As nationally recognized inspector consultants our services are available nationwide. As an Oregon based company you will daily find us performing carpet and flooring inspections and testing in Portland, Eugene, Salem, Grants Pass, Medford, Bend and Other Oregon and Southwest Washington Communities. If the jobsite is out of state, no Problem! When you need a carpet or flooring expert for claims resolution, onsite investigation and testing of larger commercial and residential installations, our bags are packed and we are just a hop from the airport.

Terry Weinheimer and Kevin Weinheimer of the Weinheimer Group are Certified Carpet and Flooring Experts Certified by organizations such as FCITS, IICRC and CFI. We provide both on site and laboratory testing including forensic investigation.  We also work with certified laboratories for backup testing.

Our clients include contractors, developers, attorneys, insurance companies, flooring manufacturers and consumers. Contact The Weinheimer Group for your carpet, wood, bamboo, laminate floor, resilient, vinyl, linoleum, tile or a specialty floor concerns.

Examples of Carpet and Flooring Tests Performed by The Weinheimer Group LLC:

• AATCC Gray Scale
• Adhesive Identification
• Alkalinity Testing
• Ammonium Salts, determination of
• Anti-Yellowing
• Asphalt Tracking
• Backing Laminate Strength
• Bow and Skew
• Calcium Chloride Vapor Emissions
• Carpet Cushion (thickness and density)
• Carpet Comparison Test
• Carpet Valuation Testing
• Chlorides (HCI Acid), presence of
• Cleanability
• Colorfastness
• Concrete Vapor Emissions
• CRI Photographic Reference
• Crocking and Color Fast Testing
• Crowning of Wood
• Cupping of Wood
• Cushion (Padding) Identification and weight
• Delamination
• Fade (color change)
• Fiber Identification
• Field Tuft Bind
• Fluorescence (UV Light)
• Formaldehyde, determination of
• Hardness of Wood
• Laminate Strength
• Laser Square
• Latex Encapsulation
• Moisture Detection (Invasive, non invasive & Calcium Chloride.
• Pattern Matching
• Performance Testing
• Pet Urine Detection
• pH Testing
• Product Comparison
• Redox Agents (Bleach), determination of
• Sample Comparison
• Seam Sealer Identification
• Stain Resistance
• True White Light Testing
• Tuft Bind Strength
• Ultraviolet Lighting
• Warranty Evaluation
• Water Repellency
• Wear Layer Testing
• Wood Floor Finish Problems
• Wood Floor Moisture Testing

Additional Information

• A Flooring Inspector Can Protect Your Investment

There are several things that can cause the appearance of a sidematch color difference that range from lighting to installation concerns, or manufacture related defect in the carpet.

Lighting

There are several ways that light can cause the appearance of a color difference when there is no true color difference.

• Light will cause a shadow to fall across or down the seam making the carpet on one side of the seam look darker.
• Some tinted globes or light fixtures covers can cause shadows or odd light conditions that give the appearance of a color difference.
• Sometimes when light falls across the seam the side of the seam away from the light source will be shaded.

Installation conditions that could cause a color difference or the appearance of a color difference

• During installation while the seam or seams are being constructed the carpet must be laid running the same direction on both sides of the seam, if the carpet on one side of the seam is turned running a different direction this will cause the appearance of a color difference.
• During seam construction if the seam is too tight together or too loose leaving a gap at the seam edges a peak in the seam can be caused. (A peaked seam should not be confused with seam profiling which is normal for a carpet that has been seamed with thermal plastic seaming tape.) When there is a peak in the seam a shadow will be on one side of the seam causing a dark look on one side of the seam.
• Sometimes when constructing a seam the tufts of the carpet on one or both sides of the seam need to be trimmed if this is not done it can make the seam more noticeable and throw a shadow across the seam.
• During seam construction if the seaming iron is set too hot this can cause the pile to change direction when moving the iron down the seam.

Manufacture related defects in carpet that cause a color difference or the appearance of a color difference from side to side of a seam or seams.

• The first thing is a true color or shade variation from one piece of carpet to the piece next to it. Most carpet is dyed by a continuous feed method through a dye bath. Using this method sometimes one end of a roll of carpet can be slightly lighter in shade or hue then the other end of the roll. When a piece of carpet from one end of these rolls is seamed together with a piece from the other end of the roll there is a color or shade difference from one side of the seam to the other side.
• There can be a pile reversal within a roll of carpet and when two pieces are seamed together a color or shade difference shows. This is sometimes confused with the carpet being turned different directions during installation. The best way to confirm this is to pull back the carpet and find the stamps and arrows on the backing.
• During the shearing or tufting process of manufacturing a texture difference can occur and this can cause the look of a color or shade difference. In looped pile carpet a texture difference can be caused by a tension difference during tufting causing some loops to be shorter or longer and fuller or tighter than other loops.

• Crushing is not necessarily a manufacture related concern but this can cause the look of a texture difference causing the look of a color difference. Steaming can sometimes correct a texture difference or a crushing condition.

If you have a true color or shade difference and it is not too severe this maybe correctable by a color or feather blending using specially formulated dyes and blending them in on the lighter side of the seam or seams. Carpet manufacturers work with experts such as Kevin Weinheimer that have been specifically trained in this process. Once the carpet has been correctly blended the correction should last for the life of the carpet. This feather blending process prevents the inconvenience of carpet replacement. These specially formulated dyes are designed to withstand carpet cleaning. The manufacturers warranty on your carpet remains in affect.

The best way to determine if you have a true and correctable color or shade difference is to get a inspection by a Certified Independent Carpet Inspector like Terry and Kevin Weinheimer of The Weinheimer group. If the concern is a true and correctable color or shade difference the inspector may offer the correction service or be able to recommend a qualified expert technician that can perform the correction. The Oregon based Weinheimer Group is available for nationwide service.

Additional Information

• Carpet Side Match Variation
• Carpet and Flooring Onsite Testing & Inspection

When you experience a possible warranty issue with your floor covering many retailers and manufactures will arrange for an independent floor covering inspector such as Kevin Weinheimer or Terry Weinheimer of The Weinheimer Group LLC an Oregon based company. When a consumer believes that they have an issue that should be covered by the manufacturer, contractor, dealer, installer or other and they are not getting anywhere with their supplier they may wish to contact The Weinheimer Group or another qualified flooring inspection company directly.

Of course, inspector qualification is important.  You will want to ask about their certification from organizations such as NWFA, CFI, IICRC and FCITS as it relates to the floor covering or flooring product that they will be inspecting.  Certification and good training are not the only assurances you want when looking for a floor covering inspector. You want to know that they are experts in their field for while they may have received top training, they may lack experience.  Therefore experience becomes a very important factor. Is the inspector a member of trade organizations such as WFCA – World Floor Covering Association, CFI – International Certified Floorcovering Installers Association, NWFA – National Wood Flooring Association or NICFI – National Institute of Certified Floorcovering Inspectors. Top inspectors such as those of the Weinheimer Group will almost always belong to these organizations.

You could ask for a sample floor report.  There are different type of flooring inspections such as cork, laminate, VCT, linoleum, vinyl floors, hardwood, bamboo, softwood and specialty floor coverings. Therefore you would request a sample report that deals with the type of floor that you will be needing inspected. By viewing a report you will get an idea if they are reporting facts or are actually reporting useless information which is of no value.

Checking references or past clients would also provide you an insight or understanding on how the floor covering inspectors would operate.  You could also take a look at their resume as this will show their background and qualifications as a floor covering inspector.

Floor covering inspectors use a number of instruments when evaluating a carpet, wood or other floor.  You may wish to ask about the types of tests that the inspector may be making in doing his or her evaluation. An inspector that is not taking advantage of the new technologies and instruments is probably not going to do a thorough inspection.

After considering the qualifications, experiences, and other aspects, the last thing that you would have to consider is the price.  There are flooring inspectors who would actually be offering lower service fees than others.  Usually, the best inspectors are not the least expensive.  If you really want to have the best service, you would usually have to pay a bit more.

While the average fee for a floor covering inspection is usually between $200 to $500, there are times when the service will cost you $1,000 or more depending on factors such as the inspection size, type of floor and the types of testing that will be required.  Keep in mind that the information that the floor covering inspector is providing is usually an inexpensive investment when you are attempting to settle a claim on a product and installation that likely costs many times the cost of an inspection.  Remember that price is soon for gotten but quality still remains!

Additional Information

• Carpet and Flooring Onsite Testing & Inspection
• A Flooring Inspector Can Protect Your Investment

As a homeowner or property owner you may have a carpet, hardwood, laminate or specialty floor that is not performing properly and you want to know who is responsible for this failure. A home or property owner that commissions an inspection might ask to have everything from the product to the installation thoroughly investigated and tested. If a flooring installation company has commissioned the inspection they may only want to know if the installation was performed to industry standard. A manufacturer might commission the inspector to only test for and investigate concerns as it relates to manufacturing or they may be looking for the cause of a floorings failure be it product, site, installation, specification, maintenance or abuse. A commissioning party may also want to know if the end users expectations are too great for the product and the environment in which it is installed. As one can see, while an inspection may be thorough, the thoroughness may be limited to the concerns that are being addressed.

The knowledge of a retailer, decorator or contractor is often limited to their personal experience and what they hear about a product from the manufacturers sales person or their customers. The knowledge of a flooring installer is usually limited to the installation of the product and their personal experiences. An experienced, expert floor covering inspector such as Kevin Weinheimer and Terry Weinheimer is trained to know the ins and outs of how flooring products are intended to function. These inspectors who are routinely certified by CFI, IICRC, NWFA, NOFMA, FCITS and others regularly attend conferences, updates and training sessions and conventions keeping abreast of how different flooring product should be installed, structural, environmental and maintenance concerns that may affect the performance of a product or installation, and the cause and extent of why flooring systems can fail. This in depth training gives The Weinheimer Group and other qualified inspectors an edge when it comes to solving floor covering problems.

Additional Information

• A Flooring Inspector Can Protect Your Investment

Generally the flooring inspection process includes the visual examination of the floor covering along with specialized onsite testing. Depending upon the type of floor and the concern the inspection may also include the inspection of the sub floor and other structural components and crawl space or testing of a concrete slab.

When a floor covering or its installation is not performing as it should, knowledgeable inspectors such as Terry Weinheimer and Kevin Weinheimer of The Weinheimer Group LLC are able to determine why. Is the failure manufacturing, site related, installation related or other cause? By pinpointing the cause the property owner will know if their expectations are perhaps too great for the type of product and use, the failure is due to something that they have done, or if the manufacturer, installer or dealer should be held responsible.

In preparing for an inspection it is wise to gather information in advance that pertains to the floor covering in question. This includes product and installation invoices, cleaning records and receipts, warranty information and any materials that were left over from the job should the inspector need these for additional testing. It is understandable that some of this may not be available to you but the more of it you have will usually save research time for the inspector and money for you.

When you have your flooring or floor covering inspected by a certified inspector such as The Weinheimer Group the written report for that inspection is only provided to the commissioning party.  If you are the person to order and pay for the inspection the floor inspection report will only be submitted and discussed with you without your authorization to discuss it with others. At times your dealer or manufacturer may use a nonbiased certified independent inspection company such as the Weinheimer Group. In that situation the inspector will only be able to provide the floor report and discuss the findings with the party that commissioned the inspection.

When you have your flooring inspected point out your concerns to the inspector and allow the inspector to take their time in inspecting the floor covering, as well as avoid asking too many questions regarding the floor while in the process of the examination.

Do not argue with the inspector about comments or remarks you only get to overhear, or the apparent results of the inspection, take note that they have been tasked to help you identify problems that may need your immediate attention and thus save you the trouble of complaints that may arise later on.

Especially with wood and laminate floors other areas of the home should be made accessible including access to the basement and crawl space.

As much as possible, make sure to be aware of the things to consider to prepare for your flooring inspection to make it a pleasant and professional experience.

The bottom line for this floor inspection process is primarily to focus on not just consumer protection, but for the investment of the client as well, since investing in a homes floor is a big investment.

So try to think of it this way, floor covering inspectors are not there to terrorize, but a flooring inspector can be a good investment protector.

Additional Information

• Carpet and Flooring Onsite Testing & Inspection

Commercial Carpet Installation Standards

STANDARD For INSTALLATION SPECIFICATION of COMMERCIAL CARPET CRI 104 – 2002

The CRI Carpet Installation Standard

CRI’s 104 and 105 carpet installation standards have long been the industry’s criteria for carpet installation. However, as of October 1, 2009, the Carpet and Rug Institute will offer a new, combined standard for carpet installation in both residential and commercial settings. The combined standard, which replaces CRI’s 104 and 105 installation standards, is an industry minimum installation standard, providing installers, retailers, specification writers, and building owners with principles and workmanship standards for residential installation, in addition to a detailed outline of proper procedures and terminology used in commercial specification writing, planning, layout and installation. The CRI Carpet Installation Standard also includes guidelines for floor preparation and installation in special areas, diagrams, and charts.

The CRI Installation Standard represents over 25 years of information-gathering and installation expertise compiled by the members of CRI’s Installation Issues Management Team, which comprises manufacturers, professional installers, and other interested parties.

CRI Carpet Installation Standard 2009, (PDF 773 KB) Need help with PDF?
Online version:  free download; 36 pages, 8 ½ ” x 11″

Karastan Contract, Durkan Commercial, Mohawk Commercial, and Bigelow Commercial. Glue-Down Installation – Patterned Carpet

ClaytonMiller Direct Glue Down Installation Procedures for Patterned Carpet

Durkin Commercial RECOMMENDED INSTALLATION PROCEDURES DIRECT GLUE DOWN-PATTERNED CARPET

J & J Carpet Installation Handbook

Shaw Hospitality Group / Shaw Contract Installation of Commercial Broadloom Products

Masland Carpet PATTERNED CARPET TECHNICAL BULLETIN # 101

Beaulieu Residential Estimating Pattern Matches

If you are a carpet manufacturer or association and would like your link added contact us.

Additional Information

• Carpet and Flooring Onsite Testing & Inspection

Terry was trained by NOFMA the Wood Flooring Manufacturers Association and became the first inspector in the Pacific Northwest to be certified as a Certified Flooring Inspector by the NWFA – National Wood Flooring Association. Today there is 3 or 4 wood floor inspectors in Washington and Oregon.  When you want an independent evaluation backed by years of floor covering failure analysis and inspection experience you will want to call the Weinheimer Group.

With the many exotic and domestic wood floor and bamboo species along with several wood floor manufacturing techniques from solid wood flooring to engineered floors and laminated wood floor products, nail down floors, glue down floors and floating floors one can only imagine the number of concerns that can be addressed.

From problems such as gaps, cupping, buckling, cracks, delamination, lifting, denting, scratching and finish problems to wood floor grading issues and moisture related concerns the Weinheimer’s will perform thorough analysis and testing to identify the cause of your flooring failure.

Upon completion of the investigation and testing you will be provided with the written report and supporting documents you need to resolve a claim.

If you’re hoping to prevent or are involved in a law suit the flooring consulting services and  expert witness services of The Weinheimer Group LLC will be of great assistance.

The Weinheimer Group provides wood floor inspections for flooring manufacturers, floor covering retailers, flooring distributors, architects, builders, developers, insurance companies, building owners, home owners, installers and attorneys.

Terry Weinheimer’s experience as a floor covering inspector began more than 30 years ago and Kevin Weinheimer has been inspecting floor coverings for more than 10 years. The Weinheimer Group has been providing flooring inspections in Oregon since 1990 after relocating to Oregon from Southern California.

The flooring industry continues to introduce new products and even with their many years of experience Terry and Kevin  invest heavily in continued education to remain current on these changes. In addition to wood floor inspections the Weinheimer’s are experts and hold certifications for inspecting other flooring and floor covering products such as laminate and bamboo floors, resilient floor covering, cork floors, carpet and specialty floor coverings.

The Weinheimer Group LLC is a member of and holds certifications from organizations such as WFCA- World Floor Covering Association, NWFA – The National Wood Flooring Association, CFI – Certified Flooring Installers, IICRC – Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration, NICFI – National Institute of Floor Covering Inspectors, FCITS – Floor Consultants and Inspection Training Services, AFS – Advanced Flooring Specialist and others.

The Weinheimer Group LLC provides both residential and commercial flooring inspections. Centrally located in Eugene, Oregon services are provided on a regular basis throughout the state of Oregon and SW Washington. Nationwide service is also available.  When you have a wood floor or other flooring issue you are encouraged to contact Terry or Kevin Weinheimer for information, consultation or arranging an inspection.

To keep abreast of the latest trends in floor covering and our special offers you are invited to sign up for our free online newsletter The Weinheimer Letter.

Additional Information

• The Thoroughness of a Flooring Inspection
• A Flooring Inspector Can Protect Your Investment

Hardwood floors are a fantastic choice for many homes and businesses. They have a classic look about them. They also last for a long time as long as they are properly cared for by the owners.

There are many factors that can cause your floors to look dull and scratched. Dirt is only one part of it. Improper cleaning, as well as improper storage, causes damage even when the floor finish is done superbly.

Before anything else, the owner should have careful thought on which type of hardwood is to be installed. The floor, similar to wall, gets much attention inside the house because it covers a wide space. The color of the hardwood should match the colors of the furniture and the walls. Otherwise, your house would look like a maze. You have two choices of colors in wood flooring: light and dark. Take note that dark colors are mainly used to project an air of formality inside a room. The dark color also matches with furniture that is somewhat tradition in design and style. If you are using modern and casual furniture, you might opt to choose a lighter shade. But, no matter what color you choose, color expresses the character of the room.

To properly maintain hardwood it must be cleaned at regular intervals. Here are a few simple tips that will help you keep that floor looking new:

• Sweep and vacuum regularly to maintain the floor’s cleanliness.
• When cleaning use minimal amounts of water to protect the finish from moisture.
• Do not wet mop. While many of today’s finishes can be damp mopped (thoroughly wrung out mop). Understand that damp mopping is no more than a very thin film or mist of moisture.
  
• Periodically clean your wood floor using a product recommended by the company that manufactured your wood floor and/or a wood flooring professional. These professional products are specially formulated for wood floors and quick drying.
• Floor protectors should be installed on furniture legs to avoid scratching the floor.
• In order to avoid discoloration of the floor, always move rugs to areas frequently exposed to light.
• If your shoes are in need of repair, avoid using them in the house.
• To keep floors clean, you could place mats at the entrance of your home.
• If you have pets at home, make sure that their toenails do not scratch the surface of the floors. You can do this by trimming or clipping their toenails regularly.
• Lastly, always remember to use only products that are specifically designed for cleaning hardwood floors.

Additional Information

• A Flooring Inspector Can Protect Your Investment
• The Thoroughness of a Flooring Inspection
• Wood Floor Inspections

An ongoing controversy is engineered flooring versus solid wood flooring. With both there are benefits and disadvantages, likes and dislikes.  Once you start researching and looking at these floors you will find many beautiful engineered and solid floors and from the surface you will not know which is which. Here are a few tips for you that may help you decide which one of these fine floors is best for you. Bamboo flooring is also an engineered product so the information discussed here will also pertain to it.

Where Can Solid Wood and Engineered Products Be Installed?

Solid wood and solid bamboo flooring can be installed on grade and above grade, but not below grade. Solid wood performs best in a moisture-controlled environment.

Engineered wood and engineered bamboo flooring is more dimensionally stable so they can be installed in areas where moisture prevents the installation of solid wood. Engineered wood flooring can be used on grade, above grade and below grade.

How Solid Wood and Engineered Products are installed

Solid wood strip or plank is nailed or stapled down only, and usually requires a wood subfloor. Solid wood parquet can be glued to several different subfloor materials.

Engineered floor products are designed for different needs and method of installation. Nail-down or staple-down usually require a wood subfloor. Glue down and floating floors can be installed over many different subfloors. The tongue and groove of most floating floors are glued together, but the floor is not anchored to the subfloor.  In regard to allowable subfloors and installation methods, each manufacturer has its own requirements.  Installation requirements will vary for different products from the same manufacturer.  The dealer and consumer need to be aware of these requirements prior to purchase.

How Solid and Engineered Products React to Heat and Moisture

Solid wood planks will always shrink when the air is too dry and expand in the presence of moisture. Expansion and contraction is primarily in width with minimal change in length.

With properly engineered wood and bamboo planks contraction and expansion are controlled through cross-ply construction (placing each layer of ply in the opposite direction). Once the plies are laminated they counteract each other which helps to prevent both expansion and shrinkage.

Additional Information

• A Flooring Inspector Can Protect Your Investment
• Caring For Your Hardwood Floor
• The Thoroughness of a Flooring Inspection

No manufacturer guarantees a pattern match so a claim may be declined unless severe and the manufacture instructed the installer or dealer to go ahead and they would stand behind it. While some seams are correctable by a knowledgeable installer not all seams are.

Additional Information

• Carpet and Flooring Onsite Testing & Inspection