A guy on a job in Modesto told me my seams looked like a toddler did them, and he was right

Simon Baker · 2026-10-25T08:10:06.214079+00:00

I had been stretching carpet for about 3 years when this old installer named Ray watched me finish a seam in a hallway and just said flat out, those rows are waving, kid. He didn't say it mean, he just pointed at the light catching every wobble. Turns out I was cutting the seam edge with the cushion still under the carpet, so the blade was following the pad instead of the backing. I switched to pulling the pad back about 6 inches on each side before I trim, and I started using a straight edge clamped down instead of freehanding it. My seam peaking dropped off a cliff after that. The other thing he said was to stop rushing the seam roller, which I was doing because I wanted to get out of there by 3. Cost me maybe 20 extra minutes a room and saved me callbacks. Has anyone else had a guy call out their work point blank like that, and did it stick or did you just get mad?

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A guy on a job in Modesto told me my seams looked like a toddler did them, and he was right | Carpet Installers - The Community Guide