Home › Common Problems › Carpet Rippling and Buckling
Carpet Rippling and Buckling
in Sioux Falls, SD
Carpet ripples and buckles are more common in Sioux Falls than people expect because the air here swings from very dry in winter to fairly humid in summer. That cycle causes carpet to expand slightly and contract slightly over and over, and eventually the carpet loses its tension and starts to bubble up from the floor. Beyond being a tripping hazard, rippled carpet wears out faster because it moves under your feet instead of staying flat.
Quick Answer
Carpet rippling happens when the carpet loses its stretch and pulls away from the tack strips along the wall, and in Sioux Falls the wide swings between humid summers and dry heated winters cause carpet to expand and contract more than it does in milder climates. Ripples are a tripping hazard and they get worse if you ignore them. A professional re-stretches the carpet using a power stretcher and reattaches it to the tack strips. Trying to fix ripples with tape or tucking them under baseboards does not last.
Telltale Signs
Warning Signs to Watch For
- Visible waves or humps running across the middle of the room
- Carpet shifts underfoot when you walk and does not feel stable
- Edges of carpet pulling away from the wall or baseboard
- Ripples that appeared or got worse after a particularly humid summer
- Someone tripped or caught a foot on a raised section of carpet
Root Causes
What Causes Carpet Rippling and Buckling?
Humidity Cycling and Expansion
Sioux Falls summer humidity regularly climbs above 70 percent and winter indoor humidity can drop below 20 percent with the furnace running. Carpet expands slightly when it absorbs moisture and contracts when it dries out, and that repeated cycle loosens the stretch over several years until the carpet buckles.
The Fix
Power Stretching and Reinstallation
A power stretcher pulls the carpet back to its proper tension and the edges are pressed back onto the tack strips around the room perimeter. This is the only method that lasts. Knee kickers alone do not provide enough tension for a full room.
Improper Original Installation
Carpet installed with a knee kicker instead of a power stretcher never gets stretched to the right tension from the start. Many carpets in older Sioux Falls homes installed before 1990 were put down without power stretching and have been slowly buckling since the first summer.
The Fix
Full Room Re-Stretch
The carpet is pulled up from the tack strips on all sides, re-stretched properly with a power stretcher, and laid back down flat. If the tack strips are worn or missing, those get replaced as well.
Self-Diagnosis
Which Cause Applies to You?
Check the signs you're observing to narrow down the likely root cause before your inspection.
| What You're Seeing | Humidity Cycling and Expansion | Improper Original Installation |
|---|---|---|
| Ripples appeared after a particularly wet summer with no other changes | ||
| Carpet has been rippled since shortly after it was installed | ||
| Waves get larger and smaller with the seasons | ||
| Carpet pulls away from the wall in multiple rooms | ||
| Ripples are present in a recently purchased older home |
Free Inspection
Get a Diagnosis in Sioux Falls
An on-site inspection is the only way to confirm which cause applies to your property. Free, no obligation.
(605) 250-3667Free on-site inspection
Written estimate before work starts
Serving Sioux Falls & surrounding areas
Other Problems
Services That Fix This
Also Helpful