Flooring installers should know that the bow and skew are important for their job. When installing carpet, installers must apply proper tension so the pattern stays accurate and aligned. A bowed or skewed pattern can occur in printed carpets. This condition creates visible distortion. Some distortion is understandable. However, the industry sets standards, and installers and inspectors need to know these standards. Manufacturing errors can cause distortion. However, installation issues often occur after the carpet is laid out.
If installers notice bow and skew in an installed carpet, the total should not exceed 2 inches (5 cm). The carpet manufacturer must provide written specifications so installers and flooring contractors know the expected degree of variation and the acceptable level of installed mismatch, if any. The manufacturer should also include information on any guarantees or warranties of pattern match offered.
A few things will make a patterned carpet look worse than if there is bow and skew. Flooring contractors need to take care that their installation is able to minimize any problems.
[…] For example, if something was not installed correctly, they need to show that, or if there is a deficiency with the materials, they must gather evidence for it. When inspecting carpet, every flooring inspector must check out […]