Carpet Sprouting and Holes: What You Need to Know
“My carpet is sprouting” or “My carpet is going bare!”— Both are common concerns among consumers who notice loose tufts, snags, and sprouting on their wall-to-wall carpet. Seeing yarn coming loose can lead to fears of carpet failure, often mistaken for a manufacturing defect.
Most sprouting issues, high tufts, or even small holes in the carpet are not the result of manufacturing flaws. However, they do require attention. Some tuft loss in cut pile carpets is normal and not a cause for alarm. When in doubt, expert, certified carpet inspectors like Kevin Weinheimer of the TW Group can identify the cause. They can determine whether a simple correction will resolve the issue. They also evaluate if replacement is necessary.
New Installation
In the days after a wall to wall carpet installation, loose tufts are often seen on the carpet field. They can also be found around the perimeter of the installation. Usually these loose pieces of yarn are no more than trim drifting from the edge of the room.
Sometimes these loose tufts are more than trim and they show a problem that needs to be addressed. With some installations, the carpet starts to lift from the tack strip. This indicates there may be an installation problem.
Tuft Loss at Wall
When new carpet is installed, tufts may come off the raw edge during trimming and tucking. A vacuum doesn’t reach the wall, so use a crevice tool along the perimeter to remove loose tufts. Otherwise, they may spread across the carpet. This is normal and not a concern.
Wall-to-wall carpet is stretched onto a tack strip. If not properly stretched, the edges can fray. To prevent tuft release, the carpet must be securely tucked into the gully. Using the correct tack strip at the right distance from the wall is essential. Proper stretching and tucking ensure a stable, long-lasting installation.
The Carpet and Rug Institute Sets Standards
CRI Carpet Installation Standard 2011 states, Section 16.2, “It is required that tack strip be a minimum of one inch (25 mm) wide and ¼ inch (6 mm) thick. Architectural strip two inches in width (50mm) with three rows of pins, or two conventional strips with two rows of pins each are required for stretching areas exceeding thirty feet to provide secure attachment of the carpet and additional shear strength. To prevent possible injury to building occupants, it is required that the pins on tack strip not protrude through the carpet being installed.”
“Securely fasten tack strip to maintain the tension _ provided by power stretching. Nailed or stapled tack strip is required to have a minimum of two fasteners per piece. Place tack strip with the pins angled toward the vertical abutment. The gully, or distance between the tack strip and vertical abutments, is required to be slightly less than the thickness of the carpet but not exceed ⅜ inch (9 mm).”
Section 16.6, “Finishing at Wall– Finish the installation along the wall, leaving a smooth, neat and secure transition. Trim carpet without damaging baseboards or moldings, leaving sufficient material for backing to be securely tucked into the gully without protruding face or backing yarns.”
Tuft Loss at Transitions
Loss of tufts can be seen next to the transitions. It is just a few loose tufts that were caught in the transition and not trimmed off. Alternatively, the carpet is pulling away from the transition, leaving a badly frayed edge.
When wall to wall carpet is installed, it is important to use the correct transition. The carpet must also be properly attached to the transition. In some situations, the raw edge of the carpet needs to be sealed. This should be done before attaching and tucking to prevent edge ravel.
CRI Carpet Installation Standard 2011 states, Section 6.3 “Transitions to Other Surfaces – Where carpet transitions to other floor coverings, the carpet edges are required to be protected or covered with appropriate transition moldings. The edge of the hard surface flooring should not exceed a maximum of 1/16” higher than the total carpet thickness where no transition molding exists. Where no transition molding is used, apply a minimum of 1/8” bead of seam sealer to the edge of the carpet along the entire transition.”
Section 16.7 “Transition Molding – Where carpet meets other floor coverings create a smooth transition and adequately protect edges with a transition molding that meets all carpet manufacturer and ADA requirements. CAUTION: Failure to mechanically stretch a carpet may result in: wrinkling and buckling over time, localized damage to the carpet, delamination, Wrinkles and buckles most often are caused by: failure to adequately stretch carpet using a mechanical stretching device, using inappropriate or improperly installed cushion, adverse temperature and humidity conditions, or inadequate conditioning time. Note: Carpet placed into transition moldings requires edge sealing to prevent raveling.”
Spike Holes Caused during Installation
Spike holes in carpet are typically found 2 to 4 feet from the wall. They are spaced 18 inches to 3 feet apart. They can also appear a few inches from the wall or in open areas.
Installers use spikes to create an angled stretch, especially when there’s no wall to brace against. When this occurs, non-damaging techniques can prevent unnecessary carpet harm.
Spike hole sizes range from 1/8 to 1/2 inch in diameter. They appear as single or double holes depending on the stretcher type used. Occasionally, holes may be larger if the backing is torn.
These punctures often pierce the carpet pad, leaving chips or indentations in the floor beneath. Tufts in these areas tend to loosen, making them easy to pull out while vacuuming.
CRI Carpet Installation Standard 2011 states, Section 16.5.1 “Using a Mechanical Stretching Device (i.e. Power Stretcher) is Mandatory. Devices used as a substitute for, or an attachment to such devices that penetrate through the carpet backing may cause injury, damage carpet or substrates, or result in inadequate stretch. Such devices are not acceptable.”
Rips and Tears from Kicker or Stretcher
Tufts will usually be coming out within several inches of the wall or near transition areas. Spreading the yarn, small rips can be found in the primary back. These rips usually occur when an installer is kicking in a room instead of using a power stretcher. This damage can also be caused by improperly set pins on the stretching device. The damage can also result from an improperly used knee kicker or power stretcher.
Knee-kicker
An installation tool designed to position carpet and move it onto the tack strip. NOTE: Except for stair installation. Knee-kickers should only be used for positioning. They are meant for hooking the carpet onto the tack strip, not for stretching carpet.
A power stretcher, i.e. mechanical stretching device, should always be used for stretching carpet during installation.
Power stretcher
A power stretcher is a mechanical stretching device. A carpet installation tool used to stretch carpet during installation. It consists of a pinned plate that grips the carpet and tubular extensions. There is also a padded end used to brace against an opposing wall or other structure. A lever system multiplies the installer’s applied stretching force.
Holes Created by Nailing Through the Carpet
Squeaky Floor Repairs
A person sometimes finds a squeak in the floor after the carpet is installed. They shortcut the repair by nailing through the carpet. These holes can be confused with a spike hole; like a spike hole, the nail goes through the cushion. Spike holes are primarily found around walls and will be at least a quarter-inch in size. A nail hole will be smaller and usually in the field of the carpet. Nails can often be found by tapping. You can also locate nails with a stud finder or strong magnet.
Holes from Nailing Runners
Occasionally, in a new home, a non-adhesive plastic runner is used to protect the carpet. This is particularly true for homes that are for sale or used as home show models. Sometimes, they will nail the runner in place to keep it from slipping. This type of hole will generally be no more than a nail head in size. Nail holes like these will rarely pose a real problem, but a few tufts are lost.
Stay Tacking During Installation
Another cause of nail holes is stay tacking of the carpet during installation. This type of hole will generally be found near door openings and seams, particularly with patterned carpet. The holes are small and a few inches apart.
Stay-tacking is an often necessary practice. It takes place when an installer needs to hold the carpet temporarily in place with nails. This is done while seaming or aligning a pattern. It is rare that stay tack holes will contribute to the loss of more than a single tuft. This is not a problem unless a loop has been pulled and not corrected.
Carpet Installation Standard 2011 states, “For patterned carpet, exercise care to ensure pattern alignment along walls. The use of a mechanical stretching device, stay-nails and a “dead man” may be necessary to achieve pattern match at seams and alignment along walls.”
Tuft Loss at Seams
The most common cause of tuft loss at seams is the installer’s failure to seal the carpet edges properly. They must do this before seaming.
Carpet edges are raw and exposed. Especially with looped carpet, the yarn will often pull. A long run referred to as zippering will occur. To prevent zippering, proper edge sealing is mandatory unless otherwise stated by the carpet manufacturer.
Carpet and Rug Institute – CRI Carpet Installation Standard 2011 states, (Note: CRI 104 and 105 for carpets installed prior to 2011 have similar standards.)
Section 12.2 Sealing Edges “Regardless of installation method, most carpet requires an edge protective material be introduced between the edges to be joined. This material can be a liquid or thermoplastic and can be applied using various procedures and techniques. Consult the manufacturer of the products for specific sealing procedures.” ‘CAUTION: Failure to properly prepare seam edges often results in: edge ravel, edge delamination, tuft loss, seam separation, safety concerns.
Tuft loss at seams can also occur due to pet or maintenance issues. See consumer related tuft loss.
Manufacturer Related Tuft Loss
Manufacturing-related tuft loss indicates a concern, defect, or a normal condition.
Carpet Sprouting
Sprouted tufts will rise above the pile of carpet. It will seem as if the yarn is starting to sprout like a newly planted seed. Sprouting is a condition that occurs with cup pile, loop pile, or cut and loop pile carpets. This condition causes the protrusion of individual tufts above the carpet’s specified pile height. It is not considered a manufacturing defect.
The physical cause of sprouting occurs due to two primary reasons. One is an over-extension of the pick rate (stitch rate) of the primary backing. The other is when slack yarn gathers during tufting. Sprouting can also occur as a result of variations in yarn tack during the air entangling process.
Sprouts commonly develop with cut and loop style carpet. This happens where the carpet changes from cut to loop. At this point, the yarn is pulled closer to the back. This is due to a change in tension. The latex is also starved. Although sprouting loops are usually detected and removed during manufacturing, they can also be removed by clipping after installation. Clipping of high tufts is considered part of the carpet’s normal maintenance program. Clipping will not alter the performance or the warranty of a carpet.
Sprouts are sometimes seen as a series of loops being pulled out. In this situation, it is not necessarily a manufacturing defect. A single sprout that was not clipped can often be pulled by the vacuum or normal traffic conditions.
You will usually find a low tuft bind when carpet sprouting is a manufacturing problem. There may also be poor encapsulation and brittle latex around the tuft bundle. When the tuft binds and the latex is good, it is likely a normal sprout. It may not have been clipped. It could also be site-related conditions such as pets, an improperly adjusted or damaged vacuum, or snags.
Damage resulting from pulled loops from improper use of knee kickers during installation can resemble sprouting. However, this condition is generally isolated along the walls of a carpet installation.
The CRI Claims Manual states, “Claims for missing tufts will not be considered except on a basis of repair.” When there are manufacturing problems such as delamination or coating problems that are causing the loss of tufts this is a defect and if the carpet is not repairable replacement may be the only option.
High Row
A high row of tufts or loops is not actually tuft loss, though it is a manufacturer-related concern.
- Loops in a high row are tufted too high due to a tension adjustment.
- Tufts in a row of cut pile can be yarn not firmly secured. Usually it is secured and was not sheared off during the manufacturing inspections. A qualified inspector or corrector can often correct it on-site.
Adhesive Issue
The latex or other adhesive that secures the yarn bundles must be properly formulated. If it isn’t, it may result in bonding failure. The adhesive might not bond the primary and secondary backing together. The failure may show itself as chalky, powdery latex, a low carpet tuft bind or backing delamination.
Many of these conditions can also occur due to site-related issues. These include water damage, improper cleaning, and urine saturation. To determine the cause, it may be necessary to have the carpet inspected and/or tested.
It is often necessary for a carpet inspector to make tuft bind tests on an installed carpet. However, the most accurate testing is performed in a lab using leftover, uninstalled, unused, properly stored remnants of carpet.
Pulled Mends
Pulled mends is another manufacturing cause. It most often occurs when the tails of yarn are not clipped. These tails then hang or pull during other stages in the tufting process. This can occur during the drying of level loop and the rollers the carpet is running on pull the yarn. Tufts of the carpet are pulled out of the primary backing and not clipped off. This manufacturing claim is correctable by reburling if not excessive.
Consumer and Site Related Tuft Loss
HUD/FHA Requirements and ASTM Standards
The test techniques and criteria listed below are examples of the minimum requirements for carpet.
Requirements and test techniques for carpets list the least carpet performance criteria used for quality control practices by carpet manufacturers. Carpets that meet these minimum standards are considered to meet industry standards for ordinary use. They also comply with HUD/FHA requirements.
Backing Lamination and Tuft Pull Strength Considerations
Delamination Strength ASTM D 3936 : Minimum standard 2.5 lb.
Tuft Bind ASTM D 1335: Minimum standard 6.25 lb. loop, 6.25 lb. cut & loop, 3.0 lb. cut pile only.
Not only are there manufacturing and installation reasons that a carpet fails. There are also a number of consumer-related causes. A few of these include snags, pet damage, and water damage. Other causes are improper cleaning or a vacuum cleaner that is too aggressive, or it has rough or chipped edges.
Urine Damage
Latex used to bond the carpet is damaged by urinex in a carpet. This damage may result in fiber loss. It can also lead to delamination of the carpet’s backing.
- Urine damage will often leave an oily residue on the primary and secondary back.
- Urine salts will also register as high moisture when the carpet is checked with a moisture meter.
- Can be seen under black light.
Cleaning to remove urine may remove the odor, but it will not restore damaged latex. Even if the carpet is almost brand new, this is a consumer-related claim and not a manufacturer-related claim.
Water Damage
Water damage may occur from a carpet staying wet too long after cleaning while traffic continues over it.
Most carpet manufacturers recommend hot water extraction cleaning. It is important to use a qualified expert when having the carpet cleaned. A technician that does not take the time to properly extract the carpet can leave it too wet. Also, an untrained person cleaning their own carpet can cause it to remain too wet.
Once the carpet dries, it may measure dry when a moisture test is conducted. However, the damage has already been done. This is a consumer or maintenance-related claim and not a manufacturer-related claim.
Ensuring Carpet Quality: Expert Inspections with TW Group
TW Group Flooring Inspections provides expert evaluations to identify issues and recommend solutions. Contact them today for a trusted inspection and ensure your carpet meets quality standards.
