What makes machine-made carpet different
Machine-made carpet is produced in long runs, so its faults are about consistency rather than handwork. The Carpet Export Promotion Council notes that synthetic-fibre carpets are mostly machine made. The main products are:
- Machine-tufted carpet. Yarn tufted into a primary backing on a wide machine, locked with latex and a secondary backing. Sold as broadloom by the roll, as carpet tiles, or cut into rugs.
- Machine-woven and power-loom carpet and rugs. Pile or flat constructions woven on powered looms, with the design formed in the weave.
- Printed carpet and rugs. A plain pile base printed with the design, often digitally.
A defect in a machine setting repeats across every metre until someone notices. That changes how the inspection works: the inspector looks for patterns along and across rolls, not only at single pieces. It also changes the paperwork, because wall-to-wall carpet is a construction product in the EU.
What we check on machine-made carpet
| Check | How it is checked | What fails |
|---|---|---|
| Roll width and length | Width measured at several points along the roll; length from the roll label checked by re-measuring sample rolls | Narrow sections, short rolls, label length above the real length |
| Pile uniformity | Pile height at both edges and the centre; pile weight cut from the end of the roll where agreed | Low pile at one edge, streaks, light pile weight |
| Pattern repeat and skew | Repeat length measured; pattern line checked square to the edge | Repeat outside tolerance, bowed or skewed design that will not match at seams |
| Backing bond | Secondary backing peeled by hand at a cut edge; latex coverage on the back | Backing lifts easily, bare patches, latex through to the face |
| Shade by lot | Pieces from each production lot laid side by side against the master | Visible shade step between lots in one order |
| Print (printed carpet) | Registration and colour penetration into the pile checked by parting the pile | Print out of register, white pile roots showing |
| Cut rug edges | Binding or serging along the full length | Loose binding, frayed corners, edges that wave |
| Marking and documents | Roll labels, lot numbers, CE marking and declaration of performance for EU wall-to-wall | Missing lot number, no CE marking or a DoP that does not match the product |
Common machine-made and power-loom carpet defects and how they are classed
| Defect | Class |
|---|---|
| Wall-to-wall carpet for the EU with no CE marking or declaration of performance | Critical (cannot be placed on the market) |
| Secondary backing delaminating | Major |
| Shade step between lots in one order | Major |
| Pattern skew that prevents seam matching | Major |
| Short roll length against the label | Major |
| Missing or broken tuft lines (streaks) | Major |
| Small surface stain that cleans off | Minor |
When a fault repeats along a roll, the inspector records where it starts and ends, so the buyer can decide whether to cut around it or reject the roll.
Rules that apply to machine-made carpet
- US flammability. Wall-to-wall carpet and large rugs fall under 16 CFR 1630; small rugs under 16 CFR 1631. Carpet squares smaller than 6 ft that are joined on installation into larger areas are covered by 16 CFR 1630. For machine-made carpet, the CPSC rules tie reasonable and representative testing to the linear yards produced of each quality, so the test record should show the quality and the volume it covers.
- EU construction products. EN 14041 is the harmonised standard used for CE marking of installed textile floor coverings under the Construction Products Regulation. It requires a declaration of performance, covering characteristics such as reaction to fire. Loose-laid rugs, runners and mats are outside its scope.
- Chemicals. REACH entry 72, on substances in textiles, does not cover wall-to-wall carpet or rugs, but other REACH restrictions and the general safety duties of the GPSR still apply.
- Fibre labels. The US Textile Act allows the pile alone to be declared, marked as such; in the EU, Regulation (EU) 1007/2011 covers the textile upper layer.
Packing, transit and loading risks
- Crushed rolls. Broadloom rolls stacked too high or without cores flatten and crease. Agree cores, stack height and orientation.
- Roll ends. Unprotected ends fray and pick up dirt; wrap and cap them.
- Lot mixing. Each roll label should carry the lot number so rolls from one lot are fitted together.
- Container loading. Long rolls need a planned load; container loading supervision checks counts, stacking and the seal.
What to put in your purchase order
- Roll width, roll length and tolerances, or piece sizes for rugs.
- Pile height, pile weight and total weight per square metre.
- Pattern repeat and the skew limit.
- Lot policy: one lot per order or per room, and lot numbers on every roll.
- For EU wall-to-wall: CE marking, the EN 14041 declaration of performance and the fire classification.
- US flammability test records covering the quality and volume shipped.
For handmade rugs, see hand-tufted rugs and hand-loomed rugs.