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After three tries, I finally got a clean seam on that tricky Berber in the sunroom by using a hair dryer to warm the backing first.
The client in Springfield said they'd never seen a seam that smooth before, so has anyone else found a good trick for those tight-loop carpets that just won't lay flat?
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the_blair20d ago
Hold on, you guys are overcomplicating this. I never heat the backing at all. I just use a ton of extra seam tape and a really heavy roller. The heat trick is just asking for trouble if the room temperature changes later.
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lisa_murray1mo ago
How long did you let the hair dryer run on the backing before you made the seam? I've tried that before but I think I rushed it and the adhesive didn't set right. The heat needs to be just enough to make it flexible, not hot enough to melt the fibers.
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river1821mo ago
Yeah, that's exactly it, @lisa_murray. I learned the hard way too. I used to just blast it for like ten seconds and go for it, and the seam would always peel up later. Now I do a slow pass about six inches away for maybe twenty seconds, then test it with my fingernail. If it's just tacky and pliable, it's perfect. If it's still stiff or, worse, gooey, you know you've got the timing or heat wrong. It really is about feeling that change in texture more than watching the clock.
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