Patterned Carpet With a Centered Seam and One Dye Lot
A 28 ft 6 in. by 19 ft 4 in. rectangular room is to receive patterned broadloom carpet with a 12-ft-wide roll. The pattern has a 24-in. straight repeat and must run the length of the room. The carpet is glue-down direct, and the owner wants the fewest seams and a centered seam. The installer proposes one seam and plans to cut two pieces 28 ft 6 in. long. The pattern must match across the seam. The job also includes 6-in. cove base and two 3-ft-wide doorways. The supplier charges by the linear foot and requires a 10 percent waste allowance on the order; remnants are not returnable. The carpet is in stock but is a dye lot that will not be reordered. The GC asks for the cut plan, the seam location, and the linear footage to release before the roll is cut.
1. Determine the seam location and the cut lengths, including the pattern-match allowance.
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The room is 19 ft 4 in. wide, so a centered seam places it 9 ft 8 in. from each wall; each piece is 9 ft 8 in. wide and fits within the 12-ft roll. Cut two pieces 28 ft 6 in. long. For a 24-in. straight repeat, the second piece must be shifted to match the pattern at the seam, so add up to 24 in. to that cut: gross length = 28.5 + 30.5 = 59 linear ft. A 12-ft plus 7-ft-4-in. layout would also fit, but the seam would not be centered. Do not release the cut until the seam location and pattern direction are marked on the shop drawing.
2. Calculate the quantity to order and explain how the waste allowance interacts with the pattern match.
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Net carpet without pattern allowance is 57 linear ft. With the 2-ft match allowance, plan 59 linear ft. The supplier requires 10 percent waste on the order, so 59 times 1.10 equals 64.9, which rounds up to 65 linear ft. Confirm that the 10 percent is applied after the pattern allowance; if the supplier applies waste only to the 57-ft net, 62.7 ft would be short once the match is included. Order 65 ft in the single dye lot. Do not release the cut until the seam location, pattern direction, and doorway transitions are marked on the shop drawing.
3. What layout and documentation details should be shown before the roll is cut?
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Document the roll number, dye lot, pattern repeat, direction arrows, seam location, and waste calculation. Show the seam centered on the plan and note that the pattern must match across it. Include cove base and doorway transition details. Retain a carpet sample and the supplier's confirmation. If the owner rejects the centered seam, issue a written change order with the revised layout and cost before cutting.