I just found out how much carpet weight can change with humidity

I was working on a big job in a new apartment building downtown last week, installing broadloom in the hallways. The rolls felt way heavier than usual when we were carrying them up the stairs. My buddy, who's been doing this for 30 years, said it was because the carpet was stored in a damp basement before delivery. He told me a 12-foot roll of a standard nylon plush can actually gain over 15 pounds just from soaking up moisture in the air. I looked it up online later and found a study from a university that proved it. It totally changed how I think about storing materials on site, especially in older buildings or during rainy seasons. Now I'm way more careful about where I leave rolls overnight. Has anyone else run into this and had to adjust their handling or scheduling because of it?

3 comments

3 Comments

thea_wood861mo ago

So now we have to check the weather before moving carpet? Guess I'll add "humidity forecaster" to my resume next to "expert stair climber." That's a wild weight gain for something just sitting around.

grace_bailey28d ago

Wait, didn't I read that wool carpet can soak up like 30 pounds of water from humid summer air? It's not just the carpet itself, it's the padding underneath holding all that moisture. So you go to move a dry roll in winter, then try the same one in July and it's a total beast. Makes you wonder what else in the house is secretly gaining weight.

luna8191mo ago

I mean @thea_wood86 has a point, maybe we're overthinking it. That weight change never really messed up my jobs.