A commercial job at the Hyatt Regency changed how I do seams

Last month I was installing carpet in the Hyatt Regency lobby in Austin, and the hotel manager pointed out a seam I thought was invisible. He said guests had tripped on it twice already. That's when I started using a heavier seam roller and taking an extra pass on every join, even on residential jobs where I think it's fine. Anyone else had a client or manager call out something you thought was perfect?

3 comments

3 Comments

max_brown11d ago

Picked up a heavier roller myself after a similar thing happened to me. I had this one seam in a hallway that looked perfect to me, but the homeowner kept saying they could feel it under their socks. What really changed things for me was going back over the seam at a 45 degree angle after the first pass. It pushes the carpet fibers down just a little more and hides that ridge way better. Also found that waiting a few extra minutes for the glue to get tacky before rolling makes a huge difference. Just small stuff like that adds up when you're trying to avoid those callbacks.

wyatt13511d ago

Yeah, that bit about waiting for the glue to get tacky is something I learned the hard way too. Reminds me of when my buddy tried rushing a job and the seam lifted right up after he left. @max_brown I actually started using a little heat gun on stubborn seams after reading about it on another forum. Just a quick pass before the final roll, helps soften the glue just enough to get a better bond.

pat_stone11d ago

30 years in this trade and I never went to a heavier roller. The problem isn't the tool, it's rushing the adhesive open time. Max's point about waiting for tack is the real fix, not buying more equipment.