Four Things That Will Destroy Your Carpet, and How To Avoid Them

You've probably seen it many times; wrinkled spots on carpet, or seams that have separated and look like they need to be stretched back together. You might have even noticed carpet fibers coming loose and bare spots forming. When you see those things, it's often time to replace that carpet. While those kinds of problems might sometimes be due to several years of normal wear, many times they are the result of carpet delamination that could've been avoided.

Delamination is the word for what happens when the primary backing on your carpet separates from the secondary backing. The backing is what holds the fibers to the flooring. When the adhesive on that backing breaks down, delamination begins, and you start to see all those things described above. Once that happens, the affected part of that carpet is toast (to use a technical term).

Here are four common causes of delamination:

1. Water damage: This is one we see all the time in the disaster restoration industry. Say, for instance, that a leaky pipe caused all the carpet to get soaked. The water is clean, so you might think the carpet can just be dried out and re-installed - problem solved, right? Well, if it's dried quickly enough, that could be the case; however, if a carpet gets saturated in water, it doesn't take very long for the water to break down the adhesive. How quickly that happens depends on the quality of the carpet. The moisture will also cause the backing to expand or contract (depending on the type of backing), and that begins to pull the backing loose from the adhesive.

If you have water damage, call a water mitigation professional immediately, for crying out loud. Waiting won't make it go away, and the damage will quickly get worse.

2. Walking on newly cleaned carpet that isn't yet dry: After carpet is cleaned, it has to have time to dry out before any pressure is put on it. Stretching from the pressure and movement created by walking on carpet that is still damp can cause delamination, and the visible damage might not happen quickly enough for you to make the connection between the two. It could be several weeks before you notice a little wrinkle in the carpet or some fibers coming loose. It's best to stay off of the carpet until you're sure it's dry. Depending on the type of carpet and the level of cleaning that was needed, eight to twelve hours should be enough time for it to dry. Keeping the room open where it can air out, and keeping it at a moderate temperature will give you the quickest results.

3. Urine: Urine, whether it's from pets or humans, can do a lot of damage to carpet. In addition to the stains and odor it causes, the acidic nature of urine can quickly break down carpet adhesives and cause delamination. To counteract the acid in the urine, you'll need a cleaning product that neutralizes it. Doing this quickly is essential. You can use a white vinegar and water mixture (3:1 ratio). Just liberally pour it on the urine spot and allow it to soak in. Give it a couple of minutes and then use towels to blot up the moisture. Don't rub it, just blot it until it soaks up as much as possible. Then put a dry towel on top of the spot and place some kind of weight on top of it (maybe a copy of War and Peace or the U.S. tax code). Let it sit overnight to soak up the remaining moisture.

4. Harsh cleaning products: The chemicals in some cleaning products can break down the adhesive in your carpet's backing. While many of these products might be okay for light surface cleaning, using too much could cause it to soak into the backing and ruin your carpet. Be careful about how much of any product you use. Always carefully follow the instructions on the label.

Of course, aging carpet is another cause of delamination. No adhesive, backing or fiber will last forever; even the best ones have a limited life. Still, with proper care and routine cleaning by qualified professionals, your carpets can look great for many, many years.