British installations

[Floorist]

I 've been back over reading some of the U K forums. I know they kick everything, it's an accepted part of their standards and we old timers all did it when we were young.
What I don't understand is the double door bar (looks like flat metal) in every doorway. They don't seam different rooms together. They don't put anything under it either, so it's like a metal covered valley in every doorway. It really looks bad to me, but over there it is the accepted way of doing things.
What do you think?

 

[Jon]

I 've been back over reading some of the U K forums. I know they kick everything, it's an accepted part of their standards and we old timers all did it when we were young.
What I don't understand is the double door bar (looks like flat metal) in every doorway. They don't seam different rooms together. They don't put anything under it either, so it's like a metal covered valley in every doorway. It really looks bad to me, but over there it is the accepted way of doing things.
What do you think?

We get some of our English friends over here laying carpet They all do the same thing. Once our NZ customer rings up and complains the layers have to learn to do it our way

 

[FloorMaven]

I 've been back over reading some of the U K forums. I know they kick everything, it's an accepted part of their standards and we old timers all did it when we were young.
What I don't understand is the double door bar (looks like flat metal) in every doorway. They don't seam different rooms together. They don't put anything under it either, so it's like a metal covered valley in every doorway. It really looks bad to me, but over there it is the accepted way of doing things.
What do you think?

That's exactly how I was taught working the mid-Atlantic seaboard. Binder-bar was the preferred option and I believe it goes back to a time before hot seaming. Different colors in different rooms was a popular decorating choice and aside from sewing, pin tape and latex was really the only other seaming option available. A solid brass bar that binds the edge under the door was considered an elegant finish for wall-to-wall carpet. Even though the binder bar is anodized aluminum now the practice is still ingrained in many generations as the preferred finish. Customers who got seams in their doorways often complained that they were being cheated and those that thought they would give it a try usually became dissatisfied with seam wiggle and bow as the material was exposed to traffic.

Since everything was kicked, binder bar also made life easier when a restretch was needed.

 

[Nick]

We always sewed , or latex . Still have Porcupine holes in my fingers .

 

[Floorist]

That's exactly how I was taught working the mid-Atlantic seaboard. Binder-bar was the preferred option and I believe it goes back to a time before hot seaming. Different colors in different rooms was a popular decorating choice and aside from sewing, pin tape and latex was really the only other seaming option available. A solid brass bar that binds the edge under the door was considered an elegant finish for wall-to-wall carpet. Even though the binder bar is anodized aluminum now the practice is still ingrained in many generations as the preferred finish. Customers who got seams in their doorways often complained that they were being cheated and those that thought they would give it a try usually became dissatisfied with seam wiggle and bow as the material was exposed to traffic.

Since everything was kicked, binder bar also made life easier when a restretch was needed.

Any idea why it changed?

 

[DarisMulkin]

The binder bar was ugly and shined. Then it hurt the bare feet when stepped on. Been a long time since I have seen brass flat metal.

Daris

 

[FloorMaven]

Any idea why it changed?

I don't know that it has but there are often vast differences in taste and customs from one geographical area to another. I remember clients being happy to clean the tarnish off a brass bar so I could reinstall it. I also remember it being almost sacrilege to remove a 75 y/o oak threshold to run carpet through the door. Some customers went for it some didn't. Once the sin was covered it was usually forgotten. Resisting change is human nature.

 

[Nick]

Still get it here , Gold , Silver , And Antique Gold , Which is actually brown with a fleck in it . and they charge twice as much for it .
Some people here still don't want the oak threshold removed .

 

[McBrides]

Hey guys,

I guess what you call binder bar is what we call naplock. So often we are asked to "seam to existing", but we are reluctant to do so because if the stretch of the existing material is inferior to what we have installed, then buckles will migrate out to what we have put in. We have occasionally seen naplock-to-naplock in doorways, and never do that, but will remove both and replace with one metal only. When working up to ceramics or hardwood, we will either shim or ramp the doorway, install gripper and tuck the carpet.

I've always said that less detail in the doorways looks more professional.

They use cap & track here like it is the only transition on the market ...

Deb

 

[Ernesto]

Hey guys,

I guess what you call binder bar is what we call naplock. So often we are asked to "seam to existing", but we are reluctant to do so because if the stretch of the existing material is inferior to what we have installed, then buckles will migrate out to what we have put in. We have occasionally seen naplock-to-naplock in doorways, and never do that, but will remove both and replace with one metal only. When working up to ceramics or hardwood, we will either shim or ramp the doorway, install gripper and tuck the carpet.

I've always said that less detail in the doorways looks more professional.

They use cap & track here like it is the only transition on the market ...

Deb

I've had that migration thing happen once or twice. A ripple in the doorway, customer steps on it and says, you got a ripple in your installation....I step on it so it advances over the the bedroom side and say....you got a loose carpet in yer room der. hee hee

Most times I would be afraid to seam onto it because it was delaminating on the existing carpet. And who wants to try and pour latex on it and wait to heat seam it. Not me.

But then the shop here discovered several rolls of pin-tape and put them out for sale. I bought all of them. Pin-tape will fix it every time. But not the ripple.

 

[Floorist]

I can understand, not seaming to old existing carpet. I just can't understand installing 2 adjoining rooms of new carpet and not seaming them together in the doorway.

 

[McBrides]

Ernesto, are you talking about Concord tape? The version sold here has flat 1" wide metal strips that run the width of the tape, about every 6" in order to make seams cool flat. We recently replaced a wool seam that had been done with Concord tape and where the metal pieces were, it rippled the seam.

The old Concord tape used to have claws in it, too.

Deb

 

[McBrides]

I can understand, not seaming to old existing carpet. I just can't understand installing 2 adjoining rooms of new carpet and not seaming them together in the doorway.

Of course, that is wrong. I can imagine that there may have been two installers on site, each doing a room and they used the metals to save time seaming.

I watched a Mike Holmes earlier today where two installers were putting down a room of carpet with a 2' fill. The one guy was only halfway through his seam, when the other installer was about 2' in from the seam and had started kicking. I assumed from this that they were either hacks, or Mike had only given them 'an hour' to get it done.

Deb

 

[Floorist]

In the UK, it is standard procedure to put a door bar in every door way. It doesn't matter if one installer is putting the same carpet in every room.

 

[DarisMulkin]

Of course, that is wrong. I can imagine that there may have been two installers on site, each doing a room and they used the metals to save time seaming.

I watched a Mike Holmes earlier today where two installers were putting down a room of carpet with a 2' fill. The one guy was only halfway through his seam, when the other installer was about 2' in from the seam and had started kicking. I assumed from this that they were either hacks, or Mike had only given them 'an hour' to get it done.

Deb

I used to have a partner that did that, until we got into on big arguement and made him get the seam straight.

Daris

 

[Ernesto]

You mean this tape? Still have a couple rolls. I remember I sent one to Daris. I wonder if he has it in his museum. There is a difference in these tapes you mention.

One has just metal bars, which is newer than the one I have pictured.

 

[Floorist]

I hated doing takeups when that stuff was used.

 

[DarisMulkin]

I sure do have that roll of tape on the wall, along with a roll of Conso Jet Lock, and a roll of that gold foil tape of Roberts from the 70's. The old pin tape the metal bars didn't fall out. The new stuff does.
I remember the Concord tape that Deb speaks off. The problem if I remember right came when a piece of furniture was place on top of it the bars would bend and not straighten out.

Daris

 

[FloorMaven]

Hey guys,

I guess what you call binder bar is what we call naplock.

Nap lock and binder bar are two different animals.

 

[FloorMaven]

So often we are asked to "seam to existing", but we are reluctant to do so because if the stretch of the existing material is inferior to what we have installed, then buckles will migrate out to what we have put in.

Perfect opportunity to sell a restretch.