Why do so many guys skip sealing the seams on Berber?

I did a rental turnover in Mesa three weeks ago, six rooms of Berber, and the last installer left every seam wide open with no sealer at all. The tenant had a cat, so within a year those seams were frayed and puckered, and I had to pull up half the room and re-stretch it. Sealer costs about $12 a bottle and takes ten extra minutes per seam, but it keeps the edge from unraveling when anyone walks across it. I have seen this same thing on at least four jobs this year, and it always comes back to the same excuse about Berber being too thick to seal right. It is not, you just have to work it in with a brush and let it set before you roll. What are you all using to seal loop pile seams without getting that stiff line that shows through?

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pat_carter27d ago

Loop pile and a cat, what could go wrong right? Every shortcut installer thinks Berber is some magic carpet that seals itself. Then a year later the seams look like a frayed rope and the next guy (you) gets to eat the cost. I have seen seams puckered so bad you could trip on them. The thick Berber excuse is funny too, it is not rocket science, work the sealer in and let it dry. Sounds like you already know the answer, just gotta find the folks who actually care.

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