Was called in today to look at the carpets in a rental unit. Prop manager asked if I could re-stretch the carpets.
They were basic quality polyprop carpets in lounge, passage and two bedrooms. The owner had the carpets installed a year ago and there has been one old bloke living there since. The loungeroom carpet is stuffed. Why?....
They were not correctly tensioned and laid.
Carpets quite loose generally. All the seams and cross joins have mismatched patterns, which look rough. The thing is, the carpet where the lounge chair legs have been is all delaminated, with big puckers in the face of the carpet, because the carpets were loose. Even if it is now power-stretched, the degenerative damage from being used without correct tension cannot be reversed. The bedroom carpets are loose but otherwise ok. But as the same carpet continues up the passage and into the lounge-room, total replacement is the best option.
I reckon the retailer who supplied and arranged installation is responsible for the carpet's replacement, and proper fitting this time. So, this is one example of how a new carpet can be a pretty worthless investment if it is not correctly laid.
I've often said... a carpet carefully chosen for its intended purpose, with high quality underlay and PROPERLY LAID will last at least twice as long. It pays to make sure that your carpet is installed correctly!
Ash.