Talked to an old timer about seam rolling and it changed how I work

Was doing a job last Wednesday in a condo complex and this 60 year old installer who was doing the unit next door walked over and watched me for a minute. He told me I was pressing way too hard on my seam roller and that light passes work better on most carpets. I've been doing it the same way for 8 years, now I'm wondering if I've been messing up seams that whole time without knowing. Anyone else had someone change a simple habit that made a big difference?

2 comments

2 Comments

shah.olivia3d agoMost Upvoted

I get what you're saying about light passes, but I've been doing this 15 years and I push hard on purpose. On dense carpets like a good commercial level loop, a soft roll just won't push that glue into the backing deep enough. I've pulled back seams on jobs where guys used light pressure and the tape barely stuck. Maybe it depends on the carpet type and glue you're using. I'll take a heavy roll over a redo any day.

reed.eva2d ago

Oh hang on, that's not quite how the glue works with hot melt tape. The heat activates the adhesive, not the pressure pushing glue into the backing. If you're rolling too heavy you might actually squeeze the melted glue out from under the tape and end up with a weak bond.