Top Cuts
Top Cuts (Carpet)
Floor Detective® Claims and Conditions Guide
Summary
Top cuts are a mechanical damage condition in which carpet face yarns are partially or completely severed by blade contact with the pile surface. The condition most commonly develops when materials are cut directly over installed carpet, allowing knife pressure to damage exposed yarns without fully penetrating the backing system. Visibility may initially be subtle and often becomes more pronounced over time as severed yarn ends bloom, fray, or spread with traffic and maintenance activity. Top cuts reflect post-manufacturing mechanical interaction rather than inherent material behavior or backing failure and are commonly identified by directional linear damage patterns crossing tuft rows. See also Unraveling, High-Low Rows, and 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)
