Carpet traits
Wool carpet is a natural textile and it's useful to understand
what traits are common when a carpet is new and what you can expect
from certain styles of carpet.
Fluffing on new
carpet
When a carpet is new, balls of fluff may appear on the surface.
These are loose bits of fibre left in the pile by the manufacturing
process and are a tiny proportion of the fibre in the pile. This
fluff will likely fill the bag of your vacuum for the first few
times you vacuum and it is perfectly safe to vacuum thoroughly.
On loop pile carpets this fluff can be more difficult to free
from the pile and may appear as frizzing. Use of a vacuum with a
strong suction will usually free these balls of fluff.
Walking in socks or pantyhose on your new carpet can accentuate
fluffing because the fibres in the socks or pantyhose can draw
these loose fibres to the surface.
Sprouting
A single tuft rising up from the pile surface is called
'sprouting' and any such tufts in a cut pile carpet may be safely
trimmed with scissors without affecting the appearance - but do not
pull the tuft or it could unravel and leave a hole in the carpet.
With loop pile carpets, we would not recommend cutting the tuft -
professional repair would be advised and this can be arranged
through your carpet dealer.
Tracking and shading
As the name suggests, 'tracking' is the imprint left by
footprints on your carpet. This is more common on the plusher cut
pile surfaces and disappears with vacuuming, but may reappear when
the carpet is next walked on. Carpet is most prone to tracking in
areas of heavy use such as doorways and halls. These areas should
be given extra attention during routine vacuum cleaning.
All cut pile carpets, particularly 'plush pile' carpets may
develop lighter or darker patches over time. Known as "shading" or
"watermarking" it is caused by the permanent bending of the carpet
pile fibres which then reflect the light differently. In this
respect it is very comparable to velvet - which also shows light
and dark areas and is appreciated for this very quality. The extent
to which shading occurs cannot be accurately predicted or prevented
and is most often related to the location of use rather than the
type of carpet construction. Shading often becomes apparent six to
eight weeks after the carpet is first installed. Brushing or
shampooing does not reduce shading.
Shading does not affect the wear or durability of the carpet and
is not recognised as a manufacturing flaw or defect. This
topic was covered by TVNZ's Fair Go programme in February 2011 -
you can read and view more
about the issue here.
Fading
In common with all textiles, your carpet will fade or change
colour over time in areas consistently exposed to sunlight. Light
and pastel coloured carpets are the most vulnerable, but no carpet
is immune.
North or west-facing glass doors or floor-to-ceiling windows, are
the worse offenders and we'd recommend these be fitted with
effective UV protection such as a UV filter film on the glass.
Curtains, blinds and louvres offer the best protection. Laying
tiles around the border of the room and insetting the carpet within
this can also provide protection from the worst of the sunlight at
the edge of a room.
Crush marks
On occasions, new carpet will exhibit noticeable light and dark
areas, often in strips. This is more likely to occur with plusher
pile carpets and is known as crush marks - caused by the weight of
the carpet in a large roll pressing down on the layers underneath
and bending the fibres. It can also happen when two rolls that have
been rolled at different tightness are laid next to each other.
Over time and with regular vacuuming and general foot traffic, this
effect will diminish, though it can take 3-6 months or so for the
marks to disappear entirely. This is not considered a manufacturing
defect.
Indentations from
heavy furniture
Place furniture cups under the legs of heavy furniture and
regularly shift the furniture a few inches one way or another to
give the pile a chance to recover.
To revive flattened pile, you can use a warm steam iron over a
towel laid on top of the carpet. Hold the steam iron gently to the
towel and use the steam button to inject steam - do not press the
iron down on the towel as this could leave gloss marks on the
carpet underneath.
We strongly recommend the use of protector mats where castor
chairs are used.
Insect
Damage
Carpet damage by insect attack occurs where food, animal or
plant substances are present. Homes in rural areas appear to be at
higher risk. Preventive measures include regular and thorough
vacuuming, especially in areas around and under furniture that is
not moved frequently, and along skirting boards. All Cavalier
Bremworth carpet is treated to deter insect damage and we offer a
five-year insect-resist warranty.