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UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Steve Chapman on May 01, 2005, 03:26:14 pm

Title: carpet shrinkage
Post by: Steve Chapman on May 01, 2005, 03:26:14 pm
Hi,
I've been cleaning carpets for about 10 years now, and had the misfortune to have my first shrikage of a customers carpet.  what appears to have happened is the edge of the carpet has slightly curled up and come off the grippers and then obviously dried out and come away from the wall about an inch.
Is it possible to rectify this by getting carpet fitter to re-strectch back to the gripper and is this normally successful?

I would appreciate your comments as this has never happened to me before.
Cheers
steve
Title: Re: carpet shrinkage
Post by: Dynafoam on May 01, 2005, 03:30:14 pm
Post deleted
Title: Re: carpet shrinkage
Post by: Steve Chapman on May 01, 2005, 03:36:24 pm
It's a 12 x 12 room, does that make difference?
Title: Re: carpet shrinkage
Post by: Dynafoam on May 01, 2005, 06:07:45 pm
And this one - glad you read it first Steve.
Title: Re: carpet shrinkage
Post by: Steve Chapman on May 01, 2005, 07:52:12 pm
cheers john i appreciate your help! :-[
Title: Re: carpet shrinkage
Post by: AJB on May 01, 2005, 07:56:13 pm
was it a Belgian Wilton, If so it only shrinks one way,
along the length.

Some carpet fitters won't even try to rectify but it is possible.
Title: Re: carpet shrinkage
Post by: Len Gribble on May 01, 2005, 08:24:34 pm
Steve

Been there on a B/W and yes it go back (lucky me) but may not with a knee kicker!

Show a proactive approach to the customer, renew gripper and make adjustments if they have cable between skirting board and griper, if glued down go in 24hrs before to renew gives glue time to cure.

Len
Title: Re: carpet shrinkage
Post by: Doug Holloway on May 01, 2005, 09:06:31 pm
Steve,

It is quite possible that the carpet will return to its original dimensions within 3-4 days.It can then be easily returned to its grippers.

If someone tries to stretch it before this you will then have the opposite problem of a ruckle.

cheers,

Doug
Title: Re: carpet shrinkage
Post by: Steve Chapman on May 01, 2005, 11:15:49 pm
thanks all for the advice, i feel gutted that it's happened, i am normally so careful but i guess it just happens sometimes, cheers  ::)
Title: Re: carpet shrinkage
Post by: ABLECLEAN on May 02, 2005, 01:20:41 am
I would try and find a fitter with a power stretcher as an inch is a lot harder to stretch than you might think (ask my missus) just kidding. a power stretcher will probably get you out of the sh-t but don't try CarpetRight fitters. look for "The old school" fitters. (17 years in the carpet trade I was) ::)
Title: Re: carpet shrinkage
Post by: darrenlee on May 02, 2005, 01:35:26 am
john is correct

very little stretch in width, and if woven product forget it.

darren

as for carpet right fitters, good and bad like carpet cleaners.
no need to pull all down.

agree  fitter with  a little more experince would be of benifit.

good luck darren
Title: Re: carpet shrinkage
Post by: darrenlee on May 02, 2005, 01:43:41 am
where are you ?

if local to me, will send one of my lads to help you.

no problem, doug was right if you let the carpet settle not
go back to wall.
but make life alot easier to try and strech

darren
Title: Re: carpet shrinkage
Post by: Steve Chapman on May 02, 2005, 09:54:48 am
Thanks for the offer Darren, but i'm right down on the south coast, a little way from Doncaster me thinks! i think i may have a good chance of stretching back, as not the whole length came away  just the middle section. The construction seemed like a polyprop but with a woven back, never came across that mixture before, usually synthetics are easily to clean and not damaged?
Thanks anyhow ;)
steve
Title: Re: carpet shrinkage
Post by: Dynafoam on May 02, 2005, 12:14:18 pm
Steve,

Your last comment suggests that you may have encountered a Belgian Wilton.

Part of the problem with these is associated with the method of manufacture, partly due to non-compliance to fitting procedures and partly due to he fact that the polypropylene pile does not hold moisture, so it penetrates to the backing.

See: http://www.another forums.co.uk/?board=carp_clng;action=display;num=1083952858
Title: Re: carpet shrinkage
Post by: Barry Pearce on May 03, 2005, 11:16:14 am
Steve.
The problemis not so much in restretching the carpet because with the right equipment ie. Power or Newmatic strechers you can jolly along until it splits the carpet, the important thing is to establish WHY? Is the gripper sound to the floor, if its iffey get one or two lines of extra gripper fixed down before its eased back by restreching, taken gently , no problems
Barry
Title: Re: carpet shrinkage
Post by: Steve Chapman on May 03, 2005, 05:45:31 pm
The carpet seemed to have curled up after i had left and so came away from the gripper. i'm pretty sure i did not overwet the carpet, i'm thinking it's probably just a bad quality carpet, but how do you tell that to the customer without them thinking you trying to get away with it???  ???
steve
Title: Re: carpet shrinkage
Post by: Barry Pearce on May 03, 2005, 05:57:56 pm
Steve.
It doesn't  always mean its a bad carpet because it shrinks, but if you are sure the gripper is fine get the carpet restreched and invest in a stapeler or stapelgun and if in future a carpet is not seated right on the gripper stapel it down, if later they dont look pretty take them out.
Barry