Letter to Editor

Re: “As the Wheel Turns: Machines Used for Encapsulation” (Oct. 2006)

Dear ICS,

Your recent article “As the Wheel Turns: Machines Used for Encapsulation” caught my eye as we been low moisture cleaning long before the buzzword “Encapsulation” became popular. We use the Whittaker system.

As an authorized service provider for the Tandus group, and as the person who established the first cleaning division for the Interface group in Florida what caught my eye were the three images of rotary machines being used to apply the encapsulator. I can categorically state that other than one residential carpet mill that no mill has approved a rotary for this application.

In fact a use of a rotary in many cases will void a warranty. Granted my environment is a little different than the average carpet cleaning company. We are commercial only. The vast majority of the carpets we maintain have from a 15-year to a 25-year non-prorated warranty, and range from 200,000 square feet to 400,000 square feet per location.

My challenge to you and your publication is to address this following issue: A young man around 25-30 years of age with a wife and a couple of children, busting his shorts making payments on his truck / truckmount reads your article and looks at the rotary as a cheap add-on only to get sued because he voided a customer’s warranty.

I personally hope your publication will address the warranty issue. In closing, I must say that there is much misinformation concerning this type of cleaning method. For example, last month I ran into an IICRC carpet inspector I’ve known for years. We were discussing this issue and he looked me right in the eye and said, “But Shaw will let you rotary!”  I could not believe that such a statement had been made by an IICRC Senior Carpet Inspector. Here is a chance for your magazine to help clear up this important matter.

Good Day!

Raye Minor
Minor’s Commercial Carpet Maintenance Inc.