Commercial “glue down” vs. traditional wall-to-wall: Carpet Cleaning differences©

Author: Vartan Khazadian, owner of CleenCarpet®
04/19/2007

When posed with the type of carpeting to purchase for your office or retail space, most people will base their decision solely on price. However, maintenance is an important factor to consider. However, most manufacturers neglect to focus on carpet cleaning maintenance. Their motive is to get you to buy more carpeting because the faster a carpet wears down, the sooner you will purchase more carpeting. However, if you are looking to extend the life of your carpeting and get the most for your investment, glue down carpeting requires regular scheduled carpet cleaning and special attention to the three main differences between glue down and traditional wall-to-wall carpeting.

Your carpet cleaning technician should be aware of the three special differences of commercial glue down carpeting and how these differences relate to maintenance. The first major difference is that glue down is cut in squares (i.e. 3x3 ft.) and glued to the concrete flooring. Because they can be easily lifted, a carpet cleaning technician must not use machinery with very strong water lift. This strong suction can separate the carpet from the flooring, allowing dirt and moisture from foot traffic to get trapped underneath which can cause mildew, ultimately ruining your carpet investment.

The second major difference is that commercial glue down can be a very tight, deep pile type of material. A carpet cleaning technician may feel the need to use a bonnet system, rather than heated steam cleaning, a.k.a. wand system. The wand system may not have enough psi to inject the water into the carpet fiber, thereby preventing a good, deep, and thorough cleaning. A good carpet cleaning professional will also know to use a brand new and soft bonnet with a slow rpm so as not to lift the fibers from the knitting.

The last major difference is frequency of carpet cleaning appointments. Chances are that if you are using commercial glue down in your lobby, store or office, foot traffic is high. Unlike wall-to-wall carpeting in your home which tends to be designed more for beauty and comfort, glue down is designed to take a beating. Though it’s tough, glue down will require cleanings every quarter-double what is expected for your home carpeting. Your carpet cleaning professional should also apply a high ph acid neutralizer to prevent against future discoloration and premature wearing of the fibers.

If you have decided to enjoy the benefits of commercial glue down carpeting, a few simple preventive maintenance guidelines will help you enjoy the cost savings and durability of commercial carpeting. Now you can have peace of mind that you are not wasting money that was saved on your initial investment.