How To Prevent Carpet Ripples?

Are you noticing some ripples in your carpet lately?

Carpet ripples are commonly observed as early as four years after installation. While there are a lot of reasons behind this, the good news is that there are also a lot of ways to prevent it from happening, ever. In fact, one of the first things you can do to avoid it is to know is how to install carpet tiles on concrete properly.

Improper Installation

Ripples do not always mean that it was not installed correctly, but most of the time, you can say that the installers may have not followed or missed something in the standard process. The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) Installation Standards have laid out the step by step guideline on how to install commercial carpet tiles and the best way to do it is to power stretch the carpet.

The stretch has to be emphasized because there are installers that prefer the usual knee-kick technique, where the carpet characteristically relaxes after the installation; hence more likely to develop ripples. It is important, therefore, to find a team who knows how to install carpet tiles without using glue to minimize the ripple instances.

Moisture Buildup

The carpet backings are basically made of latex, which means that it has the ability to absorb moisture in its surrounding. In the event of high humidity level in the air, moisture would build up on it causing it to swell and develop ripples. Also, air humidity must be controlled in the room to avoid moisture spike.

In the past, carpets in the Midwest were using jute for backings. Jutes are made of natural fiber, which does not absorb moisture, so it will not swell under high humidity. Producers today, however, turned to latex as it is cheaper than jute.

Moisture buildup may also happen after steam cleaning the carpets. The backings could absorb excess moisture making it swell resulting to a ripple, but when it dries completely, the carpet will just return to normal and the ripple gets fixed.

Carpet Material

The type of material used on the carpet is another factor to consider. Carpets made from nylon and wool materials are less likely to develop ripples compared to plush carpets. The widely used commercial carpets are generally tighter and do not absorb moisture that much.

In some instances, one of the things you can do with ripples is to cut off the rippled area. Remember, ripples can be a hazard at home because anyone could easily trip on the ripples, which may result to serious injuries. Another way is to get a team of professionals who knows how to install carpet tiles with adhesive to power stretch your carpet and restore it back to its normal condition.