Bad Berber Rug?

[geezer]

I have a friend who bought and had installed a Berber rug from a company called Empire.

He has a dog & cat. He says the 'loops' in the rug are pulling up in long strands - maybe from his pets. I personally have not seen the rug. I am going on what he is saying.

Years ago I had a Berber rug, and I had a dog. I never had that problem.

Did he really get a Berber? Or did he get gripped?

Thanks

[borgunit]

I would guess its the pet claws but the "loops" are supposed to be stitched down fairly well. Long strands coming loose sounds like inferior workmanship or cheap thread breaking as pulled. They can break but not too easily. See if the carpet can be replaced while it still can.

[Jennifer]

Pets pulling the loops out of Berber rugs is a very common occurrence. I'm sure there are different factors involved - the quality of the rug, the length of the loop, etc, but in general, Berbers and pets don't mix. You got lucky.

-- Jennifer

[Bonnie]

I had Berber with two dogs and a cat. Never had a problem.

Bonnie

[Jennifer]

A Buyer's Guide to Carpet

"Loops catch on pet nails, both hurting the pet and damaging the carpet."

"If you have young children or pets, it's probably best to go with a plush style to avoid the possibility of snags."

Question

I just bought a brand new house and I am doing quite a few upgrades. I was wondering should I upgrade my carpet to berber? ... In addition, I have a dog (lab)...

Response:

Forget Berber, you have a dog and it will snag the carpet. If you want to upgrade go with a carpet that will tolerate dogs and the occasional heavy foot traffic you have...

"Berber is notorious for raveling at the edges or even in the main area of a room if just a little piece gets hooked on a high heel or if the dog or cat gets a paw or claw caught in it."

"Carpet with loop yarns also isn't a good idea if you have pets. "Dogs will get their nails stuck in the loops," says Jonnie Baker, an owner of Bakers Sharp Floors in Clovis, Calif. "Carpets also can unravel if pets get their claws in them."

Etc etc etc... I'm not making this up :)

-- Jennifer

[Amy Johnson]

The only problem I ever had with Berber was a 16 year old son and a party. The carpet was only down three months and somebody dropped a cigarette ash and burned it. My son tried to cover it, but we found it immediately. We had three dogs and three cats at times and never did the animals pull it up. My mother-in-law potty trained a dog on it the first summer and all of my dogs had to mark those spots ever after. The spots cleaned up with a mild bleach solution, but we never could fool those dog noses. We finally pulled it up after thirteen years and just went with the hardwood.

[Matt]

Bad Berber!

Bad, Bad Berber!

One more stray thread, and it's time out for you, young man!

Oh, You think I'm kidding?

You think this is funny?

No?

Then wipe that smile off your face, young berber man!

Now get over and stand in the corner.

30 minutes of time out should teach you.