Why does nobody talk about how seam tape quality went downhill?

I've been laying carpet for about 7 years now and the seam tape we get from the big supply house keeps getting worse. Last month I had a job in a 3 bedroom house where three separate seams lifted after just two days. I checked everything - temp, glue application, roller pressure - all standard. My old boss used to swear by the tape from a local distributor that closed in 2018 and now I get why. Even the 4 inch wide stuff feels flimsy compared to what I used back then. Anybody else notice this or am I just getting unlucky batches?

2 comments

2 Comments

troyjackson1mo ago

Man I gotta push back on this. I've been in the business since 2009 and the tape now is actually MORE consistent than the old stuff from 10 years ago. The issue is people don't check the humidity in the room before they lay the seam. I've seen guys blame the tape but it was really the subfloor moisture or a gap in the backing. The box I got last week from Home Depot was totally fine, I did a 40 yard living room with zero lifts. You might have just gotten a bad run but one bad batch doesn't mean the whole industry went to crap.

matthewperry1mo ago

Switched to the 6 inch from a flooring wholesaler instead and haven't had a lift since.