commercial carpet buckled

[lust1kiddo]

I cleaned glue down 25 yr old shit in a building and it buckled a little while drying. It was somewhat buckled before but even a few seams have separated. The halls had no real ventilation and I didnt use blowers. I have a 100 psi porti and wasn't drowning it. anytime i even misted it it would wrinkle up.
I thought it would lay back down when it dried..but some of it didnt. Any suggestions? I almost smacked the super over it.

 

[Dolly Llama]

I thought it would lay back down when it dried..but some of it didnt.






Any suggestions?

yea.... get those parts "completely" dry too

I almost smacked the super over it.

building superintendent ??
are you normally a violent person?



..L.T.A.

 

[lust1kiddo]

I am not normally..but this guy was looking for a handout..it was getting annoying. I gave him a few warning looks.. I figured once it completely completely dried it would be ok.

 

[mcatt]

Glue down can do that but usually relaxes once drying.

 

[Dolly Llama]

get some airmovers on it, Jarred

even though it's not your fault directly, he doesn't know that.
all he knows is.... it was flat before you cleaned it and now it's jack'd .
he sees it as "your" fault


..l.T.A.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

It will.

Get some ventilation if possible, preferably their HVAC fans.

 

[lust1kiddo]

I only have one air mover..I dont feel like renting 6 more, can I let it just dry? there are 28 floors. I finished the job today. Some of the carpets were buckled before i even wet them..I took some pics.

 

[Royal Man]

Tell him you'll give him double the replacement value for the carpet.

Then then reach your hand in your pocket and give him your loose change.

 

[lust1kiddo]

I will find out where to rent the blowers..grrrr.

 

[renegade_cowboy]

So is that an install problem?

 

[lust1kiddo]

I told the super that when the carpet was laid, it wasnt stretched properly..and that happens sometimes in hallways. Thats the answer I got from a guy at one of my distributors and I fed it to him. I just think its old glue and delamintaion.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

No it's not stretched in at all most likely. If so it would have separate pad and tack strip.

I think it's a direct glue down....with not enough glue, or not spread properly.

It will go back down for the most part. I've rarely had to inject a little glue and roll it out with a "tractor", a spiked wheel type tool used for installation.

 

[idreadnought]

It has happened to me several times and it always layed back down. I remember the first time it happened to me. It was an old building with old carpet. Wide open areas about 3k feet. I looked back about half way through and it looked like an air mover was under it. Day later it layed back down no issues.

 

[Mardie]

For glue down to come up like that even with a light misting (pre-spray?)would tell me that the carpet has had it's day. On the other hand if glue down dose that from cleaning clearly shows that the glue has clearly broke down over the years. water soluble glues will break down from repeated over wetting over the years. You should notice this problem on the areas that need the most cleaning such as entrance ways or traffic lanes.So regardless of the cause the most probable reason the carpet looks like it is coming up is because as you clean it the vacuum is sucking on the carpet and as the vacuum is sucking it is creating air pockets under the carpet.This is common with loose carpet and it will lay back down after 24 Hrs.When this happens to me i tell the client that the carpet is loose and the power of the vacuum has pulled has pulled air under the carpet and that it will lay back down after 24 Hrs. It always dose and never had a problem. I am low moister and do not make the backing wet so that says it is not a water related issue.

The first time this happened to me i almost shit myself.It was pad under on long hallways and it looked like ocean waves.

 

[steve r]

its 25 years old right? its past its life expectancy.

 

[Jeremy]

It's not ypur faultn . It's shotty installation and/or the glue no longer adhering to the concrete... Either way the only harm you caused was introducing moisture and they asked you to do that... I've even seen it with low moisture methods... Its most likely because its old jute backed carpet that the installer never actually completely glued down... Ths was common practice in the 1980s I assume it was to save glue... Unfortunately, the backing swelled causing the ripples because the carpet wasn't held fast by the proper amount of glue... Once the carpet is dry it will most likely lay back down flat.

 

[Dolly Llama]

For glue down to come up like that even with a light misting (pre-spray?)would tell me that the carpet has had it's day. On the other hand if glue down dose that from cleaning clearly shows that the glue has clearly broke down over the years.

keep cleaning enough, Mardie, and you stumble onto some that are like new and will buckle on the first cleaning with light mist of pre-spray

So regardless of the cause the most probable reason the carpet looks like it is coming up is because as you clean it the vacuum is sucking on the carpet and as the vacuum is sucking it is creating air pockets under the carpet.

did they teach you that in Racine Wi?

This is common with loose carpet and it will lay back down after 24 Hrs.When this happens to me i tell the client that the carpet is loose and the power of the vacuum has pulled has pulled air under the carpet and that it will lay back down after 24 Hrs. It always dose and never had a problem. I am low moister and do not make the backing wet so that says it is not a water related issue.

dead wrong ..it IS a "moisture" related issue more often than not .
Like I said, it will happen to some carpets (that are in great shape and fairly new) with a light pre-spray misting .
I've even some in kitchens that will start to buckle on humid days .
It's almost always the installation that's the "real" cause .....any "moisture" just makes the poor install manifest it's self .
Unfortunately, the owner doesn't have a clue about this stuff ...to them, "we" caused it

The first time this happened to me i almost shit myself.It was pad under on long hallways and it looked like ocean waves.

yea..i think we've all frEEked and panicked the first time it happens



..L.T.A.

 

[Mardie]

Every time i clean a loose carpet residential/commercial it looks all wavy. I can also tell when the carpet is being pulled up of the floor up to my vacuum shoe because i have to push the machine rather than letting it pull me. this only happens on loose carpet. when that carpet is pulled of the floor up to my vacuum shoe it would only make sense that air is being drawn under the carpet and causing this wavy look. Remember my machine works much differently than hwe.

 

[Goomer]

It was somewhat buckled before

Luckily, the only time I had any buckling, was when there was already an indication of the carpet being loose, or having a history of buckling.
I make it a point now, whenever I see it, to let the customer know that there may be a TEMPORARY buckling issue upon cleaning, as to avoid an awkward situation.

 

[Dolly Llama]

Remember my machine works much differently than hwe.

remember, "I" know your machine too


it's the moisture Mardie
I can stick a wand on a loose carpet and lift it 4-5" or better .
if no moisture is present, it lays right back down and won't buckle

it's the moisture, Dude..i promise



..L.T.A.

 

[Mardie]

It was somewhat buckled before

Luckily, the only time I had any buckling, was when there was already an indication of the carpet being loose, or having a history of buckling.
I make it a point now, whenever I see it, to let the customer know that there may be a TEMPORARY buckling issue upon cleaning, as to avoid an awkward situation.

Ya i also let the client know what to expect before i clean loose carpet.

 

[Greg Cole]

It was somewhat buckled before

Luckily, the only time I had any buckling, was when there was already an indication of the carpet being loose, or having a history of buckling.
I make it a point now, whenever I see it, to let the customer know that there may be a TEMPORARY buckling issue upon cleaning, as to avoid an awkward situation.

Ya i also let the client know what to expect before i clean loose carpet.

It's amazing how many problem you can avoid if you properly educate the customer and set their expectations BEFORE you begin!