This is an issue that continues to baffle floor covering dealers everywhere. Let’s shed some light on this subject again. I would suggest you save this column and post it on the wall where everyone can see it.
First of all shading is common in all cut pile carpets. It can be compared to the shading on a velvet or suede furniture fabric. The surface of the carpet can be swept in various directions altering the light reflection causing shading or highlighting of the material. The shinier the fiber the more shading there will be. New, more lustrous fibers very metallic in nature, can accentuate shading. These types of carpets are designed to look this way, giving them a very rich appearance. Shading is not a defect in the carpet; it is an inherent characteristic of the material, and just like suede or velvet it is a normal and common element of the product. If shading is an undesirable characteristic the consumer should be directed to a product that will not shade. Remember however that all carpets can and will shade to varying degrees because they are vertically oriented textile materials subject to reflection of light.
Pooling and watermarking are a different issue. This condition is actually the vertical re-orientation of the face yarn. It occurs in denser, more expensive carpets most frequently – in and out of traffic lanes. It is a condition that can be prevented if the nap of the carpet is set, that is, if the carpet surface is laid down in one direction. This is not commonly done. Some manufacturers do this as a common practice and all carpet with an attached cushion back gets the nap set in one direction by the very nature of preparing the carpet for the application of the backing. You will never see a carpet with an attached polyurethane cushion backing afflicted with pooling or watermarking. But most carpet manufacturers are not aware of this. It would behoove them to set the nap in all cut pile carpets to prevent pooling and watermarking but there is nothing that mandates they have to or should.
Pooling and Watermarking can take years to manifest themselves but they can also appear within weeks of having been installed. These conditions are so called because the surface of the carpet looks like someone spilled water on it or an area appears as if it is wet. When the carpet is brushed in one direction the nap stands up and from the opposite direction it lays down. It will also look lighter or darker when this is done and when examined from different vantage points. The edges of the affected area are also “harder” because the yarn is actually re-configured or distorted. This is not, nor has it ever been considered to be a manufacturing defect. Even though we know how to prevent it we don’t know what causes it. Theories abound none of which have been proven. However, if it occurs shortly after installation, say up to about three months, the manufacturer may accommodate a replacement as a courtesy. It is up to you to direct the consumer to a different style carpet because in two out of three replacements with the same product pooling and watermarking will re-occur. Pooling and watermarking are nothing new; it is exhibited in Chinese rugs that are thousands of years old.
The condition is most visible on solid colored cut pile carpets but less so on busy, multi-colored patterned goods. And it makes no difference if the carpet is tufted or woven; they are both susceptible to the shading, pooling and pile reversal.
These conditions are more apt to surprise and upset a residential customer than a commercial customer. The big commercial customer has likely seen these conditions more than once; consumers who buy infrequently have not. If you need more information or help on this or any other flooring subject, call us.
Author: Lewis G. Migliore
LGM and Associates – The Floorcovering Experts