Carpet rippling usually happens to most carpets at some point — sometimes minor, sometimes very noticeable. It can cause tripping hazards, damage the carpet over time, and simply doesn’t look good.
How to Recognise Carpet Ripples
So how do you know you have an issue? Well, it’s exactly what it sounds like — ripples or ‘bubbles’. You’ll see areas that are raised, usually following the line of a few threads in the carpet. There’s no limit to how big they can get. Sometimes the damage is minor, like you’ll notice the carpet just seems ‘loose’, vacuuming will cause it to lift. This will usually get worse over time.
Why Carpet Ripples Happen
To understand why ripples form, you need to understand how carpet is laid. When a room of carpet is installed, wooden strips are laid around the perimeter, called smooth edge. They’re not actually smooth, they just create a “smooth” edge. These strips are covered in nails, which every carpet person has either experienced stepping on or leaning on unintentionally (not fun). These nails hold the carpet to the edges.
When carpet is installed, it’s stretched to the whole perimeter, anchoring on and creating tension throughout the room. Ripples form when this tension lets go and the carpet begins to give in certain spots. In commercial spaces, carpet is usually directly glued down with no stretching. When bubbles form in glued carpet, it’s because of either glue letting go or delamination.
Delamination
Delamination also happens to smooth-edge laid carpet. Delamination is when the backing of the carpet separates from the carpet itself. The severity varies depending on the age and wear of the carpet. Areas with extreme heat, humidity or direct sun exposure are most affected — the glue that holds the carpet together starts to melt and untack itself.
This is harder to fix because when you’re stretching the carpet, it’s the backing that’s being pulled to restore tension. But if the backing has separated, you’re essentially just moving the ripple to a different spot. We often see extreme delamination under office chairs. It can be difficult and sometimes impossible to fully stretch out, but a restretch will still greatly improve it.
Other Causes of Carpet Rippling
Other common causes include improper installation, meaning the carpet wasn’t stretched enough when it was laid. Some carpets don’t hold onto the smooth edge well and let go easily. Worn carpets will begin to let go of the edges too, and the threads that hold it into the nails can tear apart. Certain spills can also cause problems — chemicals or liquids can react poorly with the glue holding the backing onto the carpet, causing delamination. Dragging heavy furniture around is another culprit.
How We Stretch Your Carpet
The carpet is lifted from the tacks on one edge of the room, and we usually also lift it on the corresponding walls on either side of that edge. We lift the walls as far as the ripples extend into the room to ensure the smooth edge doesn’t hold the ripple in place.
Where we lift and stretch is decided based on doorway placement and the room’s shape. The carpet is then stretched using either a power stretcher or knee kicker, depending on the space and carpet type. After stretching, excess carpet is cut off and the lifted areas are reinstalled.
Sometimes, depending on the layout or if ripples run throughout a hallway, we need to cut the carpet, stretch it, cut the excess, and rejoin it. We try to avoid this because seams are usually noticeable, but it can’t always be avoided.
Why Ripples Only Go One Direction
Carpet ripples will only follow the direction the carpet is running. They follow the path of least resistance, which is along the natural grain and nap of the carpet. This means carpet only needs to be stretched in one direction to remove rippling.
Get Your Carpet Stretched
If you have ripples in your carpet, give Express Carpet Repairs a call and we’ll bring your carpet back to its original glory. We work throughout Brisbane, Gold Coast, and Sunshine Coast.