Installation Guide

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stretch-in – Installation method whereby carpet is placed over separate carpet cushion and is secured in
place, under tension, using a power stretcher (mechanical stretching device).
tack strip – Wood strip fastened to the floor near the walls of a room, containing either two or three rows of
pins angled toward the walls on which the carpet is stretched and secured in a stretch-in installation. (Also
referred to as “tackless strip”)
telegraphing – The gradual appearance of irregularities, imperfections, or patterns from a substrate onto the
surface of the carpet or other floor covering.
threshold – The raised material beneath a door. Also known as a “door sill” or “saddle.”
transition molding – A wooden, metal, vinyl, or plastic strip, either quarter round or shoe molding, attached to
the bottom of a baseboard or wall to cover the joint between wall and floor or to cover raw edges of carpet
at doorways or where carpet abuts another type of floor covering. There are two basic types: 1) Applied
before – Shapes put in place before carpet is installed and carpet is fitted to them, commonly called “gripper
bar”; 2) Applied after – Shapes put in place on top of installed carpet commonly called “binder bar.”
tread – The horizontal part (walking surface) of a stair.
trowel – Hand implement used for metering and spreading adhesive to the floor or other substrate.
trueness of edge – Also referred to as lengthwise pattern bow. It is generally measured as maximum deviation
from a straight line, over a defined distance, between common pattern points along the machine direction of
the carpet.
tufted carpet – Carpet manufactured by the process of inserting pile yarns into a primary backing fabric
through needles.
unitary carpet – Carpet backcoated with a compound intended to increase physical properties normally
without the addition of a secondary backing.
plasticizer – A substance incorporated into polyvinyl chloride polymer or other polymers to increase flexibility,
workability, or distensibility (capable of being extended).
working time (may be referred to as slip time) – The length of time available after covering the adhesive with
carpet to make adjustments or manipulate the carpet.
woven carpet – Carpet produced on a loom. The lengthwise (warp) yarns and widthwise (weft or filling) yarns
are interlaced to form the fabric. Carpet weaves, such as Wilton, Axminster and velvet, are complex, often
involving several sets of warp and filling yarns for the pile and backing.