Home Office and Carpet – Why Can’t They Get Along?

A common problem with a home office and carpet is the damage that the casters from office chairs can have on the carpet. Can they both get along?

The repetitive rolling motion can cause delamination of the carpet. What is delamination? The Carpet Guys explain in the article: What is Carpet Delamination and Why does it Happen? “Carpet backing delamination is when there is a separation between primary and secondary backing. This leads to wrinkling that cannot easily be re-stretched or the fibres staying flat in matted down carpets.” Commercial carpets and carpet tiles do not have under-padding. Residential carpets are stretched from wall to wall and float over the under-pad. While this makes carpet so comfortable for our homes, it’s not ideal for rolling office chairs.

Sayl Office Chair by Herman Miller
The Culprit.

Three’s a Crowd

Many choose to introduce a plastic chair pad in hopes that it will help their home office and carpet to get along. This option may seem like the answer, but three’s a crowd. The plastic mat presents other problems. Plastic chair mats create an electrostatic charge that transfers to the surrounding carpet fibres. This charge attracts and holds dust particles and the fine graphite powder from the castors or wheels. The result is those ugly black lines around the edges of the plastic mat.

Thorough vacuuming will slow down the black lines from occurring. When vacuuming, partially lift the mat enough to allow the vacuum head to reach a few inches underneath. Regular professional carpet cleaning will also help to keep it under control. But eventually, there are other visual problems that the plastic mat can create over extended periods. There will often be noticeable colour and texture changes compared to the surrounding carpet. This effect is permanent due to the wear and fading of the surrounding carpet.

They Really Can’t Get Along

In summary, using an office chair on traditional carpeting with an under-pad will cause damage over time. Not matter what you do, home offices and carpet can’t get along. What alternative is there? Your best option is to choose either a commercial glue-down carpet or hard surface flooring for your office space. Bonded leather flooring is an elegant option for a home office. With the help of a great designer or sales consultant, you can create a more attractive workspace for your home environment. Also, don’t forget regular professional carpet cleaning for your home or office space.

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Hi there, we’re Bill & Eva, the owners of Tapestry Fine Carpet, Rug & Upholstery Cleaning located in Victoria, BC. Discover how nothing we do ordinary.

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