Filtration Soil
Filtration Soiling / Draft Marking (Carpet)
Floor Detective® Claims and Conditions Guide
Summary
Filtration soiling, also known as draft marking, is an appearance condition that develops when pressure differentials move airborne particulates through carpeted areas, causing the carpet to function as a passive air filter. Fine dust, soot, oils, and airborne debris gradually accumulate within the pile along structural airflow pathways such as walls, doorways, subfloor joints, and penetrations. The condition commonly appears as dark linear discoloration following architectural features rather than traffic patterns and often becomes more visible over time as particulate buildup increases. Filtration soiling reflects environmental airflow behavior and airborne contaminant deposition rather than dye instability, backing failure, or installation-related deficiency. The condition may resemble traffic lane gray or general soiling patterns but is distinguished by its alignment with airflow-related structural features. See also Carpet Problems for broader context.
Carpet Problems
Carpet Fiber Identification (Field and Laboratory Methods)
Wool and Wool Carpet Properties
Carpet Beetle Damage
Fiber Properties
Missing Row
Wrinkles in Backing
Unraveling / Runs (Carpet)
Core Crush / Roll-Core Pile Reversal (Carpet)
