Carpet Repair San Antonio TX

Handling Wrinkled Carpet After Cleaning

Ripples or wrinkles, or even buckling could happen during cleaning your carpet. If you’ve not had the problem, it is recommended to know the root of the issue and the possible solutions to ensure you’re prepared for the future.

The article is going to focus on carpets that have edges that are tufted throughout this post. Carpets with tufts are used extensively in offices and homes as well. The term that is used to describe wrinkles on these types of carpets is Expansion Differential (also called Latex Displacement. First, let’s look at the different types of carpets tufted in this.

  1. Face Fiber
  2. Primary Backing
  3. Latex Adhesive
  4. Secondary Backing

Each layer of a carpet made of tufted yarn has its own density. The most important problem is the latex adhesive layer. Since the substance is water-soluble as well as soluble it’s able to absorb twice as much moisture compared to the other layer (ref this article on the Hot Water Extraction process for the carpet’s cleaning). The backing layers are made of polypropylene, which doesn’t hold water in any manner. That means that once the latex begins absorption of water, it has no room for the moisture to expand which can cause a rise in the size for the material as well as aid in the formation of wrinkles on the carpet.

Are Carpet Cleaners To Be Blamed For Wrinkles?

While moisture absorption may cause wrinkles but it’s not the primary cause of wrinkles. The issue occurs before the cleaning process on carpets. There’s no need to blame cleaners for making carpets wrinkled since the primary cause of wrinkles is usually construction and installation. There is no need to worry about it since after the water has been removed from the carpet the latex typically takes on its normal shape and can reduce wrinkles on the rug.

Let’s examine some of the more popular causes of Wrinkles

Manufacturing Defects:

  1. Latex Degradation
  2. High-Quality Low-Quality Latex

The Latex utilized in the process of making is well-known for its huge quantities of fillers like calcium carbonate. This makes the latex take in less water and makes it expand faster however it also reduces the amount of time the carpet can last. Imagine what happens to your carpet after just one cleaning. It is possible to, however, be sure to avoid the mess by examining whether there is the presence of large Calcium Carbonate fillers in your carpet. You can do this by pulling the carpet back, and inspecting whether the carpet has any white or granular particles that could be visible on the floor beneath the carpet.

Installation Defects:

  1. Improper Stretch
  2. transitions and seams that aren’t properly sealed
  3. Not correct For Damaged Trackstrip
  4. Incorrect cushion

The incorrect placement is you’ve guessed it, one of the most common reasons for wrinkles that occur in carpets. Over 80 percent of the wrinkles that are reported by professionals in cleaning can be solved with proper carpet installation. 

There isn’t any standard procedure for carpet installation, but the most important thing to remember is that your carpet must be stretched uniformly (stretched in length and width in a consistent manner). 

Another issue that’s very common is that you don’t cover the gaps or transitions from wood flooring or tile and the carpets begin to wrinkle on their own.

When purchasing a carpet ensure that you ask the seller to send you the carpet without fillers. Also, inquire about guarantees against any manufacturing defects similar to the ones we’ve mentioned in the article.