Carpet ripples and restretching explained

Why carpet ripples

Ripples usually come from carpet installed without enough stretch, a worn or wrong pad, heavy furniture being dragged, or humidity. Over time the carpet loosens and waves appear.

Does cleaning cause ripples?

Proper hot water extraction doesn't. Over-wetting from home machines can cause temporary rippling, and existing loose carpet can show ripples while damp that settle when it dries.

Preventing ripples

Lift heavy furniture instead of dragging it, keep humidity under control, especially in basements, and use a quality pad. If you are installing new carpet, ask the installer to use a power stretcher, not just a knee kicker, in larger rooms.

The fix

Loose carpet is fixed by restretching with a power stretcher and re-securing it at the walls. It's worth doing before a cleaning, since ripples wear faster. Call and we'll tell you if what you're seeing looks like loose carpet.

Around Long Island

Ripples show up most in finished basements and older wall-to-wall carpet, common in Bethpage, Plainview and Brentwood homes.