Very often a problem with a product or an installation is not in the product itself. That is, the carpet, vinyl or tile may be manifesting a condition which is underneath it.

Suppose you install a carpet with a double stick type installation where you actually glue the pad to the floor and the carpet to the pad. You then receive a complaint the tape is "telegraphing" through the face of the carpet. Is this condition the fault of the carpet, tape, installation, specification, sale, lighting or something else? If you answered installation, you are only partially correct.

When you sell a product you have to know where and how it's to be installed. If you specify and sell a double stick installation, you must also know its installation techniques. Discuss this with the installer. If he wants to use heat tape on this type of installation, you're in an overkill situation. In many cases, the tape will show through the face of the carpet, especially on a residential product. To avoid this, the best thing to do is just glue the carpet to the pad with an ultra premium adhesive after the seams have been sealed. The seams will then be tight and if the carpet is cut correctly, the seam will be virtually undetectable.

If you make a seam correctly it should be very difficult to see, but certainly not all products lend themselves to making a perfect seam. That's where the skill of the installer comes in. A good mechanic, trained and certified, will possess all the skills necessary to accomplish the best possible installation, especially the seams. This is an important point because almost every week I hear from someone regarding an article I wrote called, "Seeing Seams, Again," in which some dealer or installer is trying to make a consumer believe all seams will be seen. Often photos are attached. You aren't going to fool many consumers with excuses such as, this was "the best I could do." The pictures clearly indicate you've done a lousy job and you're trying to convince someone otherwise.

So stop using "Seeing Seams, Again" as an excuse for poor quality workmanship. Use it when you've done a good job or to explain your position when you've got an unreasonable consumer who is being extraordinarily picky. That's what it was meant for.

Now, back to the meat of this article. If the carpet looks like it's lifting, the vinyl has little pimples under it, or the tile is curling up, what may be happening is something beneath the flooring material is compromising its surface appearance. With carpet it could be warped hardwood floor boards, peaked seaming tape or bunched up pad. With vinyl it could be moisture lifting the tiles off the floor or curling them at the edges. These examples aren't defects in the products but are the result of something failing beneath the flooring. The first thing everyone wants to blame is the flooring material since it is the first item seen as failing. This is a natural reaction since the common person knows nothing about floor covering.

Even the retailer, who is trusted to know his products, is hard pressed for an answer. The most frustrating thing is not being able to see under the material to determine what's happening. It's easier with carpet, especially if it isn't glued down, because it can be lifted up for examination. Even vinyl tiles can be removed individually to check beneath them. But sheet vinyl is different since any exploration means damaging the goods.

BENEATH THE FLOORING

So what do you do about failures beneath the flooring material? First, you have to check to insure whatever surface you're installing new flooring on will accept it without compromising the installation. Second, you have to make sure the floor preparation is accomplished with quality materials. Third, you have to have excellent quality workmanship in the form of installation crews who know what to do. You can certainly do more, but you can't do less. If the substrate causes the flooring material to be damaged in any way, you're the one who gets the blame.

This is all part of the job. You may think you have the best price, the best salespeople and the best looking store, but if you don't know what you're doing you' won't succeed. To help you learn more about things like this, I've created the most comprehensive technical seminar ever held in the industry on carpet. Call 706-370-5888 for more details.