This might be an amusing image, but it’s not laughable when it happens to you. One day you notice a fuzzy, hairy and even beard-like appearance on your carpet. It usually has something to do with infrequent vacuuming; if it’s done frequently and thoroughly enough, dirt can act like little razor blades that cut the fibers. Other reasons might be not removing the vacuum beater bars (those rotating brushes that can really dig in) or too vigorous rubbing. Sometimes all it takes is a good deep-cleaning to bring it back to life, but you may want to check with your flooring pro.
Other common problems
Crushing and matting. This usually caused by heavy foot traffic. All it means is that the pile gets less thick and the fibers will untwist. Deep-clean it to bring the carpet back to the original luster and, going forward, place some mats near entrances, so people can wipe their feet, or even better, take shoes off, so soil doesn’t get tracked in.
Sprouting. Whatever you do don’t pull it! Sprouting is when a tuft of yarn pops up, so just snip it off very carefully, such as how you would handle it on a sweater.
Shedding. This tends to happen with new installations, and they’re just some loose fibers that occurred during the manufacturing process. It isn’t a defect, it won’t damage the rug, and it usually goes away within two to three months of regular vacuuming. If you still see it after two or three months, however, call your flooring pro for advice.
When you’ll need to call the installer
Frayed edges. Usually an installer will neatly tuck and tack the edges around baseboards or on the stairs. If you do see them, it means the carpet hasn’t been installed correctly. And the installer will need to come back to fix this.
Wrinkles: Sometimes it just means there’s a ripple in the padding, and that’s an easy fix. Sometimes, though, it means the carpet hasn’t been stretched and secured properly, and that’s when you need to make a call.
For more information, feel free to come into the Specialty Flooring showroom in Ridgeland, S.C.