Last month I nearly lost a job because of a bad seam tape batch

Installed 800 square feet of commercial carpet last Tuesday and the seam tape started peeling up overnight - turns out the supplier got a bad run from their manufacturer. Has anyone else run into defective seam tape lately?

3 comments

3 Comments

taylor_patel7d ago

Man that's rough. What worked for me was switching to a different brand of seam tape that had better reviews from other installers. I also started using a primer on the subfloor before applying the tape, it helps it stick way better. The supplier should definitely make it right if they sold you a bad batch, don't let them brush you off. Make sure you document everything with photos just in case.

evan_davis7d ago

Echoing what @taylor_patel said about the primer, that's the real game changer honestly. I was having the same peeling issues until I started using a tacky primer on the subfloor first and it made a night and day difference. The tape just grabs way harder and stays down even in humid weather. Also if you can find a tape with a thicker rubberized adhesive layer, that stuff holds up way better than the cheap thin ones. The supplier should eat the cost of a bad batch no question, don't let them push you around. Document everything with photos and receipts like Taylor said, then hit them with it if they try to give you the runaround.

phoenix_grant7d ago

Makes sense, had a buddy who went through the exact same thing with a bad batch last fall.