We are often asked to look at carpet where the color doesn't initially match. This is a common characteristic in wool carpet so we asked David Zack of The Flooring Inspectors for his expertise on the subject.
What you need to know when your customer says their carpet is the wrong color? You should tell them It will be all right. Fading occurs most often when a carpet is exposed to light, especially ultraviolet light. Rooms with no window treatments (e.g., draperies, blinds, and sheers) are also at the highest risk of sun fading. Ultraviolet rays can come from the sun, however; they can also come from fluorescent lights that emit ultraviolet rays. The samples in your showroom have been there on average over a year so they have already photo bleached. The customer picks the color, you install fresh inventory and they panic that the color is wrong. Mostly this color difference corrects itself rapidly & spontaneously corrects in a couple of months. The best way we know to demonstrate this effect and calm customers down is to take a piece of scrap carpet, cut it in half and put one half in a dark closet or cabinet. Then take the other piece and place it in a window for the fastest results. In a few days you will see that the one in light has leveled in color while the one in the dark is still a shade off.
Photo-Bleaching is immediately noticeable based on sample comparisons but this is easily dealt with. Fading or Photo Bleaching can also be caused by other environmental factors, e.g., nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and hydrogen sulfide. This is most common in 100% Wool carpeting so do not be alarmed, give it time to correct itself.
For further information please contact David Zack flooringinspections@gmail.com You can also subscribe to floordetective.com. Just like your friends at Unique Carpets Ltd., David is here to help! The following was an excerpt from an article done on the subject by Carey Mitchell and David Zack who are Certified Carpet Inspectors. 
