Carpet is overall a very durable flooring choice. It is capable of standing up to years of harsh use and look beautiful the whole time. It is however affected by many things that can cause it damage. One type of damage your carpet can develop is backing separation. If you think you have this problem you should read this article and learn about what it is and how to deal with it.
Backing separation occurs when the primary backing of the carpet begins to loosen from the carpet. The backing of the carpet is held together with a latex glue. This glue can be broken down by a number of different things. One thing that can cause it to break down and lead to separation is flooding or water damage. This can cause the glues to weaken and the backing to separate if it is left wet long enough. Another thing that can cause the backing to separate is foot traffic. Over time if a carpet is exposed to a great deal of traffic the pressure and vibration can cause the glue on the backing to degrade and lead to separation. Yet another cause of separation is age. Over time the glue will naturally degrade and cause the carpet to separate. So how can you fix this? This can be fixed by simply gluing the backing back to the carpe with a quality latex glue. This is mainly effective on small areas of damage however. If your carpet's backing is breaking down and separating in a large area it would probably be better and more cost effective to simply replace the carpeting.
Hopefully this article has been of assistance to you and your carpet. Backing separation is a big problem that can affect the looks and durability of your carpet. If you have a problem with it, do not ignore it because it will get worse. If in doubt, contact a local carpet cleaner for advice.
