Most of the time when you see a variation of a color at a seam, your first thought is that it’s a side match seam variation. Because this is such a huge problem in the industry, you might not be far from the truth. Here, we’re going to discuss what other factors could cause the variation of color from one panel of carpet to the other.

SIDE MATCH SEAM VARIATION

If you look at a new carpet installation and one side of the seam looks darker than the other, something is definitely wrong. That something could be several things, depending on the appearance of the condition.

TEXTURAL VARIATION

If the carpet varies in shade in a way that each panel of carpet goes from light to dark within itself, chances are the problem is in the tufting process. The yarn height in this particular case varies from side to side, changing the light reflectance of the carpet’s surface and causing the color to look different. This is a manufacturing defect which will occur when one side of the bed-plate is not properly leveled; it can be felt in the density of the goods from side to side and often can be seen as a textural variation.

Although this most often occurs on loop pile styles, it can occur on cut-pile products as well. On the cut-pile products, the problem can be a variation in the pile height because of a shearing defect. The shearing heads may be off level and trim more of the carpet pile surface on one side as opposed to the other. Again, you can feel a textural variation in the product surface, and you will also note a pile height variation at the seam when you run your hand over this area. This is also a manufacturing defect.

How the carpet is rolled can also affect side match variation, especially if the broadloom is constructed with olefin yarn. If the carpet is rolled up with greater tension on one side than the other, the face yarn will be compressed unequally and the color will vary. This is a shipping and handling problem that is almost impossible to correct since olefin which is not resilient will not spring up, nor can it be steamed.

Another possibility is the installation of the goods, especially when seaming tape is used. If the seaming iron is too hot it can distort the face yarn, affect the dye in the product, or telegraph the tape through the face. This installation problem cannot be fixed without replacing the product. All of these conditions will cause an appearance change in the carpet, but only at the seam area.

MISDIRECTION OF PILE

One of the simplest and yet most unfortunate “mistake” conditions is reversal of the carpet panels. If the broadloom looks dark on one side of a seam and the adjacent panel looks lighter, you have to first look at the carpet at the head of the seam and note the light and dark side. Next, walk to the opposite end of the seam and do the same thing. If the shade flip-flops, that is the dark now looks light and the light side dark, the panel has been reversed. Now do the same thing from side to side. You should see the same result. If this is the case, the installers reversed the panels 180 degrees, altering the shade and thus, the color.

Another method to check for this problem is to cut a business card into 1/4 inch strips and insert two or three of them vertically on either side of the seam. The strips will bend in the direction of the pile lay, confirming the misdirection of the pile. Or, you can drop a lightweight cylindrical object, such as a pencil, from a distance of about 2 ½ inches above the carpet. The object will bounce in the direction of the pile lay.

Finally, another method is to place a sheet of paper on one side of the seam and, using the palm of your hand, roll a round pen or pencil over it. The paper will move in the direction of the pile lay. If the carpet is tufted with a staggered or step-over stitch, the paper will track crooked, but still indicate pile lay. These tests must be conducted out of the traffic areas-the seams at the ends of the room work best-so the results are not compromised by compressed or distorted carpet surfaces.

If the results indicate the carpet has been reversed, then the problem is installation related and the responsible party will be revealed. If you want to learn more neat stuff like this, attend the next LGM Carpet Seminar.