The filing of a carpet claim is something that neither the end user or the industry looks forward to.  For a consumers own protection they should consider even before purchasing their next wall to wall carpet that you may need to file a carpet claim.  A statement like that makes it sound like I am trying to make work for my own company and other Certified Carpet Inspectors. Actually my goal is to prevent the purchaser of carpeting from experiencing the need to file a carpet claim.

Most wall to wall carpet failures can be prevented. Few carpets are installed with visible manufacturing defects.  A very small percentage of installed carpets will experience a latent defect. A large percentage of carpets will ugly out before they wear out.

Steps to Preventing the Need to File a Carpet Claim

Follow these five basic steps to prevent most carpet failures and prepare should you need to be file a carpet claim:

1. Learn about carpet.
2. Purchase the correct carpet for the expected traffic and room or area it is installed in.
3. Make sure the carpet is installed to the standards of the carpet manufacturer, which are often the same standards as the Carpet and Rug Institute standards,.
4. Properly maintain the carpet. At the very least, adhere to the care and cleaning requirements of the carpet manufacturer.
5. Prepare and maintain a carpet file.

1. Learn About Carpet

• Purchasing the correct carpet starts with preparation and a bit of study. Do not rely totally upon the word of the salesperson. While most carpet sales people are knowledgeable and honest, some know more about hardware and paint than they do carpet. Spend an hour or two at the computer and become knowledgeable before you start shopping for carpet.
• Knowledge can be gained by reading articles right here at Carpet Wall To Wall, and a visit to the website of Floor Central. Read about different styles of carpet and learn what style will work best for you. Many designer carpets will maintain their appearance for years in a seldom used formal living room. That same carpet may fail in short time when installed in a heavily trafficked family room or on stairs. Just because you paid a lot of money for the carpet does not mean that it is going to perform well under all traffic conditions.
• Read and print out a copy of the CRI Carpet Installation Standard. Proper installation is important. More carpet claims are found to be installation related failure than carpet failure.
• Look at the CRI vacuum section as not all vacuum cleaners are suitable for the carpet you decide on.  If you are in the market for a new vacuum you may just learn that you do not need to purchase that expensive vacuum that will roll with the ease of a bowling ball and suck the hair off of a bison or pet cat and leave your carpet looking all fuzzed out.
• Download and printout  a copy of the Record of Purchase Fact Sheet. You will want to fill out this form and keep it should a future carpet claim be required.

2. Purchase the Correct Carpet

• Purchase a style and color of carpet that is designed to perform in the area you intend to have it installed. If you are an adult couple with no children or pets your traffic conditions are not the same as the family with two kids a dog and a cat.
• Once you find a carpet you would like to purchase, ask the dealer for a copy of the manufacturers warranty and any other warranties the dealer is offering. You might want to take these home and read them over before the purchase is finalized. Keep these warranties for your carpet file.
• Obtain a copy of the manufacturers carpet maintenance guidelines. You will want to read these guidelines so that you will know how the manufacturer expects you to care for your carpet.
• Go to the manufacturer’s website for the product you purchased and print out a copy of their installation and maintenance standards.
• Ask the dealer to put in writing that the carpet is to be installed to the standards of the carpet manufacturer and/or the Carpet and Rug Institute. Amazingly you will find that many sales people and installers don’t even know that these standards exist.

3. Installation Day

• Make sure the rooms where the carpet is to be installed are empty unless you have made arrangements with the dealer or installer to handle the furniture moving. Even in this situation make sure that all accessories and breakables are out of the room. Carpet installers are not furniture packers and should not be expected to move these items.
• Remember the carpet manufactures and Carpet and Rug Institute installation guidelines you printed out? Make sure the installers are not taking shortcuts. The manufacturers standards do take priority over the CRI standards. If it is obvious that the installers are not following these standards stop the installation and call the dealer immediately.
• Do not throw away the left over pieces of carpet as they may be needed for a future repair. Set aside a minimum 12” x 12” piece (larger is better). If the need arises to file a carpet claim an uninstalled, unused piece of carpet may be required for testing.  File away a minimum 6” x 6” piece of the cushion (pad).
• Following installation vacuum your carpet immediately. If you find any problems or have any concerns report them to the dealer immediately and record the date and time you called the dealer and what you discussed.

4. Maintaining Your Carpet

• Place rugs at outside entrances to help collect loose soil before it is walked on to your wall to wall carpet. Keep the walk off rugs clean.
• Vacuum your carpet regularly and remove spots and stains when they occur.
• When it is time to have your carpet professionally cleaned be sure to use a process approved by the manufacturer. On the minimum have the carpet cleaned as frequently as the manufacturer requires. Place a copy of the cleaning invoice in your carpet file.

5. Your Carpet File

• In the file place the filled out CRI Record of Purchase Fact Sheet that you printed out at the CRI website. Include a copy of all invoices, warranties, installation and maintenance guidelines.  If there are any labels on the back of the carpet or package wrappers peel them off and add them to the file. These labels will often offer important production information. Add to this file your cuttings of carpet and pad. In the future place in this file copies of receipts for any professional cleaning you have performed on the carpet.
• Keep your file in a safe place where you can easily find it should it ever be necessary to file a carpet claim.

If you followed the above steps it is likely that there will be little nee to ever file a carpet claim. Should you ever need to file a claim on your carpet or the cushion, be sure to report your concerns to the dealer in a timely manner. If you are not getting any response from the dealer you can find contact information for many manufacturer at WalltoWall Carpets.com or by performing a quick Google or Bing Search.

If you need to hire your own Certified independent inspector such as The Weinheimer Group you will find inspectors for your area listed at NICFI.org

Prepare for the inspectors arrival by having all of your documents and saved specimens ready.

If you did not commission the inspector they will not be able to answer many of the questions you ask. Certified inspectors are required to put their information in a written report that goes to the commissioning party. Any distribution of that report is through the commissioning party.

Hopefully you will never need to file a claim. If you followed these steps you are much closer to getting your claim resolved to your satisfaction.