Carpet made from recycled plastic bottles

[PaulLynch]

Hi all,
I'm halfway through installing my first ever job using a carpet made from recycled plastic bottles.
It has a soft backing.
Here in NZ it's called ClearTouch BCF PET (Carpet One here call it Tundra)
I know it's made in the USA cos it says so on the backing!
Just wondering if there are any 'tricks' to installing it.
So far, I have found:
It seams up really well.
Although it's hugely bulky, it's very light (Hard to get hold of when carrying into house)
I have also noticed that it doesn't stretch.
It seems that all you can do is 'tension' it.
I have concerns that over time it may 'loosen' and get baggy.

Any and all advice/comments would be appreciated as it looks like my lovely wife is going to sell truckloads of it for me to install!
Cheers

 

[Nick]

When it first came out i installed it in my brothers house. heavy piece. wore out in six weeks . Never sold another piece .
Never had a problem with stretching it .

 

[DarisMulkin]

I'm guessing (to you) this wouldn't be considered demoting a product?

I don't think so as no brands or company names were mentioned. He's just telling of his experience with it. When I was in sales it was pushed very heavily as it was a recycled product and starting the green thing. But it did have the tendency to crush down even tho the yarn was really packed in to try to stop it. Woorked ok in bedrooms with very little traffic.

Daris

 

[highup]

Some of it needs to be double stripped so you can keep it hooked on the tacks when you stretch.

 

[Nick]

The piece i did you needed a forklift to get it in the house . I think it would have laid flat without sticks.

 

[McBrides]

That product was sold here in Canada under the Hollytex label. The only thing we found with it was that it needed low heat for seaming, or it would yellow. We routinely handle softbac from various manufacturers, yes, it is a pig to carry, but it will stretch nicely.

 

[Floorist]

The sofbac I have done would not stretch at all.

 

[Polestretch]

Never had a problem stretching it, but never got as much as an actionbac.

 

[DarisMulkin]

I never did either. If you follow their guidelines-double strip or tritack-it doesn't do to bad.

Daris

 

[Polestretch]

I never did either. If you follow their guidelines-double strip or tritack-it doesn't do to bad.

Daris

I always double up on the softbac. It ain't stating on the strip any other way!

 

[Nick]

I always use Architectural sticks .

 

[Polestretch]

I always use Architectural sticks .

If there is a row of tackstrip down already, I'll just add a second row of 1 inch.

 

[Ernesto]

So what if the gulley is to large, do you guys go with it or charrge to R&R it? I know NO ONE ever tells a client this could be a potential problem. Seen far to many tackstrip jobs like that.

 

[Floorist]

I've pulled many a piece of strip because the gulley is too wide, or it's installed backwards.

 

[Nick]

Same here . i just pop it up and re-stick . never did charge for it .

 

[Polestretch]

Same here . i just pop it up and re-stick . never did charge for it .

Ditto here!

 

[PaulLynch]

I actually use Tri-Tac as standard these days.
With some of the carpets we're getting here with the backings so 'stiff' it's like laying a 12 foot wide piece of wood I find it is much better.

 

[Ernesto]

Seen some jobs where the gap is like 3/4 of an inch on concrete.....the whole house. Would you charge for that or not?

 

[Nick]

Now that's a different story .