We’ve talked about seam problems before, but this time we’ll zero in on them. The problems relating to seaming appear to be on the increase, everyone seems unaware that there is a cure for one of the most common complaints today, which gets blamed on everything but the real thing.

Let’s start off by saying that blades used to cut a carpet to make a seam should be sharp and fresh. It seems ludicrous to make this statement but a glance at some seams makes it look like a hatchet was used to cut the carpet. There are also proper tools which should be used to cut, cut-pile and loop carpet. After this simple procedure is accomplished the biggest bone of contention existing on seams must be faced, that is, “seam sealing.” I know it takes time, it’s an added expense, it’s a procedure never done before by most installers but, it takes no special skill and very little effort. Most important, it’s the one singular procedure which can eliminate almost all seam delamination complaints. There is even a video offered which shows how fast, easy, and effective it is to do.

There are two types of seam sealer which must be used with carpet, one is the latex based for tackless installations applied to both sides of a cut seam prior to seaming it together with the seam tape. The other is a solvent based sealer for direct glue down installations. In this application it is necessary to insure that the sealer is applied so it anchors the base of the tufts. The adjoining panel should then be pushed into it with the carpet edge rolled down slightly to insure a complex marriage. The carpet should not be dropped into the seam sealer as it will create an incomplete adhesion to the unsealed side, a sticky mess if it doesn’t drop in right and, raveling at a later date because one side wasn’t sealed properly.

Excess sealer must be cleaned away with a proper solvent. These are available from the people who make the sealer. This must be done so that a black soil line won’t develop later from dirt sticking to the adhesive residue at the seam. Only one side of the carpet need be sealed with this method. When done properly, and practice makes perfect, it should feel like there is a welded bead at the seam.

We’ll move next to the problem of using a seaming iron. Since most of the carpet today uses an Action Bac or some form of polypropylene in the secondary backing and especially the primary backing, the heat of the iron can literally shrink away the back. Polypropylene, being the least heat resistant synthetic used in carpet construction, can literally be fried away by the heat generated by the seaming iron. The iron should never be set higher than 2 to 2 ½ on the thermostat. All you’ve got to do is monitor your speed. Hey, that takes time.

Next you need a shield on the iron to keep the heat that is generated on the tape and not on the back of the carpet. A Teflon shield works great as it effectively keeps the heat away from the back of the carpet. Hey, that costs money.