carpet has black spots

[asianthree]

got here and everything looks great, but in the last couple of days have had small golf ball size black spots appear on the carpet at first i thought we had brought something in on our shoes, but that's not it anyone else have a problem

[Bogie Shooter]

got here and everything looks great, but in the last couple of days have had small golf ball size black spots appear on the carpet at first i thought we had brought something in on our shoes, but that's not it anyone else have a problem

Call home warranty. Maybe milldew?

[new peeps]

Our house was two years old before the spots showed up. But we are very much part timers. We also had the same problem. Had it cleaned and they came back again. Had the carpet spot cleaned and they came back for a third time. We are going to replace the carpet before we clean it again. You will find some earlier post on the same subject.

[Phanatic Luvr]

If you look through past post, this subject has come up here on TOTV's in the past. I also have one spot, approx. 1' in diameter. It was smaller but each time I tried cleaning it, it grew. The best product I have used is Spot Shot. Can be purchased just about anywhere. I used to use it in a rental property of our in OC, NJ. I tried it on the spot in our carpet and it goes away for about 3 months and then starts to come back. Just used it again and once again ... it's gone. Our homes is only a year old and this showed up right after we closed. Good luck ... try the spot shot but report it first and take pictures.

[buggyone]

That sure sounds like mold. Have you spilled liquid on the carpet and not soaked all of it out of the padding? Not too much works on getting rid of mold without damaging the carpet. Best bet, I would say, is a professional carpet cleaning company.

[CaptJohn]

If I remember correctly from a previous thread, it has something to do with something left under the carpet (fluid) on the concrete. Sorry to be so vague but that should get you started. I also think I read that warranty replaced the carpet and treated whatever the problem was. In other words, its coming up from the bottom, not something you did.

[tv2016]

Anyone had this problem with a home that is a few years old? If so, do you know the reason and the fix?

[villager]

Can't say the reason but the fix is what we did - removed all the carpet and put down hard flooring.

[graciegirl]

Now we are having mysterious spots appear on the bound carpet pieces we had made that have backing on them that are placed on two hardwood surfaces.

Spraying with SpotShot works for several weeks and then they return in the same place.

I have tried the nose to surface test and there is NO odor. Spot shot makes them go away and when I blot it with toweling there is no color on the toweling.

Where is Martha Stewart and Heloise when you need them?

[asianthree]

Good question we have used this house for only a few weeks at a time it will be three years old in June, used spot shot and all three spots came back in six weeks, and not in an area that we have even walk on much less spilled anything and no pets. Warranty dept said never see it before and we must have not caught the dog in time, WHAT DOG....asked him if there was a dog in his pocket, because we didn't have one....sooooooo back to what the heck, Gracie are your rugs on carpet or wood?

[rubicon]

There were footprints of a gigantic hounds (Holmes) there were black spots on the carpet. Were those black spots near a window, door? Were those balck spots found on the pad also? Is there perhaps a leaking window? Is there perhaps a large crack in the floor? Perhaps we have the wrong angle and the the black spots are originating from vents in the ceilings? Hmmmmmmmmmm

[asianthree]

There were footprints of a gigantic hounds (Holmes) there were black spots on the carpet. Were those black spots near a window, door? Were those balck spots found on the pad also? Is there perhaps a leaking window? Is there perhaps a large crack in the floor? Perhaps we have the wrong angle and the the black spots are originating from vents in the ceilings? Hmmmmmmmmmm

Not by door windows vents started as the size of a quarter and ended up on the third comeback size of a tennis ball all seem to be in dining area, (never used) and by counter (never used)there very weird, have not had the carpet pulled up, will take look again in spring

[jerseyvillager]

Not uncommon on slab construction.

When it comes to carpet cleaning you get what you pay for.

You will pay a little more but when use Eco-Power Plus and use their environmentally safe process they will remove the spots and return if they don't.

We have used them since moving to TV and any of our neighbors who we have referred are totally satisfied.

[pooh]

If I may offer an experience, a few years ago friends were up north for the summer, they were snowbirds at the time. They were returning and were now going to be frogs. Their house was unoccupied for months.....all was well with the carpet. Checks over the summer still showed the carpet to be spotless. Then, they were coming back. Into the house we went to make sure all was ready for their return.....the carpet had black spots all over the place...some in the bedrooms, some in the living room. Climate control kept the house at optimal environmental conditions while they were up north, but those spots just came up. Cleaning the carpet didn't resolve the spot situation for any length of time. Luckily, they were tiling the great room and eventually had laminate flooring installed in the bedrooms. It was quite a mystery and we couldn't figure out how spots would suddenly appear on carpeting when no person was in the house and they weren't evident previously. By the way, the carpeting was a light beige, sort of cream color.....just incase that provides some clue. In my house we had a tan color carpet and those types of spots never did show up. Now we have laminate where carpeting once was.

[Bill32]

If I may offer an experience, a few years ago friends were up north for the summer, they were snowbirds at the time. They were returning and were now going to be frogs. Their house was unoccupied for months.....all was well with the carpet. Checks over the summer still showed the carpet to be spotless. Then, they were coming back. Into the house we went to make sure all was ready for their return.....the carpet had black spots all over the place...some in the bedrooms, some in the living room. Climate control kept the house at optimal environmental conditions while they were up north, but those spots just came up. Cleaning the carpet didn't resolve the spot situation for any length of time. Luckily, they were tiling the great room and eventually had laminate flooring installed in the bedrooms. It was quite a mystery and we couldn't figure out how spots would suddenly appear on carpeting when no person was in the house and they weren't evident previously. By the way, the carpeting was a light beige, sort of cream color.....just incase that provides some clue. In my house we had a tan color carpet and those types of spots never did show up. Now we have laminate where carpeting once was.
Our beige carpet developed black spots also after about two years. The carpet cleaning company said they were coming up from the slab. Said it was pretty common here in the villages. It would be interesting to know how many Village homes have this problem. Is the problem the carpet? The padding? The slab? Not installed correctly??? Hmmmmmm

[tv2016]

I talked to Great Lake Carpet today. He said the reappearing spots could be the result of an original spill that soaked the pad. When the carpet is cleaned, it looks good for a while but the pad is still not clean and the stain eventually comes up thru the carpet again. He thought professional cleaning should take care of it. I'll try it.

[new peeps]

I talked to Great Lake Carpet today. He said the reappearing spots could be the result of an original spill that soaked the pad. When the carpet is cleaned, it looks good for a while but the pad is still not clean and the stain eventually comes up thru the carpet again. He thought professional cleaning should take care of it. I'll try it.

I will add the following to my first post on the subject. We cleaned the carpet the first time and the spots came back. The next time we had ours professional cleaned and the spots came back. This time the carpet will be removed and we will replace it with something other than carpet. This is a shame as we are part timers and the carpet has had very little usage. While I do not know the cause I will say I am pretty sure it is not from something being spilled on it as mentioned in a earlier post. At least not while we owned the home. I guess it is possible when the carpet was installed something was spilled on the padding. I am tempted to cut the spots out when removed and try to find a lab to send it in to be analyzed to determine what it really is. Not that it will do anything other than solve the mystery. There is too many houses including some neighbors that have had the same issue with no clear cause. Our carpet was a also a light beige color also as mentioned in a earlier post. We bought new and the house was built in 2009. The spots showed up after the warranty was up. I will say this has been one of only two small issues with the house. I would do it all again the same way. It is a great home with even greater neighbors. :$:

[kittygilchrist]

so here's another icky mildew problem for those thinking about wood flooring. the same problem with carpet can happen to wood on a concrete slab.

[graciegirl]

so here's another icky mildew problem for those thinking about wood flooring. the same problem with carpet can happen to wood on a concrete slab.

I am fairly sure that it isn't mildew. Mold spores produce color that can be blotted. I have cleaned and then blotted and no color. Also no odor.

Also OUR carpet is not installed, it is a bound piece of carpeting with a backing applied and placed over wood floors. We had it made. (Two of them)

It was made in Ocala. It does release the stain with Spotshot, but it returns in about six weeks.

[mulligan]

Unfortunately, the latex adhesive used to laminate the backing on the carpet seems to be a nutritious environment for fungus. It will grow in, as opposed to on or under the carpet. A unit in Naples that was closed up for the summer without AC actually had 2"-3" mushrooms growing out of the carpet. Granted that was a bit extreme, but the black spots sound like a similar problem.

[graciegirl]

Unfortunately, the latex adhesive used to laminate the backing on the carpet seems to be a nutritious environment for fungus. It will grow in, as opposed to on or under the carpet. A unit in Naples that was closed up for the summer without AC actually had 2"-3" mushrooms growing out of the carpet. Granted that was a bit extreme, but the black spots sound like a similar problem.

I wonder if this does occur when we are not running heat and air.....

[rubicon]

The color of the carpet appears only to indicate that such spots woud be more readily found.

Everyone seems to be describing mold/mildew which indicates moisture. Mold grows above 50% humidity especially in dark areas combined with enough heat to allow the spores to grow. Remembering that mold/mild spores are ever present and needing the aforementioned to grow they therefore were present in the carpet in question. That is why for instance wallpaper and especially vinyl wallpaper was never a good idea installed in a bathroom.

We had beige carpet in our three bedrooms and owing to traffic patterns deided to replace them. We hemmed and hawed over the three most obvious options wood, tile and carpet. After much discussion for almost a year we opted for a very high grade carpet and pad. I did make it a point to inspect the slab before they installed the carpet two of the bedrooms had a slight but lengthy crack. I am told that it would do litle good to fill them as movement would only open them again. Since they both were slight in width I acquiesced. Perhaps my information was faulty?

I have lived here for better that six years and have not found "black spots" to be a problem for us. However, given the number of those responding in the affirmative it would appear that there is obviously some commonality (defect) here. It would seem that perhaps a water restoration expert upon visible inspection could unravel the mystery.

I am sorry that you are having difficulty here and hope you all can get it permanetly resolved.

Personal Best Regards:

[pooh]

I lived in CA in a house with a concrete slab foundation. Even though humidity wasn't a problem, moisture wicking through the foundation was. When vinyl flooring was removed, even though it was applied properly, mold and mildew were under the sheet. Carpeting, white I might add, did not seem to be impacted UNLESS there was a heavy piece of furniture on it and only if a very large area was covered, and it had to be for a long time. Our chair mats caused a problem....they stayed down for about a year and the carpet became moldy....and smelly in the area impacted. Never did we have spots just appearing like I saw on our neighbors' carpeting....black spots with absolutely no odor, not in a traffic area and not covered with furniture, etc. We lived in our CA house for over 30 years....had a dark green shag initially (it was an in color at the time...:D) and if any spots ever showed up on that carpeting, you couldn't see it....there was no moldy smell, ever.....even where furniture sat on it for years.

I'm beginning to wonder if the "spotted" carpeting showing up here is defective. Is it predominantly one color, one manufacturer?

[graciegirl]

I lived in CA in a house with a concrete slab foundation. Even though humidity wasn't a problem, moisture wicking through the foundation was. When vinyl flooring was removed, even though it was applied properly, mold and mildew were under the sheet. Carpeting, white I might add, did not seem to be impacted UNLESS there was a heavy piece of furniture on it and only if a very large area was covered, and it had to be for a long time. Our chair mats caused a problem....they stayed down for about a year and the carpet became moldy....and smelly in the area impacted. Never did we have spots just appearing like I saw on our neighbors' carpeting....black spots with absolutely no odor, not in a traffic area and not covered with furniture, etc. We lived in our CA house for over 30 years....had a dark green shag initially (it was an in color at the time...:D) and if any spots ever showed up on that carpeting, you couldn't see it....there was no moldy smell, ever.....even where furniture sat on it for years.

I'm beginning to wonder if the "spotted" carpeting showing up here is defective. Is it predominantly one color, one manufacturer?

I am wondering too.

[mrdills]

You might have to pull the carpet back and see what type of spot there is on the secondary back of the carpet. If its mold you could clean it with bleach and water. If its permanent you might have to replace that area of the carpet. The other problem you might have is, in the concrete someone might have spilled a solvent that keeps wicking through the carpet, if thats the case, you have to clean that area of the concrete. Being in this field before I retired I think this might be you problem.