almost always wear better than longer nap carpet.’
‘Longer nap carpets are comfortable but expect them to show more wear faster”. As an IICRC Certified Senior Carpet Inspection I see a whole lot less complaint with low dense piled carpets than with thick and flimsy piled carpets.
Hello, I have a unique situation. I have severe mold hypersensitivities which has cause chemical sensitivities. I am so hypersensitive to mold that if over accumulation of mold spores are in the house due to a water leak the house is so toxic to me I have to vacate the property with only the clothes on my back and chances are I can never go back. Anyway, we bought a top of the line Shaw carpet due to it’s low chemical toxicity but after one year the carpet looks like it’s 10 years old. We called the company we purchased the carpet from, they in turn sent out an inspector. The inspector said because we are using a Dyson animal vacuum cleaner Shaw would not warranty the carpet.
Due to my sever mold hypersensitivity I have to have a vacuum cleaner that specifically built for people with hypersensitivities to allergens like mold. Under Shaws “recommended” vacuums they have one bagless vacuum which a isn’t a hepa vacuum nor is it certified by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation. We have no children 1 very small dog and because of my mold hypersensitivities and the air purifiers the house isn’t just dust free it’s immaculate so the carpet shouldn’t be wearing like it is. What are my options? Thanks
Dave, Shaw is not the only company that will void a warranty on certain styles of carpet when a Dyson vacuum is used. The brushes on a Dyson vacuum are extremely stiff and can damage a carpets pile, particularly cut pile carpets with a high pile or loose twist. Carpet and Rug Institute has a number of approved vacuums at their website. CRI Approved Vacuums
Our Carpet has also Cornrolled! We are EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED! I feel lie crying every time I look at it.
We purchased this Shaw Carpet Style Orient Point Color Moonlit Gold a little over 2 years ago. We also purchased the up graded carpet pad 487PD Memory Plus for better wear. Upon purchasing our carpet we were told to only use a suction only vacuum on this carpet. So I bought a nice quality Miele Suction only Vacuum. It’s just my husband and myself, and I vacuum 3 times a week. The carpet looks awful, and I paid a fortune for it. 4 months after it was installed the carpet was completely cornrolled, so filed a complaint with the Carpet Dealer. He sent an independent inspector out, and I was told this cornrolling is a natural occurence in the longer thick pile carpets. Nothing I can do about it! I’m so angry with Shaw Carpet, so upset with the salesman that didn’t know his product well enough to explain this could happen. Does anyone have advice for me, and recourse, or repair?
Many people have good success using a rake such as the Grandi Groomer Carpet Rake. You should be able to purchase a rake at your local janitorial service and if not over the internet. About once per week, rake the cornrowed areas before vacuuming the carpet. You mention that 4 months after installation the carpet was “completely” cornrowed. To me, “completely” is saying that the cornrowing was not only in traffic areas, it was also in areas such as under furniture and if that is the situation it may not be cornrowing and instead a manufacturing related concern. A consumer can always hire their own inspector for a second opinion. Check the NICFI.org website for an inspector in your area.
Good advice with the Grandi Groomer.
But one thing to add – the carpet should be raked perpendicular to the way it is normally vacuumed.
Raking the carpet perpendicular tends to have the opposite effect on the fibers sometimes reducing the corn rowing significantly.
You may also try to vacuum the corn rows in the manner described above. Hallways will likely be a challenge due to the limited space but open areas should be much easier.
Matt P – IICRC CERTIFIED CARPET CLEANING
My frieze carpet has the cornrowing and I am looking to replace it with a carpet that will last at least 5 years until I will be selling my home. Please recommend a good shorter pile carpet/manufacturer. It seems that most carpet dealers sell the ultra-soft long carpet that is impossible to vacuum and wears poorly. Whats a good recommendation for a tried and true nylon carpet/with a decent faceweight/density ?
Barbara, Most all dealers and big box stores should offer a variety of carpet. When you are looking for a 5 year carpet you will usually get soft, loosely constructed face yarn that will not perform well. My personal choice would be a continuous filament nylon with a tight twist, about 1/2″ in thickness and rows of yarn that are tightly spaced. Here is a link to the Carpet and Rug Institute that may assist you further in the selection of your carpet.
Terry
Matt, Thank you for sharing!
Terry
I purchased Beaulieu Bliss carpet 3 months ago and I’m having corn rowing problems. Not sure what to do. I am reading conflicting things online. I have also contacted the sales/installer and he took a look at it. He is confident that it is due to beater bar on our vacuum being set too low. I have it on the highest setting. I have spoken to our carpet cleaning professional, they have said that it is not a vacuum issue. Am I supposed to buy a new suction vacuum in hopes that this will fix a problem only to find out that the vacuum is not the culprit? Also how long do I have to rake it? The carpet is only 3 months old…
Kevin, If you haven’t filed a claim with the dealer or directly with the manufacturer you should do that while the carpet is still new. Are you sure problem has been correctly identified as corn rowing? Corn rowing lines always run across the width of the traffic pattern. If the traffic turns and goes into a doorway, the cornrows follow the turn but across the width. A manufacturing conditions referred to as gauge lines and “J” cuts gives the appearance of corn rowing but always runs the length of the carpet. As far as the vacuum, if the pile on your carpet is one-inch or longer or a soft pile, you should be using suction only. You may wish to visit our Download section for more specific information on Beaulieu and others.
TWG, thanks for the reply. I can rub/scratch the carpet with my fingers and the rows will go away temporary. They usually reappear soon after. I’m just a little ticked because the carpet is so new was not advised of all the “special” care necessary. Not all areas are bad just high traffic areas.
Hello – my husband and I purchased “Shaw Platinum Twist Accent” (AnsoNylon) carpet 6 months ago. We had a problem with corn rowing and the company we bought it from filed a claim with Shaw. They informed us that Shaw has agreed to replace the carpeting but it had to be a Shaw carpet. We now have picked out “Shaw Trusoft Venecia” carpeting, however, it is a more expensive carpeting than the one we originally purchased. Now, it is costing us an additional $1,400. I am really upset by this as we have to move EVERYTHING again. We are 65 and 67 and this is no easy chore for the both of us and we are in good shape. The company, of course, says they will help with that but that is only the big stuff. They also are not removing the padding. The “Shaw Platinum Twist” was $4,692.00 (138 yards @ $34.00) and the Shaw Trusoft Venecia is $1,400 more. I am wrong in being upset that we have to pay an additional all $,1400. Infact I don’t even know if we got a good price on the Trusoft.. Would appreciate any feedback. Thank You
Marion
You were actually treated well if Shaw replaced the carpet and you paid extra for an upgrade. It is more common that a manufacturer will deny a claim for corn rowing.
Terry
Understandable.
Terry – Thank you so much for your feedback. I feel so much better after reading your comment. Infact, I feel very fortunate that they are replacing my carpet without having to fight with them.
Thanks again for your input’ – it is so appreciated.
Marion, you are welcome!
We had a Shaw short shag carpet that was cornrowing six months after being installed. I called the carpet store and they sent a manager out. He looked at the cornrowing and said “this isn’t right”. He said an independent factory rep. to look at it. He was definitely in Shaw’s back pocket. He told us to rake it. The carpet store finally told us we could pick out another carpet of the same price or pay the difference for a more expensive carpet. We picked out a short thick pile Mohawk and it has held up well. Stay away from Shaw!!!!
John
Sounds like you had a carpet retailer that was willing to go the extra mile for you and that is good. As far as Shaw sending out an independent factory reps work for the company that sends them There is a big difference between a factory rep and an Certified Independent Inspector, so readers, I encourage you to always push for the Certified Carpet Inspector. As far as Shaw goes, they are a good company as is Mohawk. Cornrowing may occur with any manufacturers carpet and sometimes it is normal and because of the style you do need to rake it as part of the maintenance program. At other times it is a maintenance problem such as improper vacuuming and still at other times there is a manufacturing problem. When a manufacturing problem it will often look like corn rowing to the novice, while it is actually something other than corn rowing. Best to you and hope your new selection works out well!!!
We are about to install new carpet in 4 bedrooms, the stairs and family room. We are selling the house in 2 years so I’d like it to still look like new. Would you advise nylon loop carpeting to avoid corn rowing and for less footprints and more durability. Or would nylon loop and cut work as well? I’d appreciate any advice.
Thanks,
Fiona
A nylon with a small tight loop should perform well. A larger loop can be subject to packing and pattern walk out.
I bought Carpet from Home Depot in Oct 2016. The carpet is corn rowing is really bad. I could cry whenever I look at it. Home Depot buy their carpet from The Carpet Mill. I contacted Home Depot and they contacted The Carpet Mill which claims it is a vacuuming problem. I refuse to accept that as I have been vacuuming my 15 year old carpet and it has never corn rowed. My new carpet looks like it is 20 years old. I would appreciate your advice
Janet
Please go back to our article on Corn Rowing and read it again and your question should be answered.
Terry
Thanks for the reply. I tried the methods to remove the corn rows but to no available. I had never heard of corn rows in carpet and I had my carpet replaced 2 times. If I knew about the corn rows I would have taken precautions on how I took care of the carpet. Why isn’t there instructions by the manufacturing or carpet dealers to provide this information..When you buy a shirt there is instructions how to wash it why isn’t there any instructions on carpet care and the corn rowing problem. I did not receive any instructions on carpet care by Home Depot or the Manufacturer when I purchased the carpet.. I am pursuing this problem with Home Depot. Do you have a carpet inspector in the San Jose, CA area?
Janet, I certainly do understand your concern about the lack of information in the industry. That is exactly why we offer this free information website. As far as an inspector in the San Jose area, my suggestion is that you go to NICFI.org this is our association website and the member inspectors are all well qualified.
I have been fighting with Luna and Mohawk for 18 months regarding a very expensive SmartStrand Carpet that has what they call corn rowing. After two weeks the problem appeared and the carpet looks awful. Finally they refused to do anything, so this was a very expensive lesson ($8,400.00). I am 72 and have many carpets installed in my lifetime and never had this problem. I see that the manufacturers’ are just copping out, blaming vacuums and what not. I can not bear to look at the carpet and will need to replace it. Perhaps since this never happened in the past, some regulatory agency should look into this. Consumers are not being told of this issue and are being as good as robbed since the only REAL fix is to replace the new carpeting. Who came up with this type of carpeting anyway. Incidentally my carpet is not a shag, just a plush carpet. Manufacturers or dealers should have to offer a disclaimer instead of dupping the consumer. This carpet is useless and looks much worst than the 13 year old carpeting it replaced.
Barbara
Corn rowing should not appear in only two weeks. If it actually occurred that fast, it may be a manufacturing concern or manufacturing characteristic of the product. Did you report at that time or did you wait? If you reported it timely, you might want to hire an expert independent carpet inspector to check the carpet for you. There are many certified carpet inspectors, unfortunately many of them are not experts. If you are in Washington or Oregon, I would suggest that you contact The Weinheimer Group. If you are in a different state check out the inspectors at NICFI. I do agree with you that it is unfortunate that many dealers and manufactures do not give you enough information. Unfortunately there are so many problems that can go wrong with a carpet or any other product, it is nearly impossible to discuss them all.
Yes, this was reported when the carpet was relatively new, however, Luna refused to file a claim for over a year and Mohawk insisted that I go through Luna–who refused too file a claim. After dozens of calls and correspondence Mohawk and Luna refused to do anything about the problem citing the vacuum excuse and the rake solution. In 72 years I have never had a problem with carpeting. and this type carpeting should not be sold. Therefore, I feel it is Mohawk’s problem and this corn rowing is just an excuse to get out of standing behind their product. Who in their right mind would buy a carpet that would look 13 years old in just weeks. Isn’t there some government agency that would help regulate these manufacturers from selling this awful product. I don’t see what hiring your own inspector would accomplish except spending more money. Manufacturers are not standing behind their products and this would have been unheard of years ago. But then carpets did ‘t corn row then. Wonder why.
In addition, they can call it whatever they want to, it doesn’t mitigate the fact that the carpet is unsatisfactory and needs to be replaced. It is unbelievable to me that their is no consumer advocate for all these people who bought this terrible carpet and Mohawk and Shaw just say oh well, it is not a defect—they are right, it should never have been made in the first place.
You might want to speak with an attorney or a state protection consumer agency and ask if in your state, you might have a case based on an Implied Warranty. Examples of implied warranties are a warranty of merchantability where the seller promises the product will do what it is supposed to do. Another type is a warranty of fitness for use for a particular purpose that the product was designed for. While I am not an attorney and cannot give legal advice and have absolutely no idea if you have a case, you may want to check it out.
I just put in a claim that got denied based on cornrowing not a defect. The carpet is horrible and it looked bad 6 months after install. Close to 7000.00 down the tube.
It is the smartstrand carpet, which I thought it being nylon was a safe bet. Wish I would have read this before!
So after reading the comments, it seems as such, this is just what it is with this carpet? Or should I keep pursing? Seems crazy that it didn’t even last a year and this carpet looks like it’s 10years old.
Sara
Sorry to hear about your problem with cornrowing. Fiber is rarely the cause of cornrowing, a concern that can develop with any fiber. While cornrowing is generally site related, if you are using a vacuum with stiff brushes, that can also cause this concern. As you probably read in our articles, there are also manufacturing concerns that can cause this problem.
SmartStrand is NOT nylon it is a PTT polymer which is related to the polyester family. If you can show that the carpet was sold to you as nylon, you might want to pursue that issue. SmartStrand carpet is made with DuPont Sorona fiber, a PTT polymer. While it is a polyester fiber, it is different than PET polyester.
We purchased Shaw Caress Angora III from Rite Rug less than two years ago. Supposed to be great carpet according to Rite Rug.
Within 6 months the carpet was matted and with corn rows in all traffic areas. Shawn initially denied the claim based on according to them, vacuum. Damage. This even though we used a vacuum from the approved Shaw Caress list. (Carpet Pro)
After some back and forth Shaw agreed to replace the carpet but still maintained the vacuum was the damage. I asked what vacuum to use and was told the Oreck Magensium is on the Shaw Approved list and is made specifically for thick plush carpet. It’s even pictured on the Shaw Caress approved Vacuum brochure.
I went ahead and trusted Shaw and Rite Rug that it was vacuum damage and purchased and only used the Oreck Magensium.
Here we are 8 months into replacement carpet and same exact issue! Matting and corn rows especially traffic areas.
I don’t know what to do other than file a claim again and hope they help with a different carpet.
Sorry to hear about the difficulties you are experiencing with your carpet. Filing another claim is probably the best place for you to start.
So, how does a person buy a carpet that will not cornrow or mat? Are there certain parameters to look for that will guarantee this? Thnks
The greater the twist of the pile, the closer the rows of yarn are together and the shorter the pile height, the less likely a carpet is to cornrow. A short, tightly twisted loop pile should not cornrow. A thick carpet with rows that are not tight together is likely to cornrow. Cornrowing can be controlled to some extent by vacuuming a carpet in multiple directions. When you vacuum in only a single direction it tends to pull the rows of yarn apart leaving gaps. Also use a vacuum that has a soft roller brush and make sure you have set it properly so that it is not digging into the carpet.
My carpet is a Mohawk, light two-toned beige, short dense shag, about 6 yrs old. My cornrowing started about 2 yrs ago. Dealing with this problem is like dealing with the 3 Stooges, all the vendors point the finger at each. One angle you haven’t discussed is the overly powerful vacuum. I use a Dyson, people told me it was way too powerful and was damaging the fibers, others say it’s the best and that’s baloney.. Some said the unit on my carpet cleaners truck was too powerful .. The store where I bought the carpet tried to make a claim but it was denied. I finally contacted the Carpet Institute of America, they sent an inspector out, he said this is normal wear. I think this is nonsense. I have 20 year old carpet in bedrms that looks great, a Monsanto product.. Buyer beware! I’ll never buy another Mohawk/Shaw product again.
Stephanie
Unfortunately some carpets will cornrow easier than others, this is especially true with piles where the yarn is not packed tightly together. It is doubtful that the cleaning caused the cornrowing, ever a powerful Truck Mounted unit. Some Dyson vacuums have very stiff brushes and if they are set to low, they can cause cornrowing over time. This is especially true if you do not continuously change the direction you are vacuuming in. As far as Mohawk and Shaw, they both have a wide variety of products from inexpensive to very high quality. Personally I have found both of these companies very good and it is just a matter of selecting the right product.
Best to you, Terry