Problem with carpet supplier/fitter

Touchingcloth · Jan 26, 2008 1:34 pm

Happy Australia Day all

,

I was wondering if any of you could help with this problem I have please.

I purchased a carpet (+fitting) from a major carpet company. I took my plans in at time of purchase and was sold a sisal. As you may know, sisal carpets have straight lines in them. However our stairs are in a U shape.

The carpet fitter did a good job on the whole house, but refused to lay the stairs. He said I should never have been sold a sisal for U shaped stairs.

Now, despite numerous calls and being told it will be done, nobody has been out to measure and lay the carpet on the stairs. I have lost all faith in the company. This has been going on for 3 weeks.

I am holding a $5k balance which is due upon completion. The problem arises in that I wish to sell the house and without carpet on the stairs, this will be nigh on impossible.

Does anyone know, what I can do about this?

Many Thanks

Michelle · Jan 26, 2008 1:40 pm

I can fairly say the company will not want to loos your remaining payment!
Hope you didn’t use a credit card for your deposit!

Their probably trying to get a layer who will lay the carpet for them.
Tricky one!!!!!

My girlfriend put Sisal on her stairs and wishes she didn’t do it, it hasn’t worn very well.

What is the stairs construction?
Timber or chipboard?

Cookiemonster · Jan 26, 2008 1:43 pm

Why can't sisal be laid on stairs?

Touchingcloth · Jan 26, 2008 1:43 pm

Michelle

I can fairly say the company will not want to loos your remaining payment!
Hope you didn’t use a credit card for your deposit!

Their probably trying to get a layer who will lay the carpet for them.
Tricky one!!!!!

My girlfriend put Sisal on her stairs and wishes she didn’t do it, it hasn’t worn very well.

What is the stairs construction?
Timber or chipboard?

Hi Michelle,

Unforutnately my stairs are chipboard so no chance to sand them etc.

Why do you ask about whether I paid by credit card? Surely they wouldn't put the balance on the card without me signing it. Wouldn't that be very fradulent?

Touchingcloth · Jan 26, 2008 1:47 pm

Cookiemonster

Why can't sisal be laid on stairs?

My stairs go in a U bend.

The carpet layer said it would be very diificult to get the lines in the carpet joining and looking good.

It would look good if the lines in the carpet followed the curves on the stairs but they don't.

Maybe he's telling me ****** to get out of having to do all of the measuring.

I forgot to mention that the carpet won't be laid to the edges, hence it has to be trimmed perfectly and overlocked and stay equidistance from the edge of each step even around the bend.

(if any of that makes sense...well done

)

Michelle · Jan 26, 2008 1:48 pm

read this.....and don't let it happen to you!

https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=5015

royalblue · Jan 26, 2008 1:49 pm

S'pose its a polypropylene 'sisal style' carpet. Not the greatest, but I guess you are selling it, so not your prob.

Maybe the layer didn't have the tools or experience to do the stairs. Hard to say. Sounds like he used the carpet type as an excuse to not do it.

Although its not a good performing carpet on stairs, I can't see any reason why it can't be laid. I see it on stairs regularly. They normally lay it with the lines running vertically up the stairs. When it comes to the stairs than change direction, they fit the carpet with the lines again running vertically up each riser. The lines will stagger around the bend on the tread of each step.

Speak to the manager of the store and demand its laid as per contract.

Ash.

Michelle · Jan 26, 2008 1:51 pm

How about if you tile the u bit, or get them to do a timber in Quickstep for the price of the carpet that is now sitting in their store waiting to be laid.

Since they stuffed up. :evil:

royalblue · Jan 26, 2008 1:52 pm

Hmm

Can you post pics of the staircase? Not sure exactly what you mean by U shaped.

Cookiemonster · Jan 26, 2008 1:54 pm

Touchingcloth

My stairs go in a U bend.

The carpet layer said it would be very diificult to get the lines in the carpet joining and looking good.

That's fair enough but did the layer not see your stairs before he started laying carpet everywhere else? If he knew he couldn't do the stairs he shouldn't have started laying carpet at all.

Cookiemonster · Jan 26, 2008 1:55 pm

royalblue

Not sure exactly what you mean by U shaped.

In the shape of the letter 'U'. It comes after 'T'. :wink:

royalblue · Jan 26, 2008 1:57 pm

Cookiemonster is perfectly right! It is the responsibility of the store and the contractor to nut this out before they proceed with it.

They have stuffed up. You need to be most assertive and demand speedy action to sort it out (one way or another).

Touchingcloth · Jan 26, 2008 2:03 pm

royalblue

S'pose its a polypropylene 'sisal style' carpet. Not the greatest, but I guess you are selling it, so not your prob.

Maybe the layer didn't have the tools or experience to do the stairs. Hard to say. Sounds like he used the carpet type as an excuse to not do it.

Although its not a good performing carpet on stairs, I can't see any reason why it can't be laid. I see it on stairs regularly. They normally lay it with the lines running vertically up the stairs. When it comes to the stairs than change direction, they fit the carpet with the lines again running vertically up each riser. The lines will stagger around the bend on the tread of each step.

Speak to the manager of the store and demand its laid as per contract.

Ash.

Thanks Michelle for the link. That's pretty scary. Although we ordered our carpet from the company (which I'm assuming from the post) you worked for. From what you've written, they won't do anything fradulent.

Cheers Royal, yes it is a poly sisal style, and I am relieved that you have explained as to how they will lay it around the bend. Many Thanks.

I think I will start putting requests in writing to complete the job, and send it registered delivery, just incase I have to take it further.

Michelle · Jan 26, 2008 2:14 pm

Touchingcloth…….sounds crap to me…..tell them to lay the dam stuff and get on with it.
You don’t care that the lines don’t match up, or are bent out of whack slightly…..so just lay it!

I guess CC have different layer, ours would have laid your carpet, if that’s what you want…then that’s what you get! :roll:

Go straight to the owner of the store, don’t deal with the head of production there.

Touchingcloth · Jan 26, 2008 2:14 pm

Here are the problematic stairs.

As you can see from the first photo, the 5th and 6 stairs down have 'kinks' in them.

Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

Michelle · Jan 26, 2008 2:18 pm

OK…….I can tell you now……..they CAN lay on those stairs!!!!

It takes a little extra carpet to do, but it can be done!!!!

So is the carpet already over locked and waiting at the store?
Did the layer come with the stair carpet the day he laid the rest of your house!

Something has happened……

royalblue · Jan 26, 2008 2:20 pm

Oh s#!te, you do have a problem!!!

Sisal will look crap on those stairs no matter how well they lay it. The main problem is those steps with the bends in them. That's weird. I've never seen them done that way before. What were they thinking, making the steps that shape?!

royalblue · Jan 26, 2008 2:26 pm

So now you are getting mixed responses, just to confuse you.

The straight stairs are no prob. Overlocked edges will finish it nicely. The problem is where the step has a bend in the edge.

A layer would see that and go HOLY CRAP BATMAN, I'm outta here! The thing is, he should have raised the prob BEFORE he proceeded laying the rest of it.

But no matter what carpet is used, those bent steps will be a nightmare to get a nice neat finish.

Who was the dumbass that made the curved step anyway. That is where this problem began. It should have been straight. The carpet store have a difficult prob to overcome, but they should have sussed it out well before now.

Ash.

Michelle · Jan 26, 2008 2:28 pm

No way Ash….I’ve seen lots of stairs like this!!! :wink:

Yes Sisal makes if difficult, a plain carpet would have been better.
The measurer should have known this while he was measuring them! :evil:

But it still can be done. The real difficult job is over locking that shape of carpet all in one piece. :shock:

Touchingcloth · Jan 26, 2008 2:33 pm

Michelle

OK…….I can tell you now……..they CAN lay on those stairs!!!!

It takes a little extra carpet to do, but it can be done!!!!

So is the carpet already over locked and waiting at the store?
Did the layer come with the stair carpet the day he laid the rest of your house!

Something has happened……

I have the carpet here, and no it hasn't been overlocked. The layer arrived with the carpet on the day.

It's a relief that it can be laid. Thanks for putting my mind at ease Michelle. I will now stick to my guns and expect perfection.