The information in this article is particularly relevant today because patterned carpet is a major factor in the commercial market and growing rapidly in popularity in the residential market. The commercial market contractors and installers, having more experience with patterned carpet, are more accustomed and familiar with the inherent pattern challenges of the product and how to work with it to get it installed properly. The most experienced commercial installers are experts at working with patterned carpet and can make almost any patterned carpet look good no matter how bad the pattern may be off. In the residential and main street commercial market this is a different story due to the lack of experience and skill in this arena.

Residential installers, particularly those with little experience, no formal training and without certification, will be a detriment to your business if you entrust them with installing patterned carpet. Let me share with you a case I was discussing with an inspector friend of mine today and in the process we’ll explain and clarify what pattern run-off is. The installation in question is at an attorneys office where a little more than 350 square yards of a small patterned product is being installed on a concrete substrate. This space consists of a few offices approximately 30 feet long and some open office area. After the carpet was installed a complaint was filed for the pattern not matching. At one end of the offices the pattern lined up at the seam but at the opposite end of the 30 foot space the pattern was off 3/4 of an inch at the seam. The pattern in the carpet was straight, no bow, skew or waver, so the pattern was not out of square, it just didn’t match at one end. Is this a manufacturing defect or an installation problem? The manufacturer had no published information regarding pattern match, run off or tolerances on their folders. An experienced installer would know, even without any information, that patterns are rarely if ever going to be perfectly square and not require some skill and extra effort to install them. In this case however, the pattern was square it just ran off.

This is an installation problem, here’s why. The installer should have first layed the carpet out to check and match the pattern dry, starting at the mid point of the two panels of carpet. The adhesive would then be spread and the carpet layed into the wet adhesive, giving time to work the pattern as necessary. The installer would work the seam and pattern from mid-point in the carpet to one end, adjusting with a power stretcher, deadman and knee kicker and stay tacking as necessary. He would then come back to the mid- point and use the same procedure in the opposite direction, joining the seam and aligning the pattern. True pattern run-off is an inherent characteristic of patterned carpet - it should be expected because carpet is not made in a mold. As a textile product, woven or tufted, there will be a natural elongation or contraction, lengthwise, of the pattern in the manufacturing process. This inherent characteristic must be taken into consideration when the job if sold, layed out and installed. At least one full pattern must be figured in the length so the carpet can be shifted to match the pattern at the seam when installed. This is the true meaning of the term pattern run-off - the pattern is longer or shorter from one panel to the other.

What is not pattern run-off is bowing, skewing and wavering in the pattern which exists across the width. This is the result of the carpet not being controlled during the manufacturing process, primarily because the speeds at which some products are manufactured doesn’t allow for consistent control. You’ll often find that the more expensive the product and the longer it takes to make it the more square the pattern will be because these carpets are made using a slower process that’s easier to control. However, pattern run-off can and will exist in this type of product as well. You must figure it into your measuring, cost of installation and time required to install the product. Patterned carpet is going to require more of everything. Resign yourself to this reality and figure accordingly. This is not like installing solid colored cut piles. With patterned product you have to have a different mind set. Forget cheap, fast and easy, this isn’t the type of product that will allow that kind of thinking.

If you have any pattern run-off, that is truly pattern run-off, don’t forget that it’s a characteristic of the product. Like wall paper, patterned carpet has to be worked to be installed. Let me repeat, pattern run-off is not bow, skew or waver, that’s patterned carpet that the manufacturer didn’t properly control. It’s possible to install these products too, so they look good but it will take a whole lot more, time, effort and talent which you must charge for. Know the patterned products you sell, the manufacturing supplier and what you’ll have to do to make them look good. This will keep you out of trouble. And remember, if you need help, call me.