This is a word association problem. Every time a flooring material is not performing up to the expectations of an end user she will most often say it is not wearing well, or it’s wearing out, or we’re not happy with the way it wearing. What does that mean, and how should you interpret it?

PERFORMANCE

First, wear is anything the consumer feels the product is not supposed to be doing, something she interprets as abnormal or a condition she didn’t expect. It could be matting, crushing, fading, fuzzing, pilling, sprouting, soiling or any other number of things which are not overtly or specific.

Blatantly conditions which would be more easily described by a consumer are, the carpet is wrinkling, the vinyl has yellow spots, the tile is cracked, the laminate is making crackling noises when we walk on it, or the wood is warping and lifting. These are not wear issues, but specific problems.

How you should interpret a claim for wear is easy. Simply state you are going to have to come to the site to see for yourself what the product is doing so you will know exactly what the consumer is trying to describe.

MATTING

Let me give you an example. Recently, a client with whom I am working commented to the dealer and manufacturer at a meeting we were having she want happy with the way the carpet was wearing. This came as a complete surprise to me and, honestly, it was a bit of a shock because at no time in any of our discussions relative to the complaint was wear an issue.

When I questioned the concern for wear, we decided to look at the area which was specifically said to be experiencing the wear concern. Upon arrival at the site, what we actually found was yarn protruding from the broadloom--not a wear concern at all but, a structural integrity issue or, if it had been at a seam, an installation issue.

CRUSHING

What, then, is wear? As described in warranties issued by fiber suppliers and mills, wear is the abrasive loss of fiber-- the actual wearing away or abrading of, face fiber from the yarn. Wear on vinyl would be the abrading off of the wear layer and with laminate, wood or ceramic scuffing off the surface finish or layering. Though wear is specifically described in warranties it is not what the consumer may think it is.

More to the point, wear is any change in the appearance of the product which may cause the consumer to remark, “we are not happy with the way the carpet is wearing.” You, as the dealer, visit the installation and determine whether what is actually happening is a defect or an installation problem. However, if it doesn’t appear normal to the consumer, she will very often interpret the condition as wear.

This leads us to the next can of worms and that’s the word “normal” wear. On a carpet normal wear will be some compression of the face yarns, in gradients from nearly imperceptible to, “Holy cow, this stuff is flatter than a pancake”; and this would be after a short period of time, certainly less than a year.

Of course, all carpet will experience some change in appearance after it is put into service, and that change is directly proportional to the construction, style and quality of the broadloom and the amount and type of traffic it is receiving. This can also be said of other flooring materials; what is being exhibited may be how that product performs under the conditions of use.

Simply put, wear means the product has “uglied out” from use, not because it may have something else wrong, whether that is legitimately a mill defect or caused by another negative influence. Wear is not a specifically described condition, such as furniture compression marks, yellowing, discoloration or delaminating. As a dealer, you should know the difference. Holding yourselves out as professional flooring centers, you’d better know what is happening to the product or where to go to find out. I hope this hasn’t been confusing but wear is wear unless it’s something else. There, that should confuse you, because I think I’m confused, too.

Plan on attending the LGM Carpet Seminar in Dalton. This program won’t confuse you, but it will give you increased knowledge of carpet as a product and the industry as a whole. You owe it to yourself and your business to attend.