[adrian connolly]

Hi guys i have managed to shrink a wool carpet about 1 inch from 1 wall and it also has left a sour smell. This is the first time anything has gone wrong. Its was in a house that the owner is not living there at the moment but he is there doing building work there every day. After i had finished the carpet i said to him the heating must be on and windows open until the carpet has dried   He called me after 1 week to tell me of the problems and i ask him had he followed my instructions he said the heating was on an hour hear and there (my guess it wasnt on at all) but nobody had been in the room so the windows were not opened at all.  I was careful not to overwet the carpet and was left slightly damp when i left. of cource he wants a new carpet and all that Just wondering were i stand on this and your views on this.

Many thanks

[sean oregan]

What was the backing?

[adrian connolly]

its a woven backing

[CleanerCarpets]

are you sure it was wool and not polypropylene?

was its patterned or plain?

[neil 47]

Dont worry about it simler thing happened to me I paid the local carpet fitter to re fit it he might need a power stretcher.

if you have no insurance your best just paying for the carpet and selling the old on 

[adrian connolly]

it was a tall thick wool pile no pattern i thought it was wool but i could be wrong i spose.

Neil - i had a fitter out he couldnt move it but he didnt have a power stretcher and i am insured but the excess is £500

[Adam Eastman]

Adrian,  I don't know of any plain wool woven backed carpets with a long pile on the market. However if it is a woven wool carpet, your going to be looking £40m2 upwards to replace, so the £500 excess maybe your cheaper option 

[Adam Eastman]

This is probably the closet I can think of to what you have described, although not plain, they do have a heather finish

http://www.axminster-carpets.co.uk/carpets-rugs/plains/woven-heather-plains/

[adrian connolly]

im just hoping i have got it wrong lol and that its not wool.  would it make no difference that there was no heating on and its cold at the minute not letting the carpet dry. Does that work in my favor or am i clutching at straws?

[Derek Corbrick]

I think your clutching at straws, the customer is always going to say he followed your instructions. Did you ask the customer before you started what type of carpet it was? Did you perform any checks i.e. burn test. You may need to write a letter of apology to maintain your reputation and take it on the chin.
Good luck

[Darran Pryce]

Have you checked to make sure the gripper rods are NOT just glued down, and are screwed down into the floorboards/concrete?

If they have only been glued down, you can argue that they have not been fitted correctly?!   

What machine did you use and what psi?

[lee_gundry]

you only need to replace to the value of the carpet before it was cleaned,,,,,not pay for a new carpet of same quality.

Lee G

[Adam Eastman]

Hi Lee

How do you determine the value of the carpet? Is there a depreciation percentage you take off for each year it's been fitted?

I don't think I would be happy if someone (and I'm not saying you did anything wrong Adrian) shrunk my Axminster carpet, and then told me they were only going to replace it with a inferior carpet due to its depreciation over the years 

[lee_gundry]

yes there is a depreciation over the years somethink like 30% 1st year then 10% every year after,,,ypu only replace the current value of the damaged item ...not with the value when new,,,,if you crash a 10yr old car you don't get a brandnew one of your insurance.

lee G

[Adam Eastman]

Have you checked to make sure the gripper rods are NOT just glued down, and are screwed down into the floorboards/concrete?

If they have only been glued down, you can argue that they have not been fitted correctly?!   

What machine did you use and what psi?

Darren, sorry bud, but can't agree with you on that one.

There are quite a few instances where sticking the gripper is the only correct way. The main occasion is a concrete floor with underfloor heating. I know of a few occasions when fitters have not noticed the fact there was no rad in the room and then proceeded to stick a ring shank straight through a pipe in the underfloor heating.

And sometimes it is just impossible to get a pin in the floor, either the concrete is to tough or its starts cracking.

If the carpet were to shrink and pull the gripper up that had only been glued to the floor, you maybe able to argue that it should have been double banked (assuming it hadn't been double banked) but I'm not sure how stronger argument that would be.

[Adam Eastman]

yes there is a depreciation over the years somethink like 30% 1st year then 10% every year after,,,ypu only replace the current value of the damaged item ...not with the value when new,,,,if you crash a 10yr old car you don't get a brandnew one of your insurance.

lee G

Lee, I would say cars are some what different to carpets, and I don't mean that sarcastically, but from the point a car has a reg plate that tells you it's age and a trade book that tells you it's current value. How do you begin to determine how old the carpet is?

I do a lot of work for the main insurance companies and loss adjusters, and they always ask me to replace goods to the same value of the current flooring when new.

[adrian connolly]

the carpet is 15 years old

[Neil Jones]

15 years old! Tell him to get a new one the tight git.

Post a pic.

[lee_gundry]

claiming on your house insurance is different than claiming for damage to items being worked on.You compensate to the item value, prior to item being damaged, not to the value of the item when new.

Lee G

[mr muzzy]

it was a tall thick wool pile no pattern i thought it was wool but i could be wrong i spose.

Neil - i had a fitter out he couldnt move it but he didnt have a power stretcher and i am insured but the excess is £500

   you can get a plain  wool woven carpet, if it is that it will be really expensive, they're really hard to shrink normally need a flood to do this, did the carpet fitter try really hard to get it back am sure if two of yous had kickers you would get it sorted ,