Pets may be the best friends mankind ever had, but they can inflict a host of damage to floor coverings, particularly carpet. Broadloom lends itself to being stained, odorized, torn apart and decomposed by pets--from a simple complaint on footprint-free carpet, where the consumer sees the paw prints of Tabby the Cat (a true story), and felt the carpet was defective, to the complete destruction of a seam from Fido's urine.

Whenever carpeting is replaced, it is an intrusion into the territory of the pet. Animals marking their territory is instinctive. Dogs are especially notorious for urinating on new carpet to mark their territory. Cats are not so inclined, especially when they have litter boxes. Other pets, such as guinea pigs, ferrets, etc., will also leave their mark. This is a law of nature.

Pets can inflict a variety of damages on carpet, such as, vomit after eating foods with all types of colorings in them. The coloring agents and acids mixed in by the digestive juices of the pet can easily stain broadloom, sometimes permanently.

Even with stain repellent agents, there is no guarantee carpet will resist this potent invasion. They are effective only if the accident is caught in time. If it happens while the homeowners are at work, the damage is irreversible. This is especially true of nylon carpet which is affected by acid based agents. Polyester, acrylic, wool and cotton can also be adversely affected by these stains. Polypropylene, or olefin, is less likely to be stained by acid based foodstuff intrusions. What can affect any carpet, however, is the bacteria which forms and the moisture present in the vomit which is absorbed by the latex in the backing. A stain might be prevented, but a very offensive odor may remain.

ACCIDENTS HAPPEN

Urine is something one could normally expect with a pooch in the house. No matter how well-trained the dog is, it may occasionally dribble from excitement or relieve itself to pay its owner back for some perceived injustice. If this condition persists, the carpet will be destroyed. Urine leaves a salt on the fiber that will smell. In cold weather it will crystallize, in warm weather it will be activated and become malodorous. Urine will breakdown latex and cause delamination. This often occurs at seams which will come apart even if sealed properly. Urine leaves a distinctive odor, appearance and feel on the carpet. It will also fluoresce under a backlight when exposed.

Other bodily contained elements will also affect the carpet with odors or stains, with feces and blood being the most common sources. If these are not cleaned up immediately, they will damage the carpet, and no one is to blame but the pet owner. The warranties for soil and staining protection do not cover such events.

The length of time it takes to create damage could be minutes or hours depending on carpet construction, yarn, backing system and dye method. Not only can broadloom be affected, but the pad and subfloor, especially wood, can also be damaged. When this happens, a major undertaking is necessary to replace this section of carpet. The pad would have to be replaced and the floor will have to be treated, finished and resealed. Odor can be molecular and spray treatments may have no permanent effect on neutralizing it.

Other damages can be physical, caused by the pet actually clawing or chewing. Cats like to scratch the edges of stairs and furniture. Dogs, especially puppies, like to chew on loose ends of carpet. Both will claw around doors when they want to get out of the house. The only thing which can be done is to cut the affected area out and put in a patch. If there is no extra material, it will have to come from a closet or under a piece of furniture that's never going to be moved. The patch will be obvious and look different, since it never has been exposed to atmospheric elements, sun, and certainly, traffic. It should be explained that there will be a big difference in repaired areas.

If you've been in the industry long enough, you probably have experienced what we're talking about. If you haven't, talk to any installer or carpet cleaner and they'll tell you some of their stories. Some may scare or sicken you. Pet damage is never the responsibility of the carpet manufacturer or dealer, it is the responsibility of the pet owner. Whether it be recurring dark spots or delamination, if the pet caused the damage it can be easily proven. In these cases, the carpet not only talks, it sings.