Any carpet experts? Odd discoloration issue.

[mattl]

I know there is a very broad range of expertise here, hope someone can help figure this out.

 

I have a lot of very good quality wall to wall carpeting throughout the house.  The main floor was redone about 15 years ago, the carpet has held up very well.  But... I have the stairs wrapped and tucked and the carpet was fitted around the wrought iron railing.  The stairs go up to a landing then on to the second floor balcony with railing around.  The carpet that is on the outside of the railing has all changed color, almost a greenish hue to the medium beige carpet.  this discoloration stops at the outside of the spindles - everywhere.

 

The carpet is treated the  same, gets the same vacuuming and cleaning as the rest, has the same light exposure, and air exposure as it's all open.  There is nothing I can think of that would account for the discoloration. any ideas? 

 

[launderess]

Wrought Iron

Is susceptible to mold or algae that leaves green marks on that metal. It very well maybe that something is affecting and or causing a reaction between the fabric (carpeting) nearest the metal (wrought iron).

Either mold or algae are caused by damp/moist conditions. Is your home humid? Did you clean the carpet and it didn't dry quickly?

 

[mattl]

There is 4 or 5 layers of paint on the railing, so no green.  Not humid either.  It's just odd.

 

Tried to get a decent photo, but kind of hard to see.  everything left of the spindles has a distinctively different color tone.  Will try in the daylight.

 

[brisnat81]

Hey Matt

Are you sure it’s just not dirt/dust? Can you try shampooing one and see if the colour changes. It looks like carpet gets around the edges of a room where people don’t vacuum as well as the easily accessible bits. Because of the small space on the outside of the rail, it’d be hard to vacuum as well as the main treads.

Just a thought. That colour is how ours was in some corners around the edges when we replaced it. We went brown so all those evils stay hidden.

Cheers

Nathan

 

[jamiel]

yeah, a nice stiff brush might pull out some of the loose fibres which might be causing the discoloration. also could there have been a pet using the post as a piddle point (unlikely...)

 

[mattl]

No, no pets.  I vacuum it all the same, it's just an very odd discoloration entire length of stairway and balcony.  At a loss.

 

[rolls_rapide]

Could it be the underlay?

I had a rickety old carpet which lost its separate underlay (reticulated green foam rubber) - crumbled to dust - and would actually be sucked through the carpet by the vacuum cleaner. The green powder dust was so fine, it even managed to penetrate the paper dust bag.

 

[mattl]

Interesting idea, but same padding across the entire house, and this is the only area with that issue.

 

[dermacie]

This may sound stupid but are you sure its not lighting or a shadow?

 

[rolls_rapide]

"...are you sure its not lighting or a shadow?"

Or pile reversal?

It might even be to do with the light spectrum of some types of artificial light.

Alternatively, the contrast in colour shade between the walked upon sections could possible confuse the eye into thinking that the clean untrodden part has a different colour.

 

[mattl]

No, it's been bothering me for some time.  Was vacuuming  the other day and gave it a close look, just don't understand what is happening.

 

Tried another picture in daylight.  If you look to the right and along the bottom the color of the carpet is a "warm" beige but inside the cage of spindles it has a definite green hue.  This is true all along all the stairs and on the balcony.

 

[eronie]

Matt does the carpet roll under the edge of the stairs?
I'll bet the installers used glue to hold the carpet down.

 

[mattl]

Yes it does.  You  might have hit on it.  But I do recall them doing a fair amount of stapling.  Took one guy an entire day to wrap the stairs and balcony while the rest of the crew did the main house.