On stretch-in carpet, it is totally unnecessary to seal seams on regular tufted carpet. It violates the warranty if you don't, but it makes the seams more visible. It puts the installer in a no-win situation.
Sealing Carpet Seams
- Thread starter Floorist
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Nope, I most humbly disagree. I thermoseal and it not only seals the seam edge, but reduces peaking because it lessens the hinge effect.
Ever see a 10 year old carpet that looks to be in good condition except for stray threads sticking out of the seams? The customer don't know better, so they won't call for a repair till there is a 1 inch space with no tufts and they don't have any scraps lingering around. The customer got screwed out of another 5 or more years of carpet life.
Ever see a 10 year old carpet that looks to be in good condition except for stray threads sticking out of the seams? The customer don't know better, so they won't call for a repair till there is a 1 inch space with no tufts and they don't have any scraps lingering around. The customer got screwed out of another 5 or more years of carpet life.
Welcome to the forum highup, I could show you carpet I layed 30 years ago where I didn't seal the seams and they are still fine today.
The "pinch" method of seam sealing is what I did for years. You leave a small gap in the seam and push it together as you move the iron, forcing the glue on the edges.
Most do work out ok without sealing but carpets of today but for that matter, and for the past 20 years often have very questionable backing adhesives............ too much "dirt" (filler) in the backing adhesive and not enough latex. In questionable situations, sealing will save the seam.
For my own purposes, my seams look better than when I sealed with latex because the thermo reduces peaking. Works for me anyway and it costs virtually nothing and takes little time to do. Unlike latex (pain in the butt), thermo seals instantly, you don't have to wait for it to dry and it doesn't behave like contact cement as you are working the seam..... a win win.
Many if not most non sealed seams can survive the carpet life but when they fail, the customer is cheated out of years of carpet life. I can't take that chance myself. I over do everything out of habit.
................. a good installer can help by using the pinch method of edge sealing as the seam is being made.
............... I think that's what it's called.
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PaulLynch
Well-Known Member
A lot of the carpets we install here in NZ would even last 20 years.
With everything being so 'dollar driven' the manufacurers here seem to be walking a fine where product quality is concerned.
By the way, I pick and choose which carpets to seal the seams on......some of the low end polypropelene crap we get here HAS GOT TO BE seam sealed - Much care is required just cutting and handling the carpet edge or it just 'comes apart!
With everything being so 'dollar driven' the manufacurers here seem to be walking a fine where product quality is concerned.
By the way, I pick and choose which carpets to seal the seams on......some of the low end polypropelene crap we get here HAS GOT TO BE seam sealed - Much care is required just cutting and handling the carpet edge or it just 'comes apart!
PaulLynch
Well-Known Member
Oh, and I seal with hot glue sticks and the use the Kool Glide. It works very well.
Nick
In Remembrance
I use O22 on most cpts . it's a solvent base ,on the line of tailors. drys fast .
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Well, OK, nice to know!!!
Well, Roger, that's my opinion and the opinion of many other installers.
VillageCarpet
Member
we never have sealed anything except looped carpets
Nick
In Remembrance
Welcome to the site Village .
I seal everything . Don't give a bad inspector a reason to blame you and not the product .
I seal everything . Don't give a bad inspector a reason to blame you and not the product .
Roland
Well-Known Member
I also seal everything, hot glue on most of them but latex on some wovens.
Are there still some sealers that don't show with a light?
Nick
In Remembrance
I went behind one who wrote no seem sealer on a shading issue .
Showed up under my blacklight .
Showed up under my blacklight .
The pinch method is sealing. My seams became less visible when I started thermo sealing. It tends to reduce peaking. I like edge sealing because the heat from the gun shrivels up most of the primary backing yarns that sometimes stick out so you don't have to trim them off. Thermo doesn't have to dry either and unlike latex, the edges don't 'self stick' if the seam edges butt together before you get the seam completed.
The trick for me is to use as little edge sealer as possible, just barely fill in the voids.
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