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Carpet Inspector Education

By Terry Weinheimer 5 Comments

certified carpet inspector education

Carpet Inspector Education Becoming Certified

Carpet inspector education is far too basic and far to easy. To become a truly Qualified and Certified Carpet Inspector is not easy! In fact, very few individuals ever continue their carpet inspector education to that point.

Carpet inspector education required to gain Certification is a short 3 to 5 day class. The student learns how to identify the more common carpet problems, the basics of carpet inspection, basic report writing and what the carpet industry expects of them. If they pass the test and pay the fees they become a Certified Carpet Inspector.

Most newly certified inspectors soon learn that becoming a successful carpet inspector is much more difficult than they expected. It is not just about the carpet but also, industry standards, structural concerns, maintenance and more.  Many are taken in by the ads they read for an inspection school. These ads have them believing that they would become an instant success. After performing a few inspections, they throw in the towel and move on to a different line of work. The few carpet inspectors that find success in the industry, realized that becoming Certified was but a single step towards becoming a successful qualified expert.

A commonality among Certified Carpet Inspectors that are Qualified Experts is that they are educated, have a strong industry background and are knowledgeable in several phases of the carpet industry. The successful Certified Inspector continues to expand their knowledge through experience and continued education. These inspectors become an asset and not a liability to the consumer and the industry.  

Carpet Inspector Education for the Expert

Education for the qualified and certified carpet inspector is on going. Inspectors such as Terry and Kevin Weinheimer, started out with a solid industry background, continue to keep abreast of ongoing changes in the carpet industry, have performed hundreds if not thousands of carpet inspections and continue their carpet inspector education through floor covering associations, manufacturers and schools. In fact, Terry Weinheimer and Kevin Weinheimer are not only Certified Experts, they are the experts that wrote Carpet Inspectors Handbook, a book that has been used industry wide by professional inspectors and experts in the carpet industry. For both the consumer and the industry Terry and Kevin operate the carpetswalltowall.com website where they share carpet information.

The qualified carpet inspector must become a professional student who regularly participates in seminars and courses that enables them to become a better inspector. As a student, the carpet inspector will continuously gather and study trade publications, text books, technical bulletins, newsletters, supplier information and any other floor covering related information that they find in print or on the Internet.

The qualified carpet inspector must have or develop the ability to constantly perform research no matter how knowledgeable they may already be. The carpet industry is ever-changing, and contrary to what some may believe you cannot know everything—but a qualified carpet inspector such as Terry Weinheimer or Kevin Weinheimer of the Weinheimer Group, will know how to find the answer. To contact Terry or Kevin, give them a phone call at 800.621.3427.

Filed Under: Certified Carpet Inspectors Tagged With: Carpet, Certified, Education, Inspector, Kevin, Qualified, Terry, Training, Weinheimer

Carpet Pattern Matching

By Terry Weinheimer 2 Comments

Carpet pattern matching seems like a no-brainer, a patterned carpet should match. At least this is the expectation of the end-user when they purchase a carpet. Why shouldn’t carpet match, they purchased wallpaper and it matched. Sometimes carpet pattern matching may be expected and it just isn’t going to happen no matter how good the carpet installer is. Some patterns are random patterns, an example of this would be many sculptures that have an overprint and printed saxony. A salesperson needs to be aware of carpet pattern matching capabilities so that this information can be passed on to the consumer in advance of the installation.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Installation & Repair Tagged With: Carpet, Certified, CFI, Installation, pr

Proper Carpet Installation

By Terry Weinheimer 3 Comments

Importance of Proper Carpet Installation

proper carpet installationProper carpet installation or should I say the absence of proper carpet installation? This has been a problem in the carpet industry for many years. Today, some carpet installers are paid little than carpet installers were paid when I ran a floor covering workroom more than 30 years ago. To keep the price of installation down, many retailers and big box stores have used less expensive and less qualified carpet installers. They think that this is the only way to compete in the retail floor covering business, but they are wrong!!! [Read more…]

Filed Under: Installation & Repair Tagged With: Carpet, Certified, Inspectors, Installation, Terry, Weinheimer

Prepare, Prevent or File a Carpet Claim

By Terry Weinheimer Leave a Comment

prepare-prevent-file-carpet-claim

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.

Filed Under: Carpet Concerns Tagged With: Carpet, Carpet Manufacturing, Certified, Claim, Education, Expert, Inspection, Inspector, Manufacturer, Weinheimer

Carpet Claim Objectives and Expectations

By Terry Weinheimer Leave a Comment

With Carpet Claims Not Everyone Has the Same Objective or Expectation

carpet claimKevin and Terry Weinheimer are often asked the question What are the objectives and expectations of the parties involved in a wall to wall carpet claim? It has been the experience of the Weinheimer Group and other carpet inspectors that everyone involved in a carpet claim from the consumer, carpet dealer and carpet installer to the carpet distributor and carpet manufacturer will most often have different objectives or expectations. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Certified Carpet Inspectors Tagged With: Carpet, Certified, Group, Inspectors, Kevin, Oregon, Terry, Wall to Wall, Weinheimer

Carpet Inspector Integrity

By Terry Weinheimer Leave a Comment

Inspector Integrity a Major Decision

carpet inspector integrity

Carpet Inspector integrity should be on of your major decisions in selecting a carpet inspector.  When an individual or consumer commissions a carpet  inspector they are usually looking to hire a neutral party.  In doing so, inspector integrity needs to be considered. Inspectors such as Kevin Weinheimer or Terry Weinheimer are known to have inspector integrity that base decisions on the facts and not upon who is paying for the carpet inspection

Most Qualified, Certified wall to wall carpet inspector’s do have inspector integrity. When searching for an inspector with integrity, one place to start would be The Weinheimer Group Floorcovering Inspectors. While organizations such as NICFI do not have control over their members they do tend to weed out the bad apples when they are found.

Importance of Carpet Inspector Integrity

Inspector integrity is important for if the inspector does not have the personal strength to rule against the person that is paying their fee – or are of the opinion that they must go after the person with the deepest pockets – they will quickly lose the trust of consumers and those within the carpet industry.

A qualified carpet inspector with inspector integrity will treat every inspection as if it may wind up in court.  Have you ever noticed that it is easier to remember the truth than a lie? An honest inspector that backs up the claim with facts will better be able to support the inspection report for he has told the truth and not filled it with misleading information to please the commissioning party.

At times a Certified Carpet Inspector will find it necessary to provide in court witness against a regular manufacturer or dealer client.   An inspector will occasionally receive phone calls from dealers, installers, consumers and others that they have gone against and they have become very angry with the decision that was made.  If the inspector reported honest facts that they can support, they will find that later on many of these same people will be calling the inspector to handle a different claim for them.

An honest inspector will recognize that while a carpet manufacturer, fiber producer, insurance company, contractor, consumer or floor covering dealer may be paying for their services it is the inspectors responsibility to remain neutral.  As inspectors we may recognize the feelings of others but must not take sides because we feel sorry for them or because another has the deepest pockets.

Unfortunately in the inspection business just like any other business there are a few bad apples that will take the side of the party that is paying for the service.  If an inspector that will shade the truth is the person you are looking for do not use the service of the Weinheimer Group. If you are looking for honesty, knowledge and a company that offers inspector integrity, the Weinheimer Group is the type of company you will want to use.

Terry Weinheimer and Kevin Weinheimer of The Weinheimer Group, Inc are Certified, Qualified, Expert Carpet Inspectors and Floor Inspectors. Terry and Kevin may be contacted by using this Inspection Request Form or at 800-621-3427

Filed Under: Certified Carpet Inspectors Tagged With: Certified, Expert, Inspection, Inspector, Inspectors, Kevin, Qualified, Terry, Weinheimer

Why The Weinheimer Group?

By Terry Weinheimer 1 Comment

Terry and Kevin Weinheimer Certified Carpet Inspectors.

Terry Weinheimer Kevin Weinheimer

Terry Weinheimer and Kevin Weinheimer of The Weinheimer Group, are respected Floor Covering Consultants and Certified Floor Covering Inspectors. Kevin and Terry are experts at preventing floor covering problems, identifying the cause of a flooring problems and claims resolution. Our services are available for most types of floor covering including carpet, laminate, hardwood, vinyl, VCT, linoleum, cork, concrete and most other flooring materials and installation systems.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Certified Carpet Inspectors Tagged With: Carpet, Carpeting, Certified, Consultant, Covering, Expert, Floor, Group, Inspector, Kevin, Nationwide, Oregon, Terry, Weinheimer

Request a Carpet Inspection

Request a Carpet Inspection from The Weinheimer Group

Carpet Inspection Oregon/Washington 800-621-3427

The Weinheimer Group Certified Carpet Inspectors

When A Carpet Inspection is Needed

Carpet is one of the largest investments a homeowner will make. At times, your expensive carpet, hardwood, laminate or other floorcovering investment will fail.

The Weinheimer Group is here to help you. Many answers can be found on our webpages. When a more in-depth analysis is required, our Nationally Recognized Certified Floorcovering Experts are available to investigate the cause of complaint.

We will visit the installation, perform on-site testing, photograph and document the concern. Following our review of tests results and technical data, we prepare a written report based on the facts.

Our Certified Carpet and Flooring Inspectors are members of National and International Professional Organizations such as WFCA, NWFA and NICFI.

Each inspector holds multiple certifications from national and international associations such as NWFA, NALFA and FCITS.

We service Oregon and Washington on a regular basis. As industry-recognized experts, we are available for travel and consulting throughout the United States.

For more information or to arrange for service, Contact The Weinheimer Group. 800-621-3437

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