In my capacity as an Independent Crapet Inspector. I have been commissioned to inspect a similar concerns of a type of Nylon carpet many times since 2014.
Every concern (I have seen) always has the same characteristics:
- Renovation works had recently been carried out.
- The carpet was newly installed.
- The carpet is a modern ‘Silky/Soft’ style pile, 100% Nylon.
- The carpet colour is variable shades of light to medium Grey.
- Pinkish spot start to appear in random areas, for no apparent reason, after a few days of installation.
- The spots are always on the tip of the fibre.
- Testing for Bleach, Peroxides and Detergents produced a negative result.
- It has been very difficult reproduce the damage.
The obvious line of investigation was the renovation works and the type of dust created during the works. Having researched many construction materials, I could not find anything to recreate the condition.
However, I recently found out most types of 2 part Wood Filler contains Benzoyl Peroxide in the catalyst hardener. After applying the dry dust to off-cuts, I was able to replicate the damage light spots and patches appearing.
I made up a two-part wood filler product which uses Benzoyl Peroxide as a hardener. I placed a small amount of the dust onto the carpet (area 1-5) and left it for 30 minutes, 2 hours, 12 hours and 48 hours and vacuumed it off:
§ Area 1 dust removed after 30 minutes: No change in colour.
§ Area 2 dust removed after 2 hours: No Change in colour.
§ Areas 1 & 2 started showing very faint signs of colour loss after 8 hours.
§ Area 3 dust removed after 12 hours. Very faint signs of colour loss showing.
§ Areas 1, 2 & 3 showing more obvious signs of colour loss after 24 hours.
§ Area 4 dust removed after 48 hours. Obvious sign of colour loss (blue dye) with pink staining showing after 48 hours.
§ Area 5 is a small finger dab with the carpet containing the wood filler dust, left for 48 hours and vacuumed off. Obvious sign of colour loss (blue dye) with pink staining showing.
All area are showing obvious sign of colour loss (blue dye) with pink staining showing after 48 hours.
All areas (1, 2, 3, 4 & 5) developed deeper staining over 48 – 60 Hours.
I also applied the wood-filler dust to a selection of 80% wool / 20% nylon, 100% wool and a ‘standard’ 100% Nylon carpet:
§ The 100% Wool & 80% wool /20% nylon carpets showed no colour loss after 24 hours of dust exposure.
§ I tested a ‘standard’ nylon pile carpet. No obvious colour loss occurred after 24 hours of dust exposure.
- After removing the dust I tested for presence of Bleach, Peroxides and Detergents which produced a negative result.
This appears to only be an issue with the ‘silky/soft’ Nylon 6.6 style of carpet.
The reason I believe manufactures and consumers should be aware of this concern is because consumers have no way of protecting their carpets against this happening, even if they reasonably protect their carpets.
It is unacceptably difficult to protect the carpets should a two-part wood filler product be used in the future. The amount of time the fine dust particles remain in the air is very variable and will eventually settle to damage the carpet. This makes the carpet almost impossible to protect from this product.
I hope this research, freely given, will inform the relevant parties and carpet industry in general to find a solution.
To offer a potential interim solution to this, the colour damage can potentially be colour repaired. Tests have shown very good colour bond and very good (but not always 100% perfect) colour matches.
