TroubleShooting Guide

To assist Production and Service personnel in processing and servicing mats, Mountville Mills has compiled the following list of common problems followed by a brief discussion of the cause or cause and cures.

Below is a list of topics along with the page number where the problem is discussed. This list will be revised as needed in the future.

Problems:

• Border cuts, splits or tears
• Burned or melted carpet
• Chewing gum or tar on carpet surface
• Color Loss
• Spot color loss
• Streak color loss
• Delaminations (carpet separates from rubber backing)
• Dingy and dull mats
• Dye cross staining
• Faded property mark labels
• Floor beneath mats turns yellow or brown
• Lint from other mats on carpet and cleated backing
• Mats move on carpet
• Odors in mats after washing
• Ozone Damage
• Poor overdye results
• Rippled or distorted mats
• Sand build up in carpet surface
• Spot swelling of carpet and rubber
• Stained mats
• Static shocks
• Wet floors beneath mats
• Yellowing or browning of light blue and silver mats

Problem: Border cuts, splits or tears

Cause/Cure:

1. Gaps between the dryer basket and housing - Cure for this is to use proper gaskets supplied by equipment manufacturer and to insure basket supports are properly adjusted.
2. Customer abuse - Customers sometime cut mats to make them fit around equipment or furniture. Also, mats occasionally are cut by electric doors or other customer equipment. Service people should be made aware of such problems so they can be eliminated.
3. Sharp edges in processing equipment - These are usually found in dryers and can best be located by feel.
4. Excessive extractor pressure or speed - High speed centrifugal extractor can stretch mats to the point of bursting. Maximum centrifugal extractor pressure should not exceed 250 G's. Ram Extractors are not recommended for mats.
5. Product design - Some manufacturers choose not to reinforce their mat borders. This enables mats to tear or split more easily.

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Problem: Burned or melted carpet

Cause/Cure:

1. Excessive dryer temperatures - Nylon melts at approximately 500F. If mats have been exposed to these temperatures, the carpet surface will feel rough and coarse. It may also be possible to see burn marks caused by dryer ribs or basket perforations. Inspect dryers to insure they are properly maintained. For more information, refer to Tech Tip #111 Mat Drying.
2. Cigarette burns - These should be self evident. Service department should be advised so the damage can be eliminated. Avoid using solid color mats in areas where this problem exists.
3. Chemical burns, welding burns - Again, damage of this nature should be self evident.

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Problem: Chewing gum or tar on carpet surface

Cause/Cure:

It is possible to remove most gum and/or tar by using De-Solve-It, a citrus based solvent available from Mountville Mills.

**Please note: Follow directions on bottle. Wash mats immediately after using De-Solve-It to prevent damage to rubber backing.

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Problem: Delaminations - carpet separates from rubber backing.

Cause/Cure:

This problem is rarely encountered. It is generally due to a manufacturing defect. There is no cure other than replacement by the manufacturer.

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Problem: Dingy and dull mats

Cause/Cure:

Poor cleaning during washing. This can be caused by too low wash temperatures, too much or too little detergent or inadequate rinsing. Refer to Tech Tips # 101, #102, #103 for recommended wash formulas.

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Problem: Dye cross staining

Cause/Cure:

This problem is usually seen on light colored mats that have been washed with dark colored mats. High wash temperatures and/or high pH chemicals usually cause this problem. Refer to Tech Tip # 101 for recommended wash formula.

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Problem: Color loss

Cause/Cure:

High wash temperatures, high pH detergents. Refer to Tech Tips # 101, #102, #103 for proper wash procedures.

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Problem: Floor beneath mats turns yellow or brown

Cause/Cure:

Yellowing is normally attributed to moisture. The moisture usually is already present in the floor when mats are placed on the floor. Because the mats prevent the moisture's evaporation, the moisture becomes trapped in the floor surface, causing discoloration. On hard surface floors, use of Carpet Cleated mats will reduce trapped moisture. On carpet, this problem is caused by placing mats on wet carpet. Again, the mats prevent the moisture from evaporating which causes severe yellowing or browning of the carpet color. Discolored carpet of this nature is very difficult or impossible to clean.

CAUTION: Never place mats on damp or wet carpet.

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Problem: Faded property mark labels

Cause/Cure:

As mats get older, it is normal for property marks to fade. This is more commonly seen on labels placed on borders or corners of mats. The fading is caused by the abrasion of mats in the washing and drying process.

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Problem: Lint from other mats on carpet and on cleated backing

Cause/Cure:

This problem is caused by poor tuft lock between carpet and rubber backing. Mountville Mills mats are made with a special polyester substrate to prevent this problem. However, all mat producers do not use this product. Once mats of this nature are in your system, there is little that can be done to prevent the fiber loss. The lint can be removed from mats by drying mats for 5-10 minutes.

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Problem: Poor overdye results

Cause/Cure:

1. Not using enough dye kits for amount of mats being dyed. Use 1 - 200 lb. dye kit per 200 lbs. of mats.
2. Temperatures in the steam up portion of the procedure are too low. Insure that 195F (95C) is reached and then maintained for a minimum of 15 minutes.
3. Leaky dump valves allow dye bath to leak out. As water refills the washer, the dye bath is diluted and the bath temperature is reduced. Insure that dump valves seal properly before beginning overdye process.
4. Water levels are too high in dye formula. High water levels dilute the acid used in the dye kit. Insure that recommended water levels are used. Refer to Tech Tip # 201 for further information.

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Problem: Mats move on carpet

Cause/Cure:

1. Mats with Carpet Cleat backing are not being used.
2. Certain types of carpet, particularly very dense cut pile commercial and plush carpet with soft under padding contribute to this problem. Miracle Hold, a tacky felt-like pad, can help in many cases. For more information on Miracle Hold, contact Mountville Mills or your distributor.

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Problem: Odors in mats after washing

Cause/Cure:

Odors result from mats not being properly cleaned. This problem can be made worse by not drying mats. Refer to Tech Tips #101, #102, #103 for laundering instructions. In severe cases, it may be necessary to use the Heavy Soil Wash Formula.

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Problem: Ozone Damage

Cause/Cure:

Ozone is a naturally occurring ground level gas. Rubber that is exposed to ozone over time can cause it to become weakened and damaged. Mats experiencing ozone damage exhibit cracking on the rubber side of the mat similar to a spider web.

Mats that are stored over significant amounts of time should be rolled with the carpet out. This will decrease the likelihood of ozone damage.

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Problem: Rippled or distorted mats

Cause/Cure:

1. Excessive extraction pressure. Centrifugal extraction with G forces above 250 G's can stretch, ripple and otherwise damage mats. Consult with Mountville Mills or your equipment supplier to insure proper extraction pressures are used.
2. Stretching of mats, particularly runners, when removing them from washers and dryers. Instruct operators not to pull on borders of mats when unloading tangled mats.
3. Exposure to strong solvents and petrochemicals can cause rubber to swell. This swelling can cause ripples in the borders of mats.
4. High temperatures - overheating and overdrying mats can cause shrinkage of mats, which leads to rippling.
5. Allowing mats to cool without laying them flat - When mats cool in a wrinkled or folded state, mats retain the "heat set" this causes. Heating affected mats to normal drying temperature usually cures this problem.

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Problem: Sand build up in carpet surface

Cause/Cure:

This problem is the result of not drying mats. Damp mats retain sand. A short 5 - 10 minute drying cycle will eliminate this problem.

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Problem: Spot color loss

Cause/Cure:

Exposure to bleach - This problem can be difficult to diagnose as the color loss caused by the bleach does not necessarily occur before mats are picked up. It occurs when the mats are washed. Service people should be conscious of bleach odors in mats, particularly in food handling establishments where bleach is used as a disinfectant.

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Problem: Streak color loss

Cause/Cure:

Streak color loss is usually caused by a defect in tufting or yarn production. Consult with your mat supplier to remedy this problem.

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Problem: Spot swelling of carpet and rubber

Cause/Cure:

Exposure to solvents and petrochemicals - Common examples are gasoline, hydraulic or transmission fluid.

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Problem: Stained mats

Cause/Cure:

Certain stains are difficult to remove using normal wash procedures. If heavy soil wash formulas do not produce desired results, treat stains with De-Solve-It.

**Please note: Follow directions on bottle. Wash mats immediately after using De-Solve-It to prevent damage to rubber backing. Use of De-Solve-It should be an action of last resort as continued exposure to any solvent will damage the rubber backing.

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Problem: Static Shocks

Cause/Cure:

All Mountville Mills nylon on rubber mats contain conductive carbon fibers to make them static dissipative. Most static problems can be cured by using Mountville ClassicCarpets, Classicmats and Safety, Quality or Greeting mats. Refer to Mountville Mills sales literature for details.

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Problem: Wet floors beneath mats

Cause/Cure:

This problem can be caused by floors beneath mats sweating. Use of mats with Carpet Cleat backing will usually reduce or eliminate the problem.

Caution: Mats should not be placed on wet floors.

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Problem: Yellowing or browning of light blue and silver colored mats

Cause/Cure:

This problem seems to vary depending on local water conditions. Some customers have no problems, while others experience significant difficulties. The use of chemicals such as sodium percarbonate or hydrogen peroxide minimizes this problem.

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