If your carpet is ‘waving’ or ‘wrinkling’, it’s pretty likely you have carpet rippling. Also referred to as buckling or stretching, carpet rippling refers to the loose, wavy areas that appear in wall-to-wall carpeting. Rippling may be temporary or it could become an ongoing problem. Below we’ll explain what causes carpet rippling and most importantly, how you can avoid it.
Flooding and improper drying
Moisture is one of the biggest enemies of carpets. Unfortunately, accidents happen and water pipes break or ceilings leak. Excessive moisture can penetrate the carpet fibres and padding and as the carpet dries, it may shrink or expand unevenly, leading to rippling or buckling. This is why wet and saturated carpet requires urgent attention and rapid drying!
MasterClean Carpet Care provides emergency carpet cleaning after unpredictable disasters like flooding. We promptly address your urgent issue and arrive on time, offering a rapid solution with lightning-fast drying times. By prioritising urgent water extraction, we remove excess moisture, exponentially speeding up the drying time.
Overwetting during cleaning
Overwetting of carpets is still a problem we come across quite regularly – most often when we’ve been called out to try and rectify the handy work of a cost-conscious homeowner who’s hired a supermarket rental machine.
This also happens when a hired cleaner is inexperienced or has inappropriate equipment not powerful enough to extract all the moisture from the carpet. Excess moisture soaking into the carpet padding can lead to the build-up of mould and mildew – which not only affects your health but will emit a very bad odour. If carpets are not dried properly via a proper dehumidifier, you can expect the appearance of heavy buckling and ripples all over the surface of your carpet as a result.
Dragging heavy furniture
Dragging heavy pieces of furniture across your carpet can cause stretching and lead to the separation of the carpet from its base. Further, if you cause even a small tear in your carpet, over time, the loosened-up structure of the carpet may result in the formation of ripples on the carpet surface.
When moving furniture, use sliders made of hard plastic on one side and durable rubber on the other. All you need to do is lift each furniture leg and place a slider underneath it.
Alternatively you can also use moving blankets – a type of thick, sturdy blanket purposefully designed to help you move furniture. The blanket acts as a cushioned barrier between the floor and the furniture, protecting both of them from potential damage.
Incorrect installation
If your wall-to-wall carpet was not correctly installed from the start, it’s likely to loosen slightly over time, which can lead to rippling.
The process of installing carpet requires expertise and specific tools, such as a power stretcher. Trying to do it yourself or paying less for an inexperienced carpet fitter could result in your carpet becoming too flexible and loose. Only an expert knows how to tightly stretch your carpet during installation and secure it correctly in place.
Follow manufacturer’s guidelines
Proper maintenance of carpets including vacuuming regularly, addressing spills promptly, and following the manufacturer’s guidelines for carpet care can preserve the integrity of your carpet’s fibres and reduce the likelihood of rippling. Only hire experienced and skilled carpet cleaners that are trained to use appropriate cleaning techniques, equipment, and drying methods that won’t cause damage to your carpet fibres and backing.
At MasterClean Carpet Care, our highly trained carpet cleaning professionals know all there is to know about cleaning and protecting carpets! Check out our glowing 5-star reviews and find out why MasterClean Carpet Care is trusted by homeowners and real estate agents alike.
