Done With Precision Carpet Binding

Now, I'm Not Saying That We're Gold Diggers-

2012-02-24T08:14:00.000-08:00

Here's a tid-bit of information for you:

Gold and yellow colors are TOUGH to match. Whether it's binding or serging, yellows and golds don't have much of a selection available for match up.

Part of our polyester binding chart.

As you can see from the selection, there is ONE yellow and it's very pale. The other options that would even be close to yellow or gold are more in the orange family. From there, they get rustier or browner in tone.
The carpets that come in to DWP Carpet Binding of a yellow or gold nature usually presents a challenge for us. Although we try our best to get a good match, typically we have to settle for less than best.

In other news:
I was very disappointed upon the arrival of oriental runners with beautiful end caps fabricated. "End cap" is a term that is used when you fabricate a runner with mitered corners to complete the ends with the same bordered look as the sides. Two pieces came in with serged ends, yet the customer wanted fringe. Upon arrival I immediately growled at the serging work. It was awful. This instance was the second time that I saw this type of serging work done.
The first time was when a customer came in to ask us if the serging job was defective or if that is just how it looks. We told the customer that it wasn't defective, yet it looks as if the machine wasn't calibrated correctly for the carpet. However, with this secondary job, I now realize it's just an awful serging job being offered. Beside the fact that it was awful aesthetically, it costs TWICE as much as what we charge for our minimum serging charge.
TSK.TSK.
Nobody should pay for such an awful job.

Serging done from the factory: binding is showing through serging; serging is sparse near the end. Tsk.Tsk.

Factory serging: thread stitching can be seen from front face. Tsk.Tsk.


Factory serging: the "zig-zag" stitching should be drawn down tight; the thread should not be showing at all. Tsk. Tsk.

Despite being able to see the binding through the serging yarn, you can also see a fraction of it showing beyond where the serging is stitched! When that happens to DWP Carpet Binding, we take the time to cut the extra material off with a carpet blade, so that the job is done correctly!
Hence our business name Done with PRECISION!
The only factor I could give them credit for is the serging thread was of good quality. However, their serging yarn was thinner gauge than our cotton serging yarn (which is probably why the serging looks sparse).

The overall evaluation of the serging would be graded very poorly. Calling that a serging job is an insult to the people/businesses that offer binding services. Giving them a D- would be considerate of us. Not to say that we're always perfect. Although, our track history would show that we have had very few complaints since the start of business to the present day.

If you are going to spend good money on end capping a runner, make sure the serging they use to finish the job looks good. Accepting sloppy workmanship allows for them to continue to do such horrible work.

Over the past couple of weeks we have met many new faces!
We would like to thank everyone who has come in with binding needs:

Thank you to:

Alan , Bruce, Bob, Chris (or Kris), Becky, Karl, Kathy and Tony!!

All came in with different binding needs & left with a smile!

Have a great weekend, everybody!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T07:56:00.000-08:00

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that we are at yet another commercial holiday. Although, it may have been a genius to concoct such a day! Despite the fact that it's a day that the stores can capitalize on and push for a few extra sales in the quarter, it is indeed a day intended to openly express your appreciation and LOVE for someone significant in your life. Well, today I challenge everybody to get real. I ask you, who or what takes up more of your time than work?! Upon such realizations, my challenge is then extended to ask what is it that you LOVE about your job?

It's not everyday that you may ponder such a question. In fact, I bet more people spend more time expressing feelings of distaste more so than appreciation towards their job. In today's economy, most of us are lucky to even have one. Businesses have scaled back so much, that most likely your job of one title has turned into having to do the duties of four people, making it that much more difficult to keep a positive frame of mind towards your work. Not to mention the fact that most people who have been working for 30 - 40 years are working for less money than they were in the 70's (by comparison of today's value of a dollar).

Back to the challenge at hand.

I asked Dan to tell me five things he loves about his job. At first he laughed, thinking I was joking. Then when he saw my face while I waited for his answer, he began listing some things off:

1. "I love that we're manufacturers."
What we're able to do as a company is take a "raw" product and make it into a usable piece. Different jobs that exemplify a manufacturer's work would be carpet base jobs, or even custom shapes and sizes.

2. "I love that we're environmentalists."
Dan rarely lets anything go into the dumpster. When there are scrap pieces left over from a job, DWP Carpet Binding saves them to use for future pieces. This is how we were able to design and fabricate so many custom area rugs. You can check them out on our etsy page!
Etsy Store!

3. "I love our customers."
Dan has been in the flooring industry for quite some time now (over 20 years!). As a salesman it took charisma and intelligence to gain a customer's attention. However, it was through being himself and his lovable personality that gained him respect. Over the years, Dan not only was able to establish business relationships, but he was also able to establish friendships with most of his customers. Anybody can give you a song and a dance, but Dan will give them to you to his own tune!

4. "I love the hands-on work."
Dan's father was a potato farmer. Dan jokes around that his father's options were to "work in the field" or "get the belt and then go work on the field". It was the farmer's ethics of work that influences Dan to this very day. Sure, it may be tough on the body on occasion, but it sure beats sitting at a desk day-in and day-out.

Between you and me, Dan isn't capable of doing nothing. He's constantly got to occupy himself with some sort of work.

5. "I love the excitement of potential business; there's no predictability to our day."
This is very true. There isn't one day that goes by that is the same as the previous day. Every day we meet new faces, face new challenges and have different tasks. One day it could be 3,000 linear feet of carpet base, the next day it could be serging three area rugs. Every carpet requires different attention, which is exactly why no day is the same. Again, it is far different from sitting in front of a computer day-in and day-out.

Now, it wouldn't be fair for me to challenge Dan with the question "What do you love about your job?" without having to also answer it! So here are five reasons that I love my job:

1. My boss is an honest, hard-working and caring man.
I'm not working for some multimillionaire that only cares about reaching his next million. I'm working for a man who isn't afraid to get on his hands and knees to cut a carpet, or thinks he is above taking out the garbage. He has taught me a great deal when it comes to work ethic, simply by observing his daily actions.

2. I get to do whatever I want.
It may sound immature, but I assure you that I am always completing one task or another. When your job tasks include inventory, e-mails, web-site building, writing blogs, price quotes as well as the binding labor it is very easy to lose track of what you're doing. Yet, to keep my attention at focus, I mix my day up. A little bit of binding here, doing e-mail marketing there, writing a blog every so often. Dan trusts that I am a diligent worker and allows me free reign of my work day; as long as I get all tasks completed by the end of the day.

3. I love that I learned a useful trade.
It's not everyday that a young person gets offered to train for and learn a trade. In fact, many people my age or younger have been told they'll spend the majority of their life in front of computer. I am happy to say that is not the case where I am concerned. My day is spent with sewing machines! By learning the carpet binding trade, I've also become familiar with sewing machines, that I can fix and run just about any model. I even asked for my own sewing machine a couple of Christmases ago and have created special items or repaired favorite articles of clothing. When my hands become too tired/weak to work with carpets, I can move on to cloth!

4. I love that I've learned to make custom carpets.
One of DWP Carpet Binding's customers is a man named Bill Craig. He makes custom carpets... really really beautiful custom carpets. I've had the special honor and privilege of learning new tricks every time he comes in to see us. After about six years (plus or minus a few months) I am now contracted to do custom pieces; or have the honor of gifting custom pieces for special events, such as weddings and birthdays!


First custom piece ever made: free-hand heart. Clearly, I needed more practice!

Samples I made to show the differences between serging, polyester binding and cotton binding.

Latest custom piece: for Mackenzie's bedroom. My abilities have certainly developed!

5. I love that my hard work and dedication is going towards my parents' retirement.
I stated before how my boss is pretty awesome. Yet, my job is more valuable because this business will be the allowance to my parents' retirement. Granted, Dan's hard work in customer service is what grew the business to make it as successful as it is today; it'll be my hard work and diligence that continues to keep this business running! There will come a day that I will call the shots and get to tell Dan, "Don't worry about coming into the office today, everything is taken care of". Which will be the day that I will certainly admit being proud of what DWP Carpet Binding has allotted for. Working for family is far more valuable to me than climbing the ladder in a corporation or "Big Business".

So on this Valentine's Day, I challenge you to think outside of the commercialized box. Instead of showering your loved ones with chocolates, flowers and "I love you's"; why not give yourself a gift and remember a few reasons why you LOVE your job?!

Happy Valentine's Day!
-The Team of DWP Carpet Binding

Just Want to Say Thanks!

2012-02-03T13:03:00.000-08:00

This week DWP Carpet Binding kept busy with projects involving carpet base, serging, many binding pieces and a couple of fringe pieces!

We had the pleasure of meeting a few new faces as well!

With that being said, DWP Carpet Binding would like to thank the following people:

Thank you to Alan for repairing fringe on two woven pieces!

Thank you to Jeff who came in with a remnant to be cut and bound!

Congrats & Good Luck on your first bundle of joy ....

(He joked that he hopes it's AFTER the big game!)

Thank you to Lisa & Amy who came in together looking at DWP's stock pieces!

Thank you to Ruth, who had pre-cut pieces bound for her bathroom!

Thank you, to the woman who came in with leopard printed remnants for binding!

(She might come back to have some pieces re-fringed!)

Here's a short tale for all the readers:

I constantly/consistently forget to introduce myself to new comers. I really just focus on getting the job done, that my attention always goes to the task at hand. I always end up saying, "Oh, by the way, my name is Kelly" as the person/people are walking out of the door! Typically I find that amusing, because it's common sense to introduce yourself first, not after. There have been times that I forget all together, which also means that I never catch the customer's first name.

This case and point, is what happened with the nice woman who came in with the leopard printed remnants. She said she may return with pieces that need to have repairs done to the fringe, in which case, I hope I remember to properly introduce myself & catch her name for a proper DWP blog thank you!

On that note, I wish every body a happy weekend! Be safe if you will be indulging on Superbowl Sunday!

Risky to Say, but Don't Overthink It.

2012-01-27T12:14:00.000-08:00

There have been some cases in which one of our customers send their customer to us for more information. Recently, a customer's customer came in. Dan spent a lot of time with the couple helping choose a binding color and explaining our procedure of work. We didn't receive their carpet in at the time, so without knowing the severity of the problem, he couldn't exactly comment on what work would need to be done.

After receiving the carpet, Dan thought it best that the entire carpet be rebound. The details behind the carpet is that it was an existing area rug the couple wanted re-sized, then bound on the one side that was cut. Upon receiving the carpet, the existing binding had a few "problem" areas. The "problems" were, that in two areas the existing binding had large skips in the stitching, which honestly, is probably normal wear-n-tear. In a couple of other areas, the binding was pulled from the carpet. More so, the carpet had ripped & the binding was still attached to the backing. This happens often. In some cases, the carpet was mishandled and the backing was not strong enough to hold up. In other cases large items (such as furniture) are moved across the carpet and upon doing so, it rips the carpet where the binding was stitched. There are other examples, yet, those are more so for high traffic areas in commercial settings, such as a shopping mall or store entrance.

To properly complete the job, Dan felt it was best to cut back the existing binding, squaring the piece to the largest size possible and binding four sides. Based upon the binding still being attached to the carpet backing, Dan's assessment & hypothesis was that furniture was dragged across the carpet. Now, we're not detectives, so there's no laboratory that we can use to investigate whether or not our assumptions are correct about how the carpet was handled. The actual occurrence that caused the problem is a secret to the world. Especially since there are several parties involved; our customer, their employees, their customer, and ourselves.

The couple had called to ask if it was true that the carpet needed to be rebound on all sides. They also asked what happened to have caused the "problem" areas. However, when Dan gave them his assessment they were not satisfied with what they heard. The gentleman even said aloud "Oh, I don't believe that."
Which is certainly his prerogative.

My overall point in sharing all of this is simply, do not overthink things. If you are trying to salvage a used area rug, trust that the people who are working on it are doing what's best for the longevity of the carpet. In all honesty, DWP Carpet Binding could have done the one side of the carpet and left the rest of it alone as it was, but we knew that it wouldn't make for the best result in the long-run. The couple would have needed repairs for those exact "problem" areas in the near future.

Dan's actions is what I'd like to call "preventative service". What Dan did, was preserve the longevity of the natural wear-n-tear that is bound to occur. He looked at the carpet, assessed where the carpet had "weak" spots , then made a decision he thought was best for the piece. By all means, one carpet will never produce enough of an income for him to retire on. So, if one were to think "he probably did that to get more money" they would be wrong. DWP Carpet Binding doesn't do anything that isn't necessary, when completing a job.

In previous blogs I've encouraged people to ask a lot of questions to be sure they are getting their needs met by someone who is knowledgeable in the trade. I would still encourage such a thing. Yet, unless you are well aware of the topic being discussed, I don't think it's wise to counteract a person's willingness to help answer your questions by doubting that what they're saying to you is true.
(Especially one who has been in the trade for over 15 years!)

We currently have a job in house now. The only task we were asked to perform was binding a carpet on four sides. That would be all well and good if the carpet didn't have a major "problem". The piece had previously been seamed, I assume when it was first bought. The seam is dry-rotted and coming apart. I made the suggestion to our customer that they have it seamed again, to preserve the longevity of the carpet. Considering it was a used piece that was re-sized, the owner of the carpet is obviously looking to maintain the quality and life span of its (the carpet's) use. The customer was willing to pay the extra money to have the piece seamed as necessary. I assured my customer it was the best way to go, to which they agreed.
I can guarantee that the piece will be useful for three to four times the amount of time after we get done with it...It is our job to do so!

One quality about DWP Carpet Binding, that we proudly admit to, is that we learn something new everyday in this trade. Ok, maybe not everyday, but at least once a week or every couple of weeks. We have seen hundreds of types of carpet. We've seen old, we've seen new, we've seen black and we've seen blue. (Sounds like a Cat in the Hat riddle, doesn't it?) We have seen so many different types of carpet that required all sorts of fabrication work, which we have excelled in performing, with very minimal complaints over a seven year time frame.We are not perfect, but we take lessons out of our mistakes.

A key to our work ethic is this phrase:
If it isn't good enough to go into our home, it isn't good enough to go into yours.
Everybody (or most people) want the best for themselves... so why wouldn't we provide that for our customers and their customers?

In other news:
This week has certainly been a busy one! This time of year is often so slow, yet thanks to the sales staff our customers have, we have been able to stay busy every day of this week! I'm not quite sure what their secret is this time around, but DWP Carpet Binding is certainly thankful for it.

Speaking of thanks, DWP Carpet Binding also had the pleasure to have a few walk-in customers this week!

Thank you to Steve, who had small mats bound

(Also,thank you for the letter thanking us because you loved the way your pieces came out!)

Thank you to Mariah, who came in with carpet remnants!

She had a 6 ft. by 7 ft. area rug cut & bound and a 2 ft. by 7 ft. runner bound.

Congrats & Good Luck when your first bundle of joy arrives in May!

Thank you to Barb, who came in to check out our stock pieces!

Thank you to Greg, who had runners made up for a set of stairs!

As always:

Thank you to our regular customers & your staff!

You've jumped our "slow season" and this January is off to a GREAT start!

Have a great weekend, everybody!

Finishing The Week Off Strong!

2012-01-20T13:00:00.000-08:00

We had the pleasure of having a woman come in, who was recommended by a gentleman who previously did business with Dan but has since retired. What a pleasure it was to have her and her friend in house. They both were fascinated by what our binding machines do because they both have a hobby of sewing themselves!

Dan jokingly made an offer for employment. Although, if they accepted, I'm not sure that he would take the offer back. [wink, wink]

One woman needed a rug squared & bound. She also was looking for an area rug for her living room as she had just purchased a new set of furniture. After her 40-minute visit here, she walked out with her bound remnant for her daughter & picked out a 9 ft. by 12 ft. that we needed to size to difference specifications for her.

What luck she had. She was wondering how she would get the 9 ft. by 12 ft. (now an 8.5 ft. by 11.5 ft.) home. We happened to have had an installer (a regular customer of ours) in house fabricating a piece that required seaming. He heard that she needed a delivery and kindly offered to do it for her!

At DWP Carpet Binding, not only are we a source for your binding needs, but other needs as well. We can't personally make residential pick-ups or deliveries, however we know many people who would be willing to do so!

A big thank you to Sandy of Simsbury for bringing in your remnant for binding & purchasing a DWP stock piece!!

I will also add:

DWP is wishing you a warm and healthy "29th" birthday too!

[We all stop aging after 29, right?!]

Have a great weekend everybody!

Compliments Always Welcome!

2012-01-13T12:18:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I received a complimentary e-mail from Trish. She is the woman who sent us a carpet from Maryland to be cut & serged. It is as follows:
"Kelly,
Just wanted you to know how delighted I am with how my bathroom rug turned out. Your suggestion of using the various colors that matched the adjacent striping turned out even better than I had imagined. It's absolutely perfect. I'm giving your info to the 3 places I went to get it done before I found you. Now they'll have another, more skilled, resource to help their customers who want more challenging rugs cut down and bound.
Thank you thank you thank you..."

It was quite a nice wake-up call. When I usually check our e-mail the inbox is over run with promotional ads and sales from suppliers. However, this e-mail was worth reading, which is probably obvious.

Dan has a key statement:
"You can be part of the problem, or part of the solution. I prefer to be a part of the solution."

Having a satisfied customer out of state is one example of how DWP Carpet Binding is a part of the solution. Although we are asked to do certain tasks that can't always be accomplished, more often than not, we will find a way to make it happen!

This past week, the first full week after all of the Holiday buzz, we have had a busy week. It was slow to start with, there wasn't a lot of work at hand. Then it quickly picked up. We had the pleasure of a few new walk-in clients and some returning ones as well!

DWP Carpet Binding would like to thank:

Gary, who had small mats made up from carpet remnants.

Paris, for having her beautiful runner reserged!

Joanne, for coming in with a remnant.

She had it cut & bound using our "service while you wait".

She was in & out within 10 minutes. She was also so thrilled to have been able to get it done so quickly (and surprised not only with our willingness to get it done, but that we could do it).

Also, thank you to Trish for writing us about how happy you are with your carpets!

It's great to hear the feedback.

Last, but certainly not least:

Another big thanks to our regular/returning retail & commercial customers!

Without you, we wouldn't be here!

As we clean the office, sweep the warehouse & gear up to close for the weekend, we can begin to feel the amount of work we pumped out this week. It's setting into our bodies, with various aches and pains. Our energy levels are depleting and the thought of going home to take a nap is the only thing in mind (...well, my mind at least, I won't speak for Dan. Although I'm sure he too is eager to get home to watch his favorite show, Judge Judy!).

On Monday, we'll start a new work week, revived, rejuvenated and ready for action!

Yes, we WILL be open on Monday, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

8 am - 4 pm.

Have a great weekend, everybody!

Unheard of: "Where's Waldo?" 2012!

2012-01-06T12:28:00.000-08:00

With this incredible weather, something that's never been done before will happen....

Dan a.k.a. "Waldo" will be a vendor at a flea market in January!

DWP Carpet Binding is starting 2012 with a bang.

Come find a great bargain for top quality goods:

This weekend you can catch "Waldo" at the Wallingford flea market!

Redwood Country Flea Market: Directions

Stop on in & look for DWP Carpet Binding's Trailer loaded from bottom to top with area rugs, hallway runners & small mats!

Have a great weekend!

Happy New Year!

2011-12-30T06:15:00.000-08:00


Image courtesy of a Google search via: http://www.santanarow.com/events/item/new_years_eve_on_the_row/

3 ... 2 ... 1 ...

Happy New Year!!

Before we get ready for the big countdown, we have to get ready for the big celebration!

DWP Carpet Binding will be closed by noon today.

DWP will also be closed on

Monday January 2, 2012.

We would like to wish everyone a happy, healthy, successful New Year in 2012!

-The Team of DWP Carpet Binding

Ho Ho Holiday!

2011-12-22T06:08:00.000-08:00

With the closing of 2011 approaching, there is much to celebrate.
1. We started our eighth year of business in November; statistics show most new businesses will be out of business prior to the seventh year.
2. Despite the down turn economy, we have been able to sustain our business numbers with the hard work of our customers & the increased business of walk-in customers.
3. Soon we will be in our new pajamas having a dance party with all of our immediate family present!
(A Christmas Eve tradition the Vice President, Bobbie has maintained since my youth!)
4. Time off!!

With that being said, here are DWP Carpet Binding's business hours for the next two weeks:

Friday, December 23rd, 8 am - Noon.

CLOSED Monday, December 26th.

Friday, December 3th, 8 am - Noon.

CLOSED Monday, January 2nd.

Dan always says, "There's no magic elves that get the binding work done." Even though I work here, I don't believe it! During the mad rush prior to Thanksgiving, we were slammed with projects. Somehow Dan and myself were able to get all the projects completed. This holiday season, we were not as busy as most years in the past, however we are still slammed with "rush" jobs. Which, again, will be completed in the time frame our customers are requesting. Sometimes you spend the day feeling as if you haven't accomplished enough, if anything at all. Then you look at your billing & the amount of packaged goods waiting for pick-up and realize "we did all that!". It's a great feeling. Magic elves? Perhaps not. Though, I can't say what happens when I leave at 4 o'clock!

I would like to share a story, it will certainly come off as self praise, however, sharing the story will showcase DWP Carpet Binding's service & quality of work.

A woman contacted me some time ago asking about having a piece cut to multiple sizes & finishing off the edges with binding or serging. She currently resides in Maryland. Upon hearing that, I asked, "There isn't a local binding shop in your area?" She replied, "They told me they couldn't bind it, because it would unravel." I followed up by telling her that the piece could be latexed prior to being cut, which would prevent the unraveling. With many e-mails back & forth, along with phone calls. We get the job. She ships it to us & immediately I think "Why couldn't her local binding shop take care of this for her?!" It was no big deal knowing what needed to be done.

Anyway, we completed the job. I had to e-mail her the final product to make sure she was happy with it. She was. This was her response:

"The rugs look great. Thanks for your wonderful service and above par communication skills.
Looking forward to having the rugs nestled in their intended spots whenever they make their way home to me. It would only be courteous to shoot you an email and let you know when they arrive home. Have a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday."

With her carpets on their way home, we are proud to have been a part of the solution for her binding needs. She took a leap of faith by sending them to us all the way from Maryland, even more so because she paid us prior to having received the rug! Although I would encourage for most people to stick with their local binding shops, DWP Carpet Binding is happy to serve anyone who has a void to be filled! Having received this project was a great joy & the customer was very easy to work with despite not having the ability to communicate face-to-face!

To Trish of Maryland,

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to help you!

DWP Carpet Binding appreciates the business & leap of faith!

--------------------------------------------------------------------

DWP Carpet Binding is wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas, a safe & happy Holiday Season and of course a Happy New Year!

We'll see you in 2012!

Gratitude:

2011-11-30T12:08:00.000-08:00

This post will have nothing to do at all with carpets or carpet binding!

A few months ago, I was at my local watering hole with an acquaintance, discussing possible fund raising ideas for a mutual friend of ours. Our mutual friend had undergone an emergency heart transplant this past August. It was totally unexpected to needing one and everything happened very fast after he went to the doctor's just because he wasn't "feeling well". Upon doing several tests his doctors immediately had him flown to Yale New Haven and in a couple of days they had a compatible donor! Which, by the way, is probably the best luck he's had in the past few years.

As this woman and I discussed what we could do to help him, one of the bar's regulars had over heard our conversation & gently handed over a dollar bill. My friend said "Are you sure, because I see what it is." It was a one-hundred dollar bill. He didn't know our friend at all, nor did he know either one of us for that matter.

Well, after a few months of making contacts and asking for volunteers, I was able to come up with a chili contest & comedy show event. When I knew that the show was a definite, I went up to the generous donor and told him, "When we have our comedy show, you will be a guest of honor!" He immediately shook his head no. I asked, "No?! We won't announce you or anything. We just want to give you free tickets and buy you a round of drinks." Again, he shook his head no. He said, "Everything should go to him. You both thanked me and gave me a big hug. That's all I need for the donation I made."

I was flabbergasted.

I said, "So, you won't accept gratitude for your gratitude?!"

He said, "You've already thanked me."

Over the past two weeks, any time I've seen him I let him know that despite "rejecting" the offer, he is still going to be a guest of honor. It has almost become an inside joke ... a never ending argument too!

The overall point of all this is that it is men like him who make fundraisers and the efforts to coordinate such events all worth it! The generosity & desire to help, just because you can, speaks volumes of a person's character. It's those little finds that really change one's perspective in life too! No matter how bad life can be or how hard it can get there are these quiet guardian angels everywhere just waiting to lend a helping hand!

The Chili Contest & Comedy Show is this weekend!

Pardon the expression, but we're calling it:

"Shits & Giggles: Jokes for Justin!"

It is being held at the Blackboard Cafe in Windsor Locks, CT on December 3rd, 2011.

The start time is 5 pm and will end around 7 pm.

$15 will get you both chili & comedy.

If you're interested in entering the chili contest, it is a $15 entry fee. You should arrive to prep your chili station at 4 30 pm.

A cash prize is being offered for first place!

The comedy show will begin at 5 45 pm.

The announcement for the chili contest winner will be after the comedy show.

We are also having a 50/50 raffle!

All proceeds after expenses are paid will go to Justin, the gentleman who underwent a heart transplant in August 2011.

If by chance you have Facebook, you can join in the event page by clicking the link below!

Chili Contest & Comedy Show!

Here's to our silent guardian angles & the gratitude they offer!

CYBER MONDAY DEALS!!!!

2011-11-28T05:50:00.000-08:00

DWP Carpet Binding is joining in on Cyber Monday deals, by dramatically reducing the pricing of our custom pieces!
One day only!

Click on the link below to find a steal-of-a-deal on unique custom carpets!

(You can't find these at your favorite chain store!)

Custom Carpets!

It's Friday ... But I'm Sure You Already Realized That.

2011-11-18T12:39:00.000-08:00

This past week we were kept busy with some pretty intense orders from our regular customers. To who, we thank profusely! I usually take the time to "thank" our walk-in customers, yet I don't take the time to "thank" our regular customers. The truth is we would not be in business without them. We sincerely appreciate every piece of carpet (or carpet base) that comes in to DWP Carpet Binding. I learned in my Principals to Entrepreneurship class that most business won't make it three years, very little will see a profit before five years and you're lucky to make it to a seventh year.

DWP Carpet Binding proudly started it's EIGHTH year in business! The end of October/ beginning of November marks our anniversary. Granted Dan has been doing business with the same people for over 15 years, however, not under his name. The loyalty his customers have shown us is what has kept us in business and for that, we are truly grateful!

THANK YOU!!

To all of our loyal customers.

With your business DWP Carpet Binding has defeated the odds of business success.

We will continue to provide the great service and quality workmanship that you and your customers deserve!

This week, we were given two pieces of carpet from a walk-in customer. One piece was a small woven rug in which the fringe was destroyed by a hungry dog. Believe it or not, hungry pets are usually the cause for a carpet that needs repairs done (so, for those of you who are wondering if you need to get rid of your pet, the answer is "no" , they are perfectly normal)! After assessment of the best way to repair the carpet and allow for longevity we got to work!

Before picture: woven area rug to be repaired.


Before picture: A hungry dog went to town on this one!

If you notice, there is a white perimeter. That is latex. Using latex on the perimeter of this carpet is going to give it a stable edge, which will allow for durability & longevity, preventing another repair any time soon!

After picture: latex perimeter and bound all four sides in blue.


After picture: just another angle of the finished product.

Although DWP Carpet Binding has done many repairs like this, this is probably one of the few times I remembered to take before and after pictures! It's an easy enough process, however using latex on the perimeter takes some time to complete. Binding it did not take as long.

The same customer also brought in a very unique piece, with a unique request. He and his wife had moved into a home that an elderly woman lived in. In the house they found this quite charming area rug that they ended up using. What they didn't realize was that is was a hand woven rug... legitimately home-made. There was a lot of discoloration on the front of the carpet, although it was all pretty even in tone they found the back of the carpet more appealing for use.

Hand-made woven carpet: front facing & backing shown.

If you notice in the picture, there are obvious color differences between the front and back of the carpet. I assume the front was once the same sage green as the back is currently. It most likely was worn out from sun exposure and use. You may also notice around the perimeter a band. That is how I knew it was hand-made. It is a canvas material that was stitched to the back of the carpet (again, hand-stitched); whoever made this carpet put in a lot of time and effort. They also were very consistent in their hand-stitching. In any manner, what the request for the carpet was: get it to where the back can become the front. Easier said then done. Although Dan and myself spent a lot of time discussing with the customer what we would do, it turned out we decided to do something entirely different than what was discussed (at the same cost of course).

In order to keep the integrity of the carpet, we decided to undo the hand-stitched band. Originally we thought using latex on the perimeter would be the way to go, similar to their smaller blue area rug. Then we decided that if we did that it would compromise the charm of the carpet, on top of making the original front side incapable of being used again.

I went to work on it. It took me about an hour, but I was able to un-stitch the canvas band. Then I folded it over to the reverse side. At that point, I bound four sides with a matching sage green binding. What DWP Carpet Binding accomplished in doing this is maintaining the integrity of the rug. In the future, should they decide to use the front (for a look of neutral tones) they will be able to do so by removing the binding, flipping the carpet and having it bound with the canvas band on the back again!

This was a unique project for us. Not too many people have asked for this type of work. Although it took longer to bind, in general, we were able to keep both sides useful while providing the customer with a carpet that will have a completely different look (now sage green in tone).

Thank you to Pete & his wife for the interesting projects!

It was quite unique & interesting for us.

(I say "his wife" because I did not formerly meet her, otherwise her name would be posted too.)

...They'll Be Back ...

2011-11-15T11:14:00.000-08:00

From the middle of last week and the beginning of this week, we have had two returning walk-in customers!

I am happy to report that one of the two came in and bought rug-hold product. She said, "I bought some from Home Depot and it doesn't work. My carpets are sliding all over the place. Your stuff works, though!"
This is music to our ears. It's always great to know without a doubt that the products we use or sell are top quality! If you need rug-hold product to prevent your carpets from sliding or moving out of place, you can trust that our rug-hold product is worth the money!

The title of this blog is "They'll Be Back" for a reason. Having returning walk-in customers come back to DWP Carpet Binding is a great compliment. One said, "I love coming in here." [He's actually in right now as I write this, just chit-chatting with Dan!]

A returning walk-in customer must come back for good reason. Perhaps, they enjoyed the expedient service or the quality of our binding materials. Perhaps, they enjoyed working with two people who are typically happy, easy to work with and charming. Perhaps, they don't have any other options (which we already know, is not the case).

Whatever their reasoning, they come back.
Dan always said, "If you give the customer a good quality product with impeccable service, they'll always be loyal." I believe our track record with returning customers and very low numbers in the complaint department, proves that Dan is correct. It means more to us to have loyal customers, instead of a higher number of customers who do not return for business.

Many thanks to our returning customers,

Paris & Kenneth!

Your loyalty shows us that we're doing something right; making our work days more meaningful!

*Paris repaired serging on a small area rug & purchased rug-hold product.

*Kenneth brought in three different types of carpet to have fabricated into various sizes and bound.

Thank You to ALL of America's Veterans!

2011-11-11T05:31:00.000-08:00

I'd like to start this blog off by saying, DWP Carpet Binding has the privilege of honoring two veterans everyday. Dan's father, Wally and his Uncle Jimmy. Both of their flags were given to him during the burial services for safe keeping. Both American Flags (which is also what we use as a logo symbol) hang proudly in our warehouse facing each other. They are Dan's "lucky charms" in business and he truly believes that both his father and uncle are not only looking over him everyday, but the business as well!

On this Veteran's Day there are so many options as to posting pictures or stories to spread the awareness of what truly happens when one is in any military service for this country. Yesterday I spent some time watching "Vietnam" on the Discovery Channel and was truly amazed by the MANY heroic acts that were captured on film, now being shared and discussed in further detail by the person who experienced it.

There are so many touching stories, not just on the Vietnam war, but in every act of service our military provides for us! Today I correlate two great stories that discuss history in war & recent events that occurred.

Flipping the middle finger was something that has been done throughout history, however, in times of war it is linked to the days when Archery was the greatest tool for weaponry. Opposing sides would purposefully aim for their enemies middle finger in order to handicap them and prevent them from being able to shoot a bow and arrow. If the target was missed or if after combat battle, a soldier's middle finger remained, he would flip up his middle finger towards his enemy as if to say "Look, I still have my middle finger!", also showing that he still has the ability to fight in war!

As time passed the gesture has turned into an act more so of obscenity than anything else.

I present to you a great story that I find chilling, heroic and hilarious all in one.
*Please note: I use the term "hilarious" because of the correlation between the history of "flipping the bird" with the following story. Not because I find any acts of violence or the seriousness of war funny. I suppose I could use the term "ironic", but still when you read the following, I'm sure you too will have a smile on your face by the time you're done reading it!

The following picture and story is something a friend posted on Facebook. DWP Carpet Binding does not own rights to the picture, nor the story that follows it. I merely copy & pasted what was posted on Facebook.

"Leading the fight is U S Marine Gunnery Sgt. Michael Burghardt, known as 'Iron Mike' or just 'Gunny'. He is on his third tour in Iraq .. He had become a legend in the bomb disposal world after winning the Bronze Star for disabling 64 IEDs and destroying 1,548 pieces of ordnance during his second tour.

Then, on September 19, he got blown up. He had arrived at a chaotic scene after a bomb had killed four US Marines. He chose not to wear the bulky bomb protection suit. 'You can't react to any sniper fire and you get tunnel-vision,' he explains. So, protected by just a helmet and standard-issue flak jacket, he began what bomb disposal officers term 'the longest walk', stepping gingerly into a 5-foot deep and 8-foot wide crater.

The earth shifted slightly and he saw a Senao base station with a wire leading from it. He cut the wire and used his 7" knife to probe the ground. 'I found
a piece of red detonating cord between my legs,'
he says. 'That's when I knew I was screwed.' Realizing he had been sucked into a trap, Sgt. Burghardt, 35, yelled at everyone to stay back.
At that moment, an insurgent, probably watching through binoculars, pressed a button on his mobile phone to detonate the secondary device below the sergeant's feet. 'A chill went up the back of my
neck and then the bomb exploded,' he recalls. 'As
I was in the air I remember thinking, 'I don't believe they got me.' I was just ticked off they were able to do it. Then I was lying on the road,
not able to feel anything from the waist down.'

His fellow Marines cut off his trousers to see how badly he was hurt. None could believe his legs were still there. 'My dad's a Vietnam vet who's paralyzed from the waist down,' says Sgt Burghardt. 'I was lying there thinking I didn't want to be in a wheelchair next to my dad and for him to see me like that. They started to cut away my pants and I felt a real sharp pain and blood trickling down. Then I wiggled my toes and I thought, 'Good, I'm in business.' As a stretcher was brought over, adrenaline and anger kicked in. 'I decided to walk
to the helicopter. I wasn't going to let my team-mates see me being carried away on a stretcher.' He stood and gave the insurgents who had blown him up a one-fingered salute. I flipped them one. It was like,'OK, I lost that round but I'll be back next week.'
Copies of a photograph depicting his defiance, taken by Jeff Bundy for the Omaha World-Herald, adorn the walls of homes across America and that of
Col. John Gronski, the brigade commander in Ramadi, who has hailed the image as an exemplar of the warrior spirit.
Sgt Burghardt's injuries - burns and wounds to his legs and buttocks - kept him off duty for nearly a month and could have earned him a ticket home. But, like his father - who was awarded a Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts for being wounded in action in Vietnam - he stayed in Ramadi to engage in the battle against insurgents who are forever coming up with more ingenious ways of killing Americans."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is why I enjoy this story so much; it's appropriate on so many different levels. Plus, who doesn't love "flipping the bird"?!

To all of our Veterans,
We thank you for your services; past, present & future.
-The Team of DWP Carpet Binding

I Can't Speak for Everyone .... Or Perhaps I Can.

2011-11-07T09:43:00.000-08:00

Well, after a weekend of a surprise snow storm followed by a week without power I was surprised to find out just how far (or short) my patience will go. As the snow storm started Saturday evening, here in CT, I was excited. My friends and I had discussed, perhaps 2 weeks previously, how it was supposed to "snow early this year", one in which predicted : "It will snow before Halloween!", to which we all cringed in high hopes that it wouldn't. Partly because we didn't want what the majority's favorite holiday was to get ruined and partly because we just weren't ready for the snow. We were experiencing phenomenal weather for the later part of the year, 60 degrees in October is wonderful. How could it possibly snow?!

Well, that friend's prediction was accurate. As the snow fell, the weekend of Halloween we watched as the huge snow flakes delicately placed themselves wherever the wind carried them. As the frosty bits of air became thicker and started accruing up we thought to ourselves, "How bad could this really get?!"

Then as the hours passed by and the snow didn't let up, we watched as the tree branches were weighed down with both their leaves and the accruing wet, heavy snow. Some of which were bending over power lines. "This can't end good", we thought aloud.

Little did we know we were facing a week's worth of life without power. No electricity, no preparation for the storm. As the storm passed we woke up to what looked like destruction of war, between Mother Nature and her minions, the trees. Neighborhoods filled with those who worked diligently to clean up the mess. First, removing the 6 - 10 inches of snow from their driveways. Second, branches that had fallen causing either major or minor destruction depending on the location. Third, a source of heat followed by ways to cook a warm meal for the evening. After all, after a day's of hard work a.k.a. manual labor, one needs to replenish with a good meal! The excitement of the storm quickly wore off within 24 hours. Although it was incredibly amazing to witness, it was soon learned of all the problems it caused. Gas lines miles long. The losses in property damage, food supply & access to the everyday perks we take for granted, such as a hot morning cup of coffee brewed at home.

At first, I believed that despite the length of time it would take for power to be restored, I was going to make the best of the situation & getting by would be a breeze. Who doesn't love camp fires on a brisk evening?! I could get by on a can of soup heated by fire for dinner. I could snuggle close with my significant other to keep warm at night. This seemed to be the life I would want to lead for the rest of my life. Simple. Every task having meaning, because it meant you were getting by without the need of luxuries that many countries don't have. It meant you were taking care of yourself (and loved ones) by any means possible.

Then it happened. A full seven days later, my patience ran out.
Not even over anything major. In fact, I lost it over something so trivial.... I couldn't find my trustee knee-high wool socks I relied on throughout the week to keep warm. As I rummaged in the dark, early morning (which is not at all my best hour), I quickly became angry that once again I was seeking what I considered "necessities" in the dark, unsuccessfully! It had been a really awful night's sleep, cold, damp and restless. I couldn't take the fact that the one article of clothing that was useful to me was "missing", lost to the shadows of a cold dark room.

It set the tone for my entire day.
I didn't care anymore. I wasn't going to spend one more hour without heat or electricity. I nearly felt homicidal, which really threw me off my game. While a few customers came in to work, because we indeed had power back, yet no phone lines, I gave them the stink-eye. "Are you serious? Someone needs a carpet bound when I've been freezing all week and now feel as though I'm catching cold because of this stupid power outage?!"

Then amidst my inner rage, I remembered, I was not the only one who faced this power outage. I was not the only person who was once amazed by an untimely storm, now disgruntled at the aftermath. In fact, I was merely 1 of 800,000 (if not more) to be experiencing such chaos. I remembered that I was at work; a job I am proud to have, proud to execute quality workmanship, also proud to be a part of a team that actually cares. Despite the lack of power and I'm sure a shortage of funding, customers were still seeking our resources and trade's ability to give them one more piece of comfort. They were still allowing us to be up and running as a business.

It was at that point that I knew I had to shake off the anger and frustration to continue my best workmanship. Otherwise, I needn't be here.

Dan too experienced a difficult week, as he was at home cleaning up the destruction two oak trees left in his front yard. By the seventh day he too had lost his patience with the cold and the "new way of living". It was that day that he set out to get a generator because there was no way he and his wife would go one more day in the madness. After a full day of searching, hooking up & finalizing the generator project, he was yet again defeated with the return of the power just 4 hours later. After a week full of frustration, chaos, unfinished goals, he had met his match. Yet, he found the will power to continue on with work and then worked TWO 12-hour days over the weekend at the flea markets.

This is the team of DWP Carpet Binding.

Despite our own personal set backs, frustrations, feelings of resentment, we know what it means to run a business and do it flawlessly. Despite not having phone lines & knowing that many would be working on cleaning up their own homes, we kept our normal business hours when we regained our power. We knew that it might mean sitting at an office for an eight hour period just to have one customer come in with a $9 project. Whether it was $9 or $9,000 (which didn't occur), we WANTED to be there for our customers, who were experiencing just as much frustration as we were. We could listen with an empathetic ear for five minutes, or offer a few minutes in a warm place. Something is better than nothing.

As we sit here, still with slow to no business activity, we feel the consequence of the snow storm that began with us in awe, ending with utter disgust. However, we are extremely thankful to be back up and running, both in our homes and here in our business.

With as much sincerity as one can give while writing a blog, we truly hope that everyone is going to get their power back sooner than later. Each and every one of us has been impacted in one way or another (or in several ways) and much like the proud Americans before us, we will persevere if we stick together ... Not just through the recovery of the storm, but in general. We'll share our horror stories of the week, or still growing frustrations for lack of power. Yet, in the near future, when all power is restored, we'll have the ability to look back and laugh at the trivial things that made us mad or success stories of determination while cleaning up the mess.

We will look back and say, "We endured this. Together."

Warm wishes of safety, comfort and the simple joys in life to you all!

-The Team of DWP Carpet Binding

Back On & Running ... Sort of...

2011-11-02T15:23:00.000-07:00

DWP Carpet Binding has power back on!
We're open however we do not have phones lines back on.

Come on in with your binding needs!

Stay safe & warm for the duration of the power outage thanks to the freak snow storm!

Buzzzz.... We've Been Busy!

2011-10-28T11:14:00.000-07:00

I have not posted in a while, but for good reason:
We've been kept so busy in the warehouse, it's hard to write a blog AND bind carpet!

We have had projects galore in this past week or two. Many were projects of our regular customers; thousands of feet of carpet base, about 25 - 45 area rugs of various shapes and sizes and a handful of walk-in customers with miscellaneous requests. It has been a great couple of weeks, you would think that this awful economy was finally turning around! [Wishful thinking, I know.]

Unfortunately, we have not been able to thank those who have come in, so I would like to take a few minutes to do so now.

Many "Thanks" to:

The Blanchards of South Windsor, who had an area rug cut & serged!

Steve, who was sent in by his wife to have an oriental carpet re-fringed for their upcoming Thanksgiving party!

Peggy, who had a gorgeous woven carpet cut down & serged on all four sides.

Sal, who brought in a couple of oriental runner remnants to have the ends serged after installation on their stairs.

Ingrid, who just dropped off her woven carpet to cut off the fringe to be replaced with serging; there are also a couple of areas that need a little attention for repair.

Edita, who also replaced fringed ends with serging.

It is such a great feeling to know that we are helping people maintain the use of carpets old and new. All of them had different needs, none of which were an obstacle for DWP Carpet Binding to handle! Thank you to all of our customers and walk-ins that have kept us busy, busy, busy these past few weeks. We have enjoyed being productive as well as a resource for ALL of your carpet binding needs.

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT OUR WEB-SITE & ETSY STORE:

http://dwpcarpetbinding.com/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/KellyGreenCarpets

Thank You:

2011-10-10T11:45:00.000-07:00

A big "Thank you" to everybody who purchased a carpet from DWP Carpet Binding,

this past weekend at Stormville Airport Flea Market!

It was our most successful weekend & are so pleased with the results.

See you next year!

-The Team of DWP

Where's "Waldo" this Weekend?!

2011-10-04T05:56:00.000-07:00

DWP Carpet Binding is excited to announce that we will be at the Stormville Airport Flea Market this weekend! It is one of the Northeast's biggest flea market and a big deal to locals! We are hoping to hit a home run and diminish what is left of our old stock and our new stock!

We are making this announcement early for one reason:
If you're in the market for a carpet, NOW IS THE TIME! There might be limited pieces left after this weekend's big event! Last Friday a returning customer, Sandy, brought her daughter Kim in to us as she was looking for new carpets for her house. Sandy told Kim "Don't go anywhere, I've got just the place to get some great carpets..." then told Kim about DWP Carpet Binding. Kim bought 8 new carpets for multiple areas in her home! She also purchased a piece of non-skid rug-hold product for one piece. DWP Carpet Binding really was a one-stop shop for her needs!

Thank you for your purchases Kim!

Thank you Sandy for the reference, we really appreciate it!

Although I have mentioned our new stock several times, I have not mentioned the "golden pieces". Often times people are looking for oriental runners, which are hard for us to come across. However, in our last purchase of stock pieces we happened to come across these wonderful mats:


Oriental Mats: 30 inch by 2 foot

We have about 30 - 40 pieces, 30 inches by 2 feet. We also have a dozen pieces that measure 30 inches by 3 feet. They're being sold for $5 and $7 a piece! That is a steal! They may be used as scattered rugs throughout your home or the runners can be used in short hallways, etc.

Get them while they're here, folks! Stormville Airport Flea Market will (hopefully) make a huge dent in our inventory.

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT OUR WEB-SITES:

http://dwpcarpetbinding.com/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/KellyGreenCarpets

Sentimental Value:

2011-09-28T08:14:00.000-07:00

Joan from Manchester came to us yesterday with very unique pieces. They were pieces that her mother-in-law had made for her quite a few years back. One piece was an actual throw rug, the other two pieces were cushion covers that matched the throw rug. She found them and thought: Why not put these to use?

The throw rug needed a little bit of work and she wanted to have it bound. The other two pieces needed a bit more work. Joan wanted us to make a secondary throw rug by seaming them together, after cutting off the additional material that would surround the cushion. Being that they were hand made, we had to first latex the perimeters of every piece prior to doing anything to them. This causes a rubberized edge which allows you to trim the material, but more importantly, it acts as a stabilizer for the edges to prevent any further fraying!

Dan went to work on it. After using latex to stabilize the edges, he scissor cut back the edges to get them as cleaned up as possible. At that point he was able to bind the throw rug. He then started working on the other two pieces. After cutting back the excess material, he used extra latex where the seam would be made. He joined them together, using sheet rock scrim tape and hot glue in replacement of seam tape.

The pattern of the pieces are sporadic and colorful, so the pattern match up was not important. After about 1.5 hours of work the job was completed!

Hand-Made Throw Rug: hooked with various yarns. Bound in black by DWP Carpet Binding.


Hand-Made Cushion covers, converted to a secondary throw rug. Bound in black by DWP Carpet Binding.

You can see the seam where the two cushion covers were joined together. Due to the differing shape and size of the custhion, it was difficult to get the piece completely square without compromising the loops, which may have caused fraying (despite the use of latex). Although it's not perfectly squared, the piece is completely useful for any space!

I think these are wonderful and unique mosaic pieces. They are over 40 years old and hand-made by a person with true talent! Joan has sentimental connection to these pieces and used DWP Carpet Binding to keep them useful to her. This was one of the more unique tasks we were asked to do. We are more than happy with the results, but even happier that we were able to maintain the use of pieces so valuable to another individual!

Thank you, Joan!

This was such a great project to be a part of!

If you have pieces that are of sentimental value to you, consider bringing them to DWP Carpet Binding to see what you can make of them today!

***Side Note: Coincedentally, I had a fortune cookie today that read: "Don't scrap everything. See what you can salvage!" After having written this blog!***

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT OUR WEB-SITES:
http://dwpcarpetbinding.com/
http://www.etsy.com/shop/KellyGreenCarpets

What You Can Do-

2011-09-23T12:07:00.000-07:00

One of our UPS delivery men had been saying for months that he needs some sort of carpeting for a steel spiral staircase in his home because of an elderly cat that continued to slip on the stairs. Today, he and his wife came in to solve their problem!

He created a cardboard template of the stairs' shape & brought it to us. He and his wife chose a carpet out of our stock pieces that fit their needs, at which point DWP Carpet Binding fabricated 12 custom stair treads.


Custom Stair Treads for a Spiral Stair Case

We used two 4 ft. by 6 ft. stock pieces to cut and fabricate the custom stair treads, as well as a couple of narrow pieces that they will use to make an 11.5 ft. scratch post for their cats! These are two examples of clever ways to use carpeting to your advantage.

Thank you Ken & Libby!

DWP Carpet Binding hopes that you and your cats enjoy the new treads and scratching post... we assume the cats will enjoy that more so than you.

In other news, we also were able to help two women out with a few small jobs.

Christine from Meriden came in with two pieces that she has had for a while. Beautiful pieces, however one of them was fringed. She had hit a point of frustration with the fringe because it was "...always getting caught in the vacuum cleaner." She had us remove the fringe & serge both ends to match the existing serging that was on the sides. The second piece was cut to a custom shape then DWP serged the cut sides, blending everything in so that it looked as if she bought the piece as is. They both came out beautiful!

Ginny came in with remnants left over from a recent installation she had done. Instead of letting her pieces go to waste, she came up with multiple sizes to use as a hallway runner & a throw mat.

Thank you Christine & Ginny!

It was a pleasure doing business with you both!

Jen & Tim from Tolland came to DWP Carpet Binding in search of a 6 ft. by 9 ft. Having just received three van fulls of carpet, we had a ton of stuff to choose from. They picked out a multi-colored Berber. Since it hadn't been fabricated yet, they decided they would go back home in case they wanted a custom size or larger than 6 ft. by 9 ft. They went home, measured, decided to go for a 8 ft. by 10 ft. , then Tim came back before we closed and picked up their finished 8 ft. by 10 ft. Berber!

Thank you Tim & Jen-

You are the first to buy a carpet from our NEW stock!

Yes, at DWP Carpet Binding we make it that simple! Fast turn around, reasonable prices and capable of many custom fabrications.

These are four examples of how DWP Carpet Binding can help you with any carpeting needs. Whether you buy carpet from our stock pieces & have us fabricate them or if you already have carpet that you would like to re-vamp , DWP Carpet Binding is happy to take on your projects.

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT OUR WEB-SITES:

http://dwpcarpetbinding.com/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/KellyGreenCarpets

New Stock!

2011-09-20T11:00:00.000-07:00

After a summer of flea markets, DWP Carpet Binding was pretty low on our stock pieces. Dan & Bobbie cranked them out at low, make that very low, prices to give us room for NEW stock!

Today, that new stock arrived. Although it has to be fabricated, we are pleased as punch to have carpet remnants on hand that are up to our standards of material! Berbers & plush carpets galore! Although most are neutral in color, we have a few blues & peaches to select from amongst other random colors here and there.

Are you in the market for a new carpet?
NOW IS THE TIME to buy from DWP Carpet Binding!

Although we do not have pieces to accommodate wall-to-wall carpet sizes (typically 12 ft. by 14 ft or bigger), there is plenty on hand if you were looking for a new stair runner, hallway runner or an area rug!

Come in with your desired sizes & we'll find something to fit your needs!

Pardon Our Appearance:

2011-09-06T10:14:00.000-07:00

Well, much like any growing business, DWP Carpet Binding is experiencing "growing pains". We have out grown our space. Thankfully so. It's a sign of success, even in a terrible economy.

So, what are we going to do about?
Dan has began the process of "renovating". Although it won't be a full-out renovation, we are working towards maximizing our space! Reorganizing, cleaning and moving a lot of our products around has been the focus of our work days. Don't be too concerned, our binding jobs are still our first priority & as always, we're taking care of business.

By the time we finish we are hoping to have a completely new look in our office. Our warehouse will have a "walk-in" section as well as a new "drop off" area for our current regular customer base. The walk-in section will be rack displays of our remnant pieces for sale. The drop off area will be sets of rollers right next to our work table. There will be one place to drop off the work & another place for the "pick up" area. All with intention to prevent any piece from ever touching the ground... even the enormous pieces! This is another example of how DWP Carpet Binding keeps the customer's needs in mind. Although it's a rare occasion that a carpet will touch our floors, this new set-up will make sure they NEVER have to!

If you work with carpets, you already know that they create a lot of fuzz balls/dust bunnies. By lifting everything off of the floors, we can clear out the fuzz balls/dust bunnies even more than our allowance is currently. Maintaining a fresh warehouse floor is of vital importance to Dan.

Although we are eager to get the new set up complete, it is a process. Please pardon our appearance as we give DWP Carpet Binding a face-lift for a more user-friendly set up!

"Where's Waldo" this Weekend?!

2011-09-02T10:49:00.000-07:00

DWP Carpet Binding will be closed on Monday, September 5th in observance of Labor Day!
However-

You can catch "Waldo" this weekend at:

REDWOOD COUNTRY FLEA MARKET!

Unbeatable prices this weekend!

Area Rugs:

9' x 12'

8' x 10'

6' x 9'

5' x 8'

4' x 6'

3' x 5'

2' x 3'

Hallway runners at various lengths & widths!

Prices lower than Ocean State Job Lot, Lowe's, Home Depot, Wal-mart & Target!

"Change the way you shag!"

"Just Married!" ... Almost

2011-08-26T12:32:00.000-07:00

About seven weeks ago a customer asked if I was willing to make a custom carpet for his wedding. Of course I was happy to do it! He told me that the wedding was beach themed and was hoping to incorporate sand, the ocean and a sun into the carpet. My first experiment was seeing if I could accomplish a "surf" look using white and blue carpet with a rippled cut at the seams*. Honestly, it was cheesy looking. Yet, I didn't give up on the image right away. Instead I moved on to the sand. I thought that I should make a design where it looked as if someone had written in the sand. This is what I was able to come up with:


"written in sand" attempt

At this point, I was at odds with how I felt about the look of it. I posted this exact picture on my facebook profile to see what the crowd would say. About 5 - 7 people commented saying it did look like it was written in sand or giving praise for the idea and look of it! So I continued, which led me to this:


you can see the rippled/wave affect I tried to accomplish at the top of the picture!

Again, I questioned the aesthetics of the piece. Luckily, the same customer was in not too much later after I had this much finished. He looked at it & I could tell he was disappointed. Together, we picked out three different colored carpets and he instructed me to forget about the beach theme all together. He merely wanted me to produce a piece with the couple's names and the date of the big day! After completion, he would use the exact decorations from the wedding to adhere to the carpet.

"Great!" I thought. "This has just become an easier & much less stressful project for me!"

I did as I was told, using the carpets he and I picked out together. It took a total of 5 - 7 hours to complete. This is what the almost finished piece looks like:

bordered, custom carpet

He was delighted when I dropped it off to him! I was relieved that he was so happy with the finished project. He and his wife-to-be were then going to adhere their wedding decorations (sea shells, star fish & sand) to the left side (which I intentionally left space for) and send me a picture with the finishing touches on it!

So, to Mark & Donna, Congratulations on your wedding this weekend!

Hopefully Hurricane Irene is kind to you & your area!

Today's funny!

(and a good reason to always read the label first!)

Dan was giving the glass-top desks a good scrubbing. After a few minutes, a pungent smell wafted through the air. I realized what happened, but double checked in case I was wrong:

"Did you use Windex or cologne?"

Just as I suspected!

As Dan looks at the spray body he reads, "Bod" (the body spray for men).

"Oh, I thought it was mini Windex bottle."

Understandable...

Now we sit in the office, suffocating on the scent of cologne for the last hour of the day...
but maybe tomorrow we'll awake with "really ripped abs"!

Have a great weekend, everybody!

Stay safe while Irene makes her way past your areas!

Let's Be Honest: You Have Options:

2011-08-17T12:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday there were two instances when it became obvious that our customers don't always stick with us.

The first being when an installer came in to pick up a small runner that was dropped off the day before. He had given us a sample of the binding that we were supposed to match up our binding with. Well, it was not our binding material, which was red flag number one. Number two was when he admitted, "I'm sorry. It was taken to [enter competitor's name here]."

The second instance was when our "competitor" actually dropped off a job to us, because they couldn't get it completed. We are assuming that after they cut the carpet, they attempted to bind it with no success.
Hey no "tears in the beer" here, we look like super heroes cause we did COMPLETE the job!

What this translates to is this: you have options & that's ok! You may not necessarily contact our direct "competitor", but you may inquire at Lowe's or Home Depot, believing they are low cost providers. Let me explain why this isn't true.

They do not use 1.25 inch polyester binding as their standard application, DWP Carpet Binding does!
They don't have the same turn-around time we do. We offer while-you-wait service or same day service. If you can't wait or can't come back in the same day, most likely it will be completed by the next day anyway! I've been told by customers in the past that Lowe's or Home Depot's turn-around was 2 -3 weeks at the bare minimum!
Our competitors do not have the same passion for the work that we do! Dan, the owner, has taken on many difficult projects. In doing so, he has taught himself & learned quite a bit about how to get each job done properly.

Part of the reason our "competitor" couldn't complete the job they brought to us yesterday is because they haven't taken the time to learn about various TYPES of carpet backing nor the problems they may cause while trying to bind or serge them. Due to this fact, they also weren't aware of how to find a solution to complete the job. Meanwhile, Dan & the Team of DWP Carpet Binding were fully aware of how to handle the carpet so that we could bind it. Although it was a difficult task, we knew what to do immediately upon receiving the carpet (sorry, I can't reveal any of our trade secrets [wink, wink].) At the end of the day, we got a job done that our "competitors" clearly were incapable of doing.

At this point, you may be wondering why I continue to use the term "competitor" with quotations ... well, if they could do what we do, with a turn-around as fast as us and with our reasonable pricing they would be a legitimate competitor. Yesterday was a clear-cut example that they're not even in the same league as us! You wouldn't compare a minor-league ball player with a major-league player, would you?
We wouldn't either.

Be smart.
Check out your options because you have many. Ask a lot of questions to make sure they know that they're knowledgeable about their work. Then make an educated decision about where to bring your projects ... carpets or anything else.
This only helps you in the long run!

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT OUR WEB-SITE & ETSY STORE:
http://dwpcarpetbinding.com/
http://www.etsy.com/shop/KellyGreenCarpets

"Where's Waldo" this Weekend?!

2011-08-12T06:51:00.000-07:00

DWP Carpet Binding will be seen at

Redwood Country Flea Market .

Catch "Waldo" to find some GREAT DEALS on area rugs, hallway runners & small mats!
This weekend, Dan wants to sell all he has & come back home with an empty trailer, so he is doing special pricing for this weekend only!

3 ft. x 5 ft. - $7

4 ft. x 6 ft. - $10

5 ft. x 8 ft. - $15

6 ft. x 9 ft. - $20

8 ft. x 10 ft. - $50

9 ft. x 12 ft. - $60

Runners- $1 per linear foot;

12 ft. runner = $12

He's seriously killing the market with these prices!

(It's less than the retail cost of binding alone, never mind the carpet AND the binding!)

Our prices CAN'T be beat by the big box stores.

With the high quality materials used & the meticulous efforts of labor put in to complete each piece, you won't find a vendor with these goods at our prices ANYWHERE!

That's a promise!

Work We've Completed!

2011-08-10T12:14:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in previous posts, there is work we do that does not involve ordering a brand new carpet and having the fabrication work done.

For instance, Mark came in with two pieces. One was cut with 45 degree corner cuts, making an 8-sided piece of goods. The piece was cut & serged to match with the form of his living room walls.

The second piece was made into two runners (out of a 5 ft. by 7 ft. 6 in. piece).

Russell came in with a 5 ft. by 12 ft. carpet, which we fabricated into two circles, just under a 5 ft. diameter.

In Mark's case, he had bought new carpet but didn't have the expenses to have it custom made. Sure he paid extra for the work that we did to those carpets, but it wasn't nearly as expensive as if he ordered a custom piece from the manufacturers.

In Russell's case, he had used carpet that was no longer a usable size for him. Cutting the piece into two area rugs made them useful again, without the cost of buying a new carpet (or two)!

A special thanks to Mark & Russell for visiting DWP Carpet Binding and for trusting us to complete your projects! DWP Carpet Binding hopes you enjoy your "new" rugs!

Today, a customer came in with a sisal/wide border binding job. His customer supplied the material, which is leather. Upon bringing this job in, he came up with a new nickname for Dan, the owner!

"HouDani"!

(Think Houdini)

Although we don't use magic tricks or illusions to get the job done, the impeccable services & the turn-around time would have you believe we have magical elves working for us ... or even that we're magicians ourselves!

"HouDani" puts it quite simply, "We're not dissecting someone's brain here. We're just taking care of the business at hand and we never miss an objective."

Magic? No.

Good Business? Absolutely!

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT OUR WEB-SITE & ETSY STORE:

http://dwpcarpetbinding.com/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/KellyGreenCarpets

Celebrate Good Times!

2011-07-27T06:48:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we celebrated the Vice President's birthday!

VP of DWP Carpet Binding that is!

With the President's & Vice President's birthdays so close together, they're on a mini birthday vacation!

Happy Birthday, Bobbie!!

Kelly is in the shop running the show until Thursday.

Birthday Wishes!

2011-07-18T06:48:00.000-07:00

The owner of DWP Carpet Binding is aging like a fine wine ... Today is his birthday!

Happy Birthday, Dan!

Did You Know?!

2011-07-15T08:42:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday Everybody!

Did you know that right next door to DWP Carpet Binding there is John Paul's custom draperies?! Two doors down from us there is Simply Magic Chemdry, cleaning & restoration!

Why is this important?

Well, if you have an area rug that needs repair, you can have it cleaned at Simply Magic then DWP Carpet Binding can repair it as needed. When you pick it up, it's like you have a brand new carpet on hand!

There's also the possibility of having custom draperies made to match an existing area rug you have to freshen up a particular room in your house. Perhaps you're looking to replace an area rug, you can pick a piece out of DWP Carpet Binding's stock then go next door to John Paul's to have custom draperies made up to match the new area rug!

How convenient!

Three stores right next to each other, offering services that go hand-in-hand with one another.

We "share" customers all the time. DWP Carpet Binding's interior designers use John Paul's services all the time. Our walk-in customers use Simply Magic Chemdry for cleaning all the time!

It's just one more benefit to our location and services rendered!

Special Thanks to Marva -
for coming in today to have her oriental runner repaired with new fringe!
DWP Carpet Binding hopes you enjoy your "new" rug!

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT OUR WEB-SITES:

http://dwpcarpetbinding.com/

http://kellygreencarpets.blogspot.com/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/KellyGreenCarpets?ref=si_shop

For Sale!

2011-07-12T07:39:00.000-07:00

Please check out a few of the pieces we have put up for sale!

This is just the beginning, there will be plenty more put up in time!

DWP Carpet Binding's Carpets for Sale!

"Yea! Go America!" - Dan Kacir

2011-07-01T10:05:00.000-07:00

In observance of Independence Day,

DWP Carpet Binding will be closed

Monday, July 4th, 2011.


(Image courtesy of : http://woodellcomputers.com/per4a/mmbwebfiles/fireworks.html; DWP does not own any right to this image & is borrowing it from a google search.)

We will resume our normal business hours on Tuesday, July 5th, 2011.

Have a great holiday weekend!

From The Team of DWP Carpet Binding!

Slashing Prices!

2011-06-28T10:18:00.000-07:00

If you are viewing this, I would implore you to check out our etsy store. We have just recently added new listings & took 25% off the original pricing structure!

If you're looking for a unique area rug or hallway runner, check this out:

Unique Custom Carpets For Sale!

DWP Carpet Binding also has stock pieces of all colors & sizes!

Area rugs, hallway runners & small mats.

Special Thanks to Cindy for purchasing a 3 ft. by 8 ft. sisal carpet with sisal/wide border binding from DWP's Stock!

If you have remnants leftover from a previous installation, you may have them fabricated to your desired shape & size.

Don't forget to top it all off with a piece of rug-hold, to prevent your pieces from moving around on hard surfaces, such as hardwood, tiles or linoleum flooring!

Rug-Hold may be purchased for $ 0.75 per square foot.

(The rug-hold does not hold carpet to carpet.)

Check out our web-site for more information on carpet binding:

I Want More Information!

Not Just a Remnant Sale!

2011-06-14T11:37:00.000-07:00

DWP Carpet Binding recently had a walk-in customer. Out of her remnant pieces she had left over from previous installs, she was looking to have one piece serged & two other pieces bound. She was hoping to get pieces in the sizes of : 1' x 3', two pieces at 2' x 3' & one piece at 3' x 5'. Unfortunately, her scrap pieces could not accommodate all of those sizes. She looked around at our stock pieces. The first piece she showed interest in was a 2' 6" x 4' piece. It was $10. The second piece that caught her attention was a custom piece from DWP's custom stock pieces. It was just under 3' x 6', a bordered carpet that was finished off with serging. The price was $150.

She had decided that she would take both pieces to see which, if either, would work in her living room and would return the second piece (or both if neither worked out) the following day when she picked up the rest of her order. To our pleasant surprise, she went with the custom piece! She said , "That piece looks like it was made for my room!" She did comment on how it wasn't $10, but it matched so perfectly, she didn't want to pass it up.

This is great news to hear!
When we fabricate our custom pieces, we never know if anybody would take interest in any of them. Sure, over the past few years we have received an endless amount of compliments on them, but without a buyer how valuable are they? This recent incident is proof that our custom pieces are meant for someone, somewhere. Maybe even you! The next time you're in the market seeking a unique carpet, consider stopping by DWP Carpet Binding to check out their stock pieces & custom bordered pieces!

Thank you to Beth, not only for your business in having your scrap pieces serged & bound, but also for such a wonderful compliment in loving your new custom carpet!

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT OUR WEB-SITE:
http://dwpcarpetbinding.com/

Closed on Memorial Day:

2011-05-26T08:07:00.000-07:00

We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies

- Moina Michael

(http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html#1)

DWP Carpet Binding would like to thank all service members, past, present & future for your hard work & sacrifices.

In observation of Memorial Day, DWP Carpet Binding will be closed on Monday May 30th, 2011.

Happy Birthday Wishes!

2011-05-16T09:54:00.000-07:00

DWP Carpet Binding would like to wish the best looking woman in the office (ok, the only woman in the office) a very Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Kelly!

Where's Waldo this Weekend?!

2011-05-13T12:59:00.000-07:00

This weekend you can catch "Waldo" at the Redwood Country Flea Market in Wallingford!

You can get directions here:

Directions to Redwood!

Give it a visit and maybe even pick out a new carpet for a fresh Spring or Summer look!

Three Birds Don't Make a Right:

2011-05-03T12:33:00.000-07:00

There is an installer for one of our customers who always shares comical stories about his day with us. Most recently he shared a story about being out on the road.

There was an accident, so a highway portion of three lanes were being merged down to two lanes. When he had space to merge, he did so. However, the driver behind him got a spell of road rage. The driver at that point made efforts to pass him and as they did so, the driver flipped him the bird. Shortly after, they pass each other again and the passenger then flips him the bird. Mind you, our friend is 78 years young (he has the strength & energy of a man half his age!) Being that both vehicles had open windows our installer friend says to the passenger, "Is that the amount of friends you & the driver have?!" at which point the driver then flipped him off again! The driver of the other vehicle having taken his eyes off the road for that brief moment then rear-ended the car in front of him.

"That's going to cost you!", our installer friend says as he gets the last laugh in!

Karma certainly had its effect on the road raged driver.

We all got a good laugh at DWP Carpet Binding hearing this story. Such a silly car accident to have occurred over something our installer friend had no control over, yet dealt with the wrath of another driver, who obviously experienced unnecessary road rage.

Hopefully our blog readers enjoy this story as much as we have.
I guess the moral of the story is, Keep your eyes on the road!

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT OUR WEB-SITE & ETSY STORE:
http://dwpcarpetbinding.com/
http://www.etsy.com/people/kellygreencarpets

Beautiful Days & Bubble Gum!

2011-04-26T12:52:00.000-07:00

With beautiful weather warming up our days & blue skies lightening our hearts I feel compelled to share something with the readers that has nothing to do with carpet binding!

Bubble Gum.

One of Dan's buddies jokingly bought him a case that contains about 850 gum balls. When I first saw this box I thought; "Oh boy, that's going to take up unnecessary space for a looooong time." Little did I know how wrong I would be!

Every time somebody walks into our shop Dan asks "Hey, do you like gum balls?"
"Gum balls?"
"Yeah, I buy them buy the case. I eat about 50 a day!"

I observe as men in their 40's and 50's make their way over to the case of gum balls, seemingly unimpressed at first. They might pop one or two balls in at a time depending on how adventurous they're feeling. Then as I listen to what sounds like horses or cows grazing on sloppy wet grass, I see the same unimpressed faces light up with delight. The same 40 or 50 year old man is transformed into a young lad and a smile emerges! It's almost as if you can see them reminiscing about a summer day running with a friend down an immensely green, grassy hill or riding a bike around their childhood neighborhood. Then...

::POP!::
(a bubble popping, exploding onto the face of the person responsible for it.)

For just an instant, they don't know what it means to stress out over unpaid bills, or whether or not they've forgot to pick up Billy or Susie from school on time.

Aside from our excellent service & hard working nature, here at DWP Carpet Binding we offer a short escape from the real world. Even if it's with such small gestures as offering a gum ball...
Sweet, magic gum balls!

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT OUR WEB-SITES:
http://dwpcarpetbinding.com/
http://www.etsy.com/people/kellygreencarpets

Early Dismissal!

2011-04-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

DWP Carpet Binding will be closing early

Friday, April 22, 2011.

You have until noon to get all your orders in

(or to pick any orders up)!

We will resume our regular business hours on Monday!

Enjoy the long weekend!

Reiteration of Quality-

2011-04-18T08:14:00.000-07:00

Due to the prediction of inclement weather, no flea markets were attended this past weekend.

On to today's topic:

It's easy for a person or a business to say they're the best or have the best quality product. Most of us are familiar with the saying "it's easier said than done". In previous posts our quality service & stand-out turn around was discussed. This is part of what DWP Carpet Binding prides itself on. However, it does not necessarily exemplify how our products and work are top quality. With that being said, it's time to discuss what makes us stand out from other binding services. Although a lot of this information will be repeat information from our web-site, which I invite you to check out, it's pertinent information when talking about the quality of work!

First and foremost, our standard polyester binding application is 1.25 inches wide. This is a bigger gauge than that of the standard 7/8 inch, which most others use as a standard.
Why is it better?
What is the difference?
It's better because the gauge is bigger, allowing for the binding to get a better grab on the carpet. This is especially effective on those super thick carpets! Another benefit to using a wider gauge binding is that the wider binding is folded three times as opposed to just in half. This is beneficial because the material that is showing on the front facing of the carpet has a crisp finish because the exterior edge was folded under while being stitched into place. When the binding material is folded in half, the exterior edge can get ratty looking. It also tends to have an effect of sticking upwards because there is nothing to hold the excess material down. When it is folded on the top facing it gives a smooth edging. It also adds a layer of binding that the thinner gauge material does not, meaning your binding will have a longer time frame before needing a replacement!

Another way DWP Carpet Binding differentiates ourselves is by using a blind-stitch application for all wide border/ sisal binding work. There was a lot of experimentation during our first couple of years of operation, in order to come up with what we feel is the best look for this work. Sisal binding/ wide border binding was a new adventure upon opening. Initially we offered a stitched look or a blind stitched look. After difficulties with proper fastening techniques and finding the desired sleek look, Dan decided we would only offer the blind-stitched look. This came about because when we used a folder for the material it was not always a 100% guarantee that the material fastened without wrinkling occurring in the material. There were variables that caused this outcome; the binding material wasn't starched as heavily as it could have been, making it more pliable. The fibers of the carpet were long and loose, causing rippling in the material. After having completed jobs that were not up to our personal standards, we figured it would be best to continue with the technique that has the best results all the time.

What this has translated to is more labor to complete the job, but the end result always hits a home run with both DWP Carpet Binding & the customer who ordered the carpet. However, because of the cost of the material and the amount of labor that goes into each piece, it is not an inexpensive proposition to have a piece done with sisal binding/wide border binding. Many people think that this application is as easy as the standard binding application, but nothing could be further from the truth. The process is a 7-step process for each side that is bound with sisal binding/wide border binding.

It's already been discussed that we do quality control by double-checking and sometimes triple-checking our work. Since we work at waste level, it's easy to take a few extra seconds to make sure the binding is securely fastened & there are no skips in the stitching.

Those are just a couple of ways that DWP Carpet Binding tries to distinguish themselves from other binding services. There is another way that we also distinguish ourselves. We offer job-site work! Mind you, it is not inexpensive. In order to accommodate the time spent out of the shop, there is a trip charge for traveling at a minimum of $75.00. That is not inclusive of the binding work being done. Although we never like to steer away business, if a person can bring their piece into our shop, it's much more cost effective to them to do so. If they are willing to pay the travel charge and additional charges for binding, then our on-site services is a great way to get the job completed! Most recently, we did job-site work at Rentschler Field!

"Go Huskies!"

Being a two-man team, DWP Carpet Binding can not accommodate everybody who might need job-site work. It has to be scheduled and in most cases we have a two week "heads-up" on when the project will start. I would be dishonest if I said we can make residential job-site calls. Again, it's not cost effective to the consumer or DWP to go out to every house or home that needs a carpet bound or serged.

Where's Waldo this Weekend?!

2011-04-08T11:33:00.000-07:00

This weekend you can find "Waldo" at the Redwood Country Flea Market

in Wallingford, CT.

170 South Turnpike Road, Wallingford Center, CT 06492-4320


Image is courtesy of a google search; DWP Carpet Binding does not own any rights & is using it for mere comical purposes.

Check out Dan's "bargain table" for low (and I mean LOW) prices on small pieces!

Have a great weekend!

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT OUR BLOG & ETSY STORE:

http://dwpcarpetbinding.com/

http://www.etsy.com/people/kellygreencarpets

2011-03-29T08:19:00.000-07:00

"Psssst... There's a HUGE carpet sale at
DWP Carpet Binding...


... fly in before your friends do!"

Prefabricated pieces with binding, serging or

sisal/wide border binding

Hundreds of hallway runners or stairway runners of various sizes

Area Rugs from 4 ft. by 6 ft. up to 9 ft. by 12 ft.
Small mats 2 ft. by 3 ft.
3 ft. by 5 ft. ovals
4 ft. & 5 ft. circles

Think Green!

All of our stock pieces were salvaged from remnants that would have otherwise gone into a landfill!

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT OUR WEB-SITE & ETSY STORE:

http://dwpcarpetbinding.com/

http://www.etsy.com/people/kellygreencarpets

Lower Prices Could Just Mean Cheaper Quality-

2011-03-28T11:33:00.000-07:00

"Waldo" made an impromptu visit to the Mansfield Theatre & Marketplace this past Sunday! Did anybody find him?

In this current economy it is obvious that everybody wants to get the best price for the goods that they purchase. Let's keep in mind that "best price" is not always the same as the "lowest price". This of course leads me to the topic of quality versus quantity. It would be pointless to buy the cheapest light-bulb available if you knew that it wouldn't work when you screwed it into your lamp at home, right? The same would hold true for flooring products & tools.

If you were to be shopping around for a carpet you would know that all kinds of department stores carry & sell various types of carpet. Lowe's, Home Depot, Target, Wal-mart, Sears, Pier 1, Ikea, Big Lots & Ocean State Job Lot all have carpets for sale. The price range varies greatly from carpet to carpet & place to place. The major focus should be on the quality of the carpet; furthermore, not just the carpet but the binding application as well! If you find a gorgeous woven rug from Ikea but the serging yarn is defective or not properly fastened, what function does that provide for you? Replacing the existing serging could cost a pretty penny depending on your location, so why buy something that doesn't live up to the quality standard? It is little things like that that should change the perspective of the deal you may or may not be getting. Buying a carpet that looks like it's worth $1,000 for the price of $100 might seem like a good deal, but if the carpet fell apart within two weeks, would you replace it with the same carpet? Most likely not.

Looking for a good deal in pricing doesn't mean you should sacrifice where the quality of the product is concerned. For instance, certain nail guns if purchased from a local wholesaler will garner a better warranty for the product , whereas the "same" nail gun purchased from Home Depot will be cheaper in price with a warranty that is less than that of the wholesaler's. This is because they use lesser quality products to make that nail gun cheaper in order for Home Depot to sell it at such low costs. We're talking about a warranty (wholesaler's) that is literally 10 times greater than that of Home Depot's. This is a fact.

So, why as consumers should we fall prey to these scams of the big box stores? If one is advertising they have "the lowest prices" then the quality of their goods should be as good, if not better!

When shopping around for "steals and deals" it's relevant to keep the quality of the product in mind. Paying the lowest price does not translate to getting the best deal nor product.

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT OUR WEB-SITE AND ETSY STORE:
http://dwpcarpetbinding.com/
http://www.etsy.com/people/kellygreencarpets

Pricing Job Quotes Correctly:

2011-03-24T08:05:00.000-07:00

DWP Carpet Binding has recently made some "renovations" to its web-site, that we are very pleased with! However, there was some information that was omitted from the new site, which I would like to use as a blog topic today!

Many potential customers call or e-mail us asking for pricing structure on one of the many binding services we offer. Unfortunately, it's not as easy as having a price for each service. Each carpet is different, requiring different services. There is a difference between your options & variables to contend with depending on the type of carpet you have.

Your options involve anything you get to CHOOSE. You choose your application, you can choose the color of the application, you choose the shape & size of your carpet.

Variables involve the factors that will increase the pricing structure for the services required to finish the job. Variables include:

patterned carpets
thick carpets
existing binding/serging on the carpet
custom jobs for a boat , RV or airplane

If you have a patterned carpet and will have DWP Carpet Binding cut & bind it for you. The charge to cut the patterned carpets is higher than the regular cost of cutting carpet. This is because there is extra time required to cut patterned goods in order to get the pattern balanced to length & width. Of course, you have the OPTION to cut the carpet to size without concern to the pattern. That means we will cut the carpet to the size of choice, regardless of how the pattern lays out because of those cuts.

Thick carpets require power beveling. Power beveling is when the carpet fibers are cut on a 45 degree angle to allow for the binding machines to get a better hold on the back of the carpet; it is important to bevel thick pieces for this reason. If thick pieces weren't beveled, the binding application would not hold up as well as if they were beveled. Carpets with long fibers are also classified as pieces that should be beveled. Even if they are not super thick, the long fibers will need to be trimmed so that the binding application get securely fastened in place. Beveling is an extra cost when using a place for binding services.

If you have a piece that already has existing binding or serging (or any application), you have to choose whether you would like to match the application as close as possible OR if you would like to have the entire perimeter of the carpet redone. Usually when customers bring in a carpet that only needs one side done, you deal with minimum charges. However, if you decide you wanted to keep everything symmetrical and similar in nature, then pricing would be per linear foot. If you decide to have the entire piece redone with the binding application of your choice, there would be an increase in cost to remove the existing application on top of the other services requested.

Custom jobs that are related to boats, RV's or airplanes will be priced on an hourly shop rate, as well as linear footage involved. These custom pieces usually require quite a bit of time to complete. Any piece that has straight edges will be priced per linear foot, whereas the pieces that are custom shape with multiple cut-outs or interior radii will be priced per hour as they usually require hand-binding. Cutting the custom pieces to size will also be priced by an hourly figure because it usually involves trace-cutting, which takes more time.

For those of you who may be wondering about carpet base/cove base, the pricing structure changes based upon the amount of linear feet involved with the job and whether or not we will be cutting the carpet as well. The only time the cutting cost changes is if the base is patterned carpet or if the carpet is the vinyl backed peel-n-stick kind. Patterned & peel-n-stick carpets involve more labor to cut, therefore the cost to cut the carpet would increase.

Sometimes I wonder if when people call or e-mail DWP Carpet Binding about price quotes if they think I'm playing "100 Questions" with them. They call looking for an answer to what may seem like a simple question, then end up having to answer 3 - 5 questions (okay, so that's not quite 100...) for us to give them an accurate quote! Even then, the quote may not always be 100% accurate. The best way to get the most accurate price quote from any binding service is to bring the carpet into the shop so that they can see what is involved with the job. If it's not possible or unlikely to bring the piece into the shop for an accurate quote, try to describe the carpet as best you can & ask for the highest price. It's always the worst to be quoted one price then have the actual price be quite a bit more than what you were expecting. Getting the highest possible price allows for you to be prepared.

Please keep these factors in mind when asking for price quotes for any binding service. The type of carpet you have and what you would like to have done with it changes the pricing per job. Other factors involve the amount of labor and time involved in completing a job.

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT OUR WEB-SITE & ETSY STORE:
http://dwpcarpetbinding.com
http://www.etsy.com/people/kellygreencarpets

Where's "Waldo" ?!

2011-03-18T12:51:00.000-07:00

Has everyone recuperated from the St. Patrick's Day celebration?
Yesterday at work DWP Carpet Binding's favorite radio station played an eclectic play list of many songs revolved around the Irish spirit. Dan and I had a blast dancing around and making light of the busy work day! Perhaps the warm weather and obvious signs that Spring is on the way aided in our enjoyment of the Irish spirit & dancing to the music. Even today's weather is a huge relief from the Winter's cold, which leads me to today's topic!

Dan's childhood friends gave him the nickname "Waldo" back in the day. To date he is still referred to as "Waldo" every once in a while. This is relevant to today's blog because, if you remember the "Where's Waldo" books, you know that you had to find Waldo amongst a crowd of uniquely illustrated images with many different people, places, and things in the background. Well, using Dan's nickname, I'm going to ask you "Where's Waldo" this Spring & Summer?

If you have been following our blog you know that we have a huge selection of stock pieces on hand. Area rugs, hallway runners, small mats, etc. What you may not know is that Dan has taken trailer loads to flea markets! Although there was a learning curve as to which venues seemed most appropriate to sell these pieces, Dan has found a few spots that really seem beneficial to the sales of our stock pieces.

He'll travel all over Connecticut and parts of Western Massachusetts hitting up flea markets or swap meets as available. He doesn't always get a spot in some venues nor will he go to the same place two weekends in a row. A day at the flea market is much more work than you might think. It usually involves waking up around 4 30 am (sometimes even earlier!), traveling to the venue or location, unloading the trailer, selling the carpets & handing out business cards, loading the trailer back up with any goods that weren't sold then heading back home. Believe it or not, it's usually a 12 - 14 hour work day, after working long hours during the week and on the weekends no less! This just goes to show how hard Dan works to maintain and grow DWP Carpet Binding. He's not as interested in the sales as much as he is trying to get our name out there by word of mouth. Frequently new customers or walk-in customers will comment, "I didn't even know you were here!" or "I didn't know anybody did anything like this!". By doing these flea markets or swap meets on the weekends during Spring & Summer he is aiding in the growth of the business. DWP Carpet Binding's trailer is tagged with our location & services available, which turns out to be a pretty good way to advertise! Even if he can get the attention of a car that he drives by, it may lead to a new customer. You know the saying, "One breeds 10, breeds 100."

You won't see a red & white striped sweater nor a matching winter's cap, but if you are on the hunt for a new carpet or area rug, I invite you to play "Where's Waldo?" this Spring & Summer to see if you can find "Waldo" at your local flea market or swap meet!

*** We will be using this blog as a resource to get the word out. If you can't find "Waldo" on your own, check out our blog on the weekends for a hint as to where he'll be!" ***

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT OUR WEB-SITE & ETSY STORE:
http://dwpcarpetbinding.com/
http://www.etsy.com/people/kellygreencarpets

Strings N Things:

2011-03-15T12:30:00.000-07:00

One blog last week discussed quality control & what we do to make sure we put out our best efforts with every job. Today's blog will discuss a similar topic, that will also help inform any reader of some possible unknowns about carpets & carpet binding.

This morning I had a binding project in which only one side needed binding, because the carpet was bound from the factory it was ordered from. Although the piece was already bound, the buyer wanted it to be cut down in length. Which is where DWP Carpet Binding comes into play, for obvious reasons. As I'm looking over the existing binding I was disgusted to see such poor quality work put into it. For starters, the way they ended the binding. Instead of coming to the end of an edge and running out an inch of extra material, then fastening the extra material to the back of the carpet, they cut the binding and ran stitching off in the middle of a side. What this did was make stitching across the top facing of the binding material that was not aesthetically pleasing. It looked sloppy and as if an amateur had bound the piece.

Another part that gave a sloppy appearance was the way in which the binding got stitched onto the carpet. On each binding machine there are small pieces called folders. The folders are the guides for the binding material to pass through in a consistent fashion. As the binding passes through the folder, it generally gets folded into halves or thirds (depending on what gauge & type of material you are using), then it proceeds to get stitched. Due to the variances of every carpet the amount of material that is shown on the front facing of the carpet will change. Folders on binding machines can be adjusted as needed. Moving them left or right as they sit on the machine changes the amount of material stitched on the front and back of the carpet. When the folder is not adjusted properly, as applicable per the nature of the carpet, the binding material will either leave an unnecessary flap of material on the front facing OR it will not be properly fastened by the stitches on the back of the carpet. The piece that I was working on in particular was not paid enough attention to. The front facing had additional material, a flap, that was double the size it should have been. In general the binding material should not go much past where the front facing's stitching grabs hold of. It is part of what makes binding more visually appealing, giving the effect of a crisp look.

Another area that I felt the pre-bound goods fell short on was the amount of strings that had been visible along the perimeter of the carpet. When carpet is cut often times there a stringy pieces of nylon (or whatever the carpet backing happens to made of) that come about. This is what makes trimming the perimeter of a carpet important at times. As the carpet is being bound fibers, strings, material everything passes through a narrow opening passageway. Wherever they land after passing the folder is where they get stitched. If one does not take the time to trim the edges of carpet prior to binding the piece, then they should take a minute to look over the piece after the binding is done. Any string or fiber that isn't a part of the carpet or binding should not be seen. If you do see them, it is proof that there was no quality control present when the binding was done. There was no need for the pre-bound goods to have strings hanging out in multiple areas along the perimeter. After finishing the side that I bound, I went back through each side and clipped any string that was visible past the binding.

Granted there are circumstances in which you can not get every little string that results from cutting the carpet. For instance, DWP Carpet Binding worked on a carpet base job today that was over 1,000 linear feet. Each piece of base was 4 inches high and about 20 - 22 feet in length. The backing strings from the carpet being cut was prevalent on both sides of each piece. While we do our best to make sure we trim or prevent the strings from being visible, where time and labor is concerned it would be wasteful to check every inch of the material. Instead, we worry about the edges we bind (with carpet base, you only bind one side as the other will be butted to the crease where the floor and wall meet). While the base is installed it is easy for the mechanic or installer to trim the other side as they see fit. In most circumstances any stringy material would be tucked or adhered to the back as the adhesive dries.

Let's face it, we all may try our best but even then there are mistakes made here or there, or we let things slip past us. Human error should always be considered when deciding the quality of work that is put forth. There is, however, a huge difference between something slipping past you and something being blatantly wrong or poor quality.

Despite the tendency to want to correct the pre-bound goods and bind all four sides of the area rug so that it was more aesthetically pleasing, it was not what was instructed of me by my customer, nor is what the consumer was paying for. It is disappointing to see poor quality work going out to a customer who most likely paid good money for whatever it is they ordered. In our business we come across poor quality work from the manufacturers and factories nearly on a daily basis. The best thing DWP Carpet Binding can do about it is inform our customer that they are not getting their money's worth & explain why we feel the existing binding application is wrong or of poor quality. In doing so, we are educating our customers further of the binding trade.

Yet when all is said and done, it is seeing these examples of poor quality work that allow us to hold our heads up high and to be proud of the quality work and service we offer at DWP Carpet Binding. We are not just a bunch of machines attempting to blow out as much work as possible. Each carpet, area rug, or binding job we receive has certain needs and we make sure that those needs are met or exceeded!

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT OUR WEB-SITE & ETSY STORE:
http://dwpcarpetbinding.com/
http://www.etsy.com/people/kellygreencarpets

DWP Carpet Binding's Idea of Quality Service:

2011-03-14T08:18:00.000-07:00

If you have read through our web-site you may have noticed that we offer same-day & while-you-wait service. What we would consider a small project is one that would take under an hour or less to complete. DWP Carpet Binding gets customers from all over Connecticut, some come in from Massachusetts and some even take a drive from miscellaneous parts of New York. As opposed to having them drive back and forth, especially in cases when a long ride is involved, DWP Carpet Binding will have them stick around our shop or run a local errand so that we can finish their project and send them on their way. This is how Dan feels he will save you money, by saving you time & unnecessary driving expenses on gas!

Another advantage of providing while-you-wait service or same-day service is in cases where our customers have to finish up an install job, but unexpectedly fall short of material to finish the job. Their installers or project managers will come in with these quick projects, wait for their completion, then get back onto the job site without skipping a beat! There is no down time wasted. Not having to wait for a turn-around time of a day or two (or even much more in some cases) helps them finish their job in the time they promised their customer. With that being said, DWP Carpet Binding is also a great resource for all out-of-state contractors. There has been a handful of times that out-of-state contractors contacted us to do a job (an example would be carpet base) while they are in town. We welcome out-of-state contractors to call on us when a binding service is needed!

The idea of same-day & while-you-wait service is such a simple concept yet it often makes heads spin when asked, "did you want to wait for this?" .

"I can get it done now?!"

At DWP Carpet Binding you can! Having this idea of what makes good service better has helped us gain a better reputation with our customers, but more importantly it has helped customers out of some serious jams. A few years back a customer had an order for 16, 000 feet of carpet base. The order was for 3,000 feet of one carpet and 13,000 of a secondary carpet. Well, the factory mixed up the order giving them 13,000 feet of brown carpet when it should have been green! They called on us to see what our turn-around time could be to complete such a big job. Will you believe me if I told you that DWP Carpet Binding popped out 13,000 linear feet of carpet base in 2.5 work days? We got the job in on a Wednesday afternoon and had it completed entirely by the end of our work day on Friday... With a team force of just two humans! Our customer was relieved and able to complete their install job despite the horrible mix up from the factory.

This is the standard DWP Carpet Binding sets in service. We don't mess around when it comes to work and we want to keep our competitors in the same league as us by setting such standards! We'll save you time, money and prevent unnecessary stress when the "going gets tough"!

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT OUR WEB-SITE & ETSY STORE:
http://dwpcarpetbinding.com/
http://www.etsy.com/people/KellyGreenCarpets

Making Small Mats Useful:

2011-03-10T10:24:00.000-08:00

By suggestion of Dan, in today's blog I will write about why and how small carpet pieces can be useful around the house. If you read the article featured in The Natural Handyman then you already know that carpet remnants from an install can be bound for throw rugs around your home. What the article doesn't discuss is how these small pieces are mini saviors for different types of flooring goods.

Small carpet mats help in protecting those high walking traffic areas of wall-to-wall carpet from stains or regular wear-n-tear. They also do wonders on hardwood flooring, linoleum or ceramic tiles! Nowadays more people are renovating with hardwood or ceramic tiles to increase the value of their office or home. To prevent surface scratches, small carpet mats are a great tool, especially in those high walking traffic areas. Another aspect of preventative care provided by small carpet mats is the prevention of dirt getting stuck and compressed in between the cracks, seams and grout of your flooring.

There is a maintenance factor involved for the small carpet. You can't just throw a mat down and expect that everything will be "good to go". Choosing a carpet that holds in the most dirt is important and maintaining the cleanliness of the piece is a must.

In a previous blog, it was written that we consider ourselves environmentalists. I can reiterate this fact by discussing a cute idea that came about, again due to salvaging as many carpet scraps as possible. Aside from doorway mats or strategically placed mats, even smaller mats can be used around the home for miscellaneous purposes. One idea DWP Carpet Binding came up with is what we call "plant coasters". These are square pieces, about 12 inches by 12 inches or a circular piece about 1.5 or 2 feet in diameter (or a little bigger), that we bind to be used under the pots of house plants! This is a neat idea for a couple of reasons. If you ever over watered a plant and the pot either leaked from the bottom or over the top of the soil, a carpet would quickly absorb that excess water so making a mad dash to fetch a towel or paper product isn't necessary. If you happen to have a plant that sheds a lot of leaves, a small piece of carpet around your plant makes for an easy clean up with use of a dust buster or a vacuum cleaner. Not to mention, it can add a bit of decoration to the room making your house plant not only styling but more of a focus in the room! Check out the images below to see a few examples:


An example of a Plant Coaster matching living room furniture.


Examples of different shapes, sizes & carpet designs for use of Plant Coasters.

An example of the use of a Plant Coaster for a small table plant.

Another unique idea that came about from preserving carpet scraps is what DWP Carpet Binding calls "Pet*Agree Placemats". These are for the craft lovers and their pets out there! We use carpet scraps or samples, cut & bind them as necessary, add some lace to the edges and some sort of decal or patch for decoration, based upon the customer's request and "VOILA!" a cute decoration/coaster to be used under your pet's dishes! Check out the images below for examples:

Pet*Agree Placemat for cats with serging & wooden icon.

Pet*Agree Placemat for cats with orange tabby cat patch.

Pet*Agree Placemat for dogs with patch.

Pet*Agree placemat for dogs with a miniature Poodle patch.

***All Pet*Agree Placemat images were photographed & edited by Kevin Hupfer.***

I discussed in yesterday's blog about DWP Carpet Binding's resourcefulness. These small but practical & unique ideas are another example of that resourcefulness. We created small, multipurpose & useful pieces that were transformed from carpet scraps!

If you would like a Plant Coaster or a Pet*Agree Placemat, give DWP Carpet Binding a call today!

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT OUR WEB-SITE & ETSY STORE:
http://dwpcarpetbinding.com/
http://www.etsy.com/people/KellyGreenCarpets

Equipped With the Right Tools:

2011-03-09T09:27:00.000-08:00

Part of doing any job correctly is having a the right tools. During DWP Carpet Binding's growing pains we managed to pick up a few clever tricks that aid in executing a job well done. In yesterday's blog I mentioned that our work table gives us benefits that help in providing a clean, quality controlled finished product without having to break our backs. The table itself is one tool we're equipped with for efficiency. There are many other tools that come in handy when working on carpet binding projects.

First and foremost, our binding and serging machines! DWP Carpet Binding currently has four table model binding machines (one that is for the heavy duty material, three that are meant for speed), two portable binding machines, one portable serging machine & a table model serging machine. The difference between a table model and portable machines is that a table model stays in place while you maneuver the carpet through it, where as a portable machine moves around the carpet. Although some of these machines are the same make and model, we've come to learn that they each have a niche of their own. Each excel in their own way, as if they had their own personality. As we became more familiar with the machines, we learned which machine to use for which type of carpet, relative to the desired binding application. In the "about us" section of our web-site you can read about opportunity granting Dan a binding machine, which was part of what made him start a carpet binding business. It was Dan's tireless effort & optimism of a "big picture" that turned one binding machine into a binding shop with eight machines!

Another coupling of tools that we would be lost without is our power beveler & our sheep sheers. They are tools meant for the same thing; trimming carpet fibers back away from the perimeter that will be bound. A power bevel is meant for super thick carpets with extremely stiff backings. A good product to use a power beveler on would be a long strand spaghetti shag carpet. Power bevelers angle the carpet fibers at a 45 degree angle so that the binding or serging gets a better grab on the backing of the carpet. The sheers do the same exact job, although they are hand-held, so there's a bit of a difference. Sheers are great to use on plush carpets that are not necessarily super thick, but still have fiber that hangs over the edge of the perimeter. The most important factor with thick plush carpets is to ensure that the stitching grabs the back of the carpet and not the fibers. Without the use of a beveler or sheers, the binding is more likely to grab onto fibers. When that happens the binding can be pulled right off with minimal effort. The carpet wouldn't be ruined, as you would merely be pulling at excess carpet fibers, however it would be proof of less than quality work and obviously the longevity of the binding or serging would be shortened.

I'm led now to talk briefly about our big scissors. From handle to the tip of the blades, they are about 13 - 14 inches in length. When carpets are too thin or have questionable backing ( such as very low-grade commercial goods) as opposed to taking a power beveler or sheers to it, we can use our big scissors to trim the excess fibers by hand. Granted it may take a few moments longer than the sheers or beveler would, but big scissors are often times the right tool for a quick clean up of the carpet edge. Dan often jokingly offers hair cuts when using the big scissors.

One tool that we like to consider as an ace up our sleeve is our leaf blower! Every carpet we work with, whether it is a customer's or one of our stock pieces, will get a blow job prior to packaging. Yup, I said blow job. DWP Carpet Binding uses a leaf blower to clear off excess fibers and any lingering material that comes from cores or wrapping plastic. Many places will use vacuum cleaners to ensure a pristine piece being delivered to the customer. Well, a leaf blower accomplishes the same thing in a fraction of the time!

Although it's "hip to be square" sometimes a customer will want a circular or an oval shaped carpet. The tool that best serves this need is our circle cutter. If you can plot a radius, you can use this simple but very useful tool. In the past, mechanics (carpet installers) have struggled using a piece of long string and a pencil to make a circle or an oval shaped piece. The set up for such a thing requires plotting a radius point (or two if it's for an oval), then using a pencil they would use the string to draw a circle on the back of the carpet. This technique will always have human error involved. Tension of the string will change and most likely the angle of the pencil would change. Although this technique was used for many years, the fact of the matter is that it does not allow for the perfect circle or oval to be created. Our circle cutter has a blade at the end of an arm that extends from the center point, which you establish depending on the size of your circle. What mechanics have struggled with for hours at a time in the past, can now be diminished down to a 20 - 30 minute task, using the right tool!

I recently learned from a veteran carpet mechanic that his company will not install a carpet if the house is colder than 70 degrees. Apparently carpet has to be at a certain temperature in order to work with and properly install it. Anybody who has worked in a warehouse knows that the temperatures will always be pretty low. High ceilings and cinder blocks make it difficult to keep warm, especially if you're trying to pinch pennies on heating costs! During the winter season, carpets become increasingly tough to work with. We often make reference to carpets being like a spring board because of its stiff nature in the colder temperature. This leads me to introduce to you the tool that has paid for itself many times over, even though we have never charged for the use of it, our steamer. It is a useful tool during the winter when the carpets tend to be more difficult to work with. Using a steamer to soften the carpet backing allows for more pliable goods, making the carpet easier to work with, without having to worry about delamination occurring*.
*(Believe it or not, most softening agents that are used for stiff carpets can be too harsh on the product.)

Our steamer also aids in the longevity of the needles for our binding machines! When faced with stiff backing on a carpet, needles wear out quicker, which makes skips in stitching more likely. Although it could just be five - 10 minutes of down time, changing the needle of the machines means that time is wasted when completing a project. Our steamer prevents the need to change the needles, because it makes the carpet like softened butter. We have heard many jokes about steam cleaning clothes or offering spa-like facial services. DWP Carpet Binding can tolerate the cheesy jokes, because to us, we know we are using a unique and beyond useful tool for the job!

Having the right tools will always be a necessity, being resourceful with your tools is additionally beneficial. This type of resourcefulness that I speak of is how DWP Carpet Binding distinguishes ourselves from any competition. We take time to familiarize ourselves with certain tools, as well as types of carpet, in order to execute our best workmanship, giving our customers a top quality product and top notch services!

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT OUR WEB-SITE & ETSY STORE:
http://dwpcarpetbinding.com/
http://www.etsy.com/people/KellyGreenCarpets

Quality Control:

2011-03-08T11:57:00.000-08:00

If you haven't been into DWP Carpet Binding's shop then you haven't seen the huge work table we have in house. The table is16 feet by 28 feet and stands at 3.5 feet tall. This improves our work for many reasons. The best feature of this table is the allowance of quality control!

DWP Carpet Binding's 16 ft. by 28 ft. work table!

The work space on the work table is pretty massive. There have been plenty of cases when a customer asked if they could use the table to cut their custom shaped carpets or larger area rugs. This has prevented them having to cut their carpet out in a drive-way or on the floor of a warehouse, that may or may not be clean. Cleanliness is important when dealing with carpets because even minor stains could ruin a carpet. Due to the size of our work table we hardly ever work with material on the floor.

We also have the luxury of working at waste height. This is beneficial to the sense of sight. Having the work at waste level makes it easier for us to check if there were any skips in the stitching throughout each side of the carpet. If we were working with pieces on the floor or using the typical set up of a roller system, checking for skipped stitches would be more difficult. Working with binding machines on a floor or a roller system can be back-breaking work due to the positions you're forced to work in. When a person is uncomfortable physically, they're less mentally aware, making the little mistakes much easier to sneak past them. Our table prevents us from having to bend over too much.

As previously mentioned, we have the ability to lay out larger area rugs without having to put them on the floor of a warehouse, or having to bend them in odd or awkward ways. This benefits in cutting the time that should be contributed to each job. If a binding shop was using the roller system, they have to bind one side of the carpet, roll it to the other side, bind the opposite, reverse roll it to the perpendicular side, bind the third side, roll it to the opposite side and finally bind the last side. Our work table and its size allows us to unroll the majority of carpets that come in for binding work, bind up the sides with minimal effort (there's little to no rolling & reverse rolling involved) then package it up for pick-up or delivery. It's much simpler and far faster than what carpet binding services have done in the past. That's not to say that every binding shop does their binding using a roller system or on the floor; surely every shop is set up to work to its best abilities as permitted with their space.

Many people who have seen DWP Carpet Binding's work table has been impressed. Not only for the size, but also for what it allows:

* quality control of any applied binding

* cleanliness, preventing us from working on the floor

* speed in completing jobs/ quicker turn around time

Due to its hidden qualities, our work table has been a great asset in contributing to the growth of our business and reputation amongst the flooring industry!

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT OUR WEB-SITE & ETSY STORE:

http://dwpcarpetbinding.com/

http://www.etsy.com/people/KellyGreenCarpets

A Major "No-No" When Your Carpet Has Fringe:

2011-03-07T08:19:00.000-08:00

Last week DWP Carpet Binding had two pieces arrive which the customer was hoping to have the fringe replaced. One piece in particular had fringe on it that was ripped from the carpet. The customer that brought it into us said that we had done the job less than 6 months ago, further stating they would not be charging their customer for the re-do. This leads me to today's topic:

Beater bars on vacuum cleaners are fringe's worst enemy!

In looking at the carpet, it was very obvious that the carpet was vacuumed and a beater bar was used on the fringe. The stitching of the binding & fringe were still intact, but the carpet itself had been torn. The fringe we use is generally 2 - 4.5 inches in length. When a beater bar is used on such material, it causes tangling and ultimately will damage the carpet or the fringe.

Envision long hair and a round brush. If you're not careful, you'll end up with the brush stuck in your hair; which anybody who has experienced such a thing knows it becomes a nightmare! You can either fight and tug at the brush causing a horrible rat's nest of tangles and knots, or you can cut the hair and end up with a frightful hair style. The same holds true where fringe is concerned. When you vacuum with a beater bar, you will tug and pull at the material until it frees up, which will undoubtedly end with damaged material.

Although professionals will know better than to use a vacuum beater bar on fringed material, not all consumers may know that much. It is very important to use the proper tools on your carpets. When vacuuming a carpet that has fringe on it, do not use the beater bar! If you have the option to use an attachment on the hose, such as one you would use for curtains or hard to reach places, that is the best choice for your cleaning needs. If that option is not available, it would be recommended that you vacuum the majority of the carpet, without touching the fringe. At that point, you can use a broom to sweep away any dirt or dust that may be lingering in your fringe. The alternative to all of that is doing it the old-fashioned way by hanging your carpet over something sturdy and beating it with a broom outdoors! Although these options require more effort on your behalf to get your carpet clean, it is far more effective for the protection of your fringe. There are less chances of ruining the material by steering clear from the use of vacuum beater bars.

For anybody who may be wondering, DWP Carpet Binding repaired the carpet by using latex on both edges that have fringe, prior to doing any other work. Latex helps material stabilize by rubberizing as it dries. This is especially helpful on woven pieces, such as the piece we had to repair. The latex will help the strengthening of the carpet edges so that if a beater bar is used yet again the carpet and fringe stand a better chance. Although latex will be helpful it is not the solution to the problem. I reiterate that vacuum beater bars SHOULD NOT & CAN NOT be used on carpets with fringe!

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT OUR WEB-SITE & ETSY STORE:
http://dwpcarpetbinding.com
http://www.etsy.com/people/KellyGreenCarpets

Meet the Team of DWP Carpet Binding: "We are Family"!

2011-03-04T07:44:00.000-08:00

Meet the President & Vice President of DWP Carpet Binding!

Daniel Padegimas, President

Bobbie Padegimas, Vice President

Office & Warehouse Manager

Kelly Miffitt (center)

Dan (left) & Bobbie (right)

Meet the Woman behind the blog:
Kelly Miffitt
shown with Bobbie Padegimas
[image courtesy of Kevin Hupfer by "Hupfer Foto Grafiks"]

Choosing the Right Binding Application and Color:

2011-03-04T07:33:00.000-08:00

Let's face it, the purchase of a new carpet can be over-whelming. It may not be as big as an investment as a new car, or a new home but it may feel like it at times since you will be looking at the same piece of goods for an extended amount of time. Take a deep breath. Trust that your instincts and decor preferences will lead you to the right type of carpet for your needs.

After you have chosen the perfect match for your house, apartment or condo you still have decisions to make. Should the piece be bound or serged? Should you use polyester or cotton material? Should you choose a subtle color or one that adds and accentuates to the colors of the room? Believe it or not, there are no wrong answers to these questions. However, there is a bit of logic that should come into play. If you spend top dollar on a high-end carpet, you don't want to cheapen out on the carpet binding application. Furthermore, if you opt out on an inexpensive piece, why spend top dollar on a high-end application?

Some questions to consider when picking and choosing the right carpet binding application:

Is your carpet going into an area that has a lot of walking traffic?
Are you going for longevity or a quick replacement?
Are you trying to create a unique look to the room your carpet is going to?
Are you on a tight budget?

The fact of the matter is that we all would like to have an unlimited amount of money that is expendable, to allow us the ability to purchase precisely what we want, with no worries of the future. The truth is, that is not always the case, if it is ever the case. The key is to get as close to what you want within your financial capabilities.

All-in-all, you want to pick an application that is equivalent to the quality of your carpet.

Choosing the color of your application is a different story, which can be the fun part of shopping for a new carpet! If you want to put a fire engine red binding on a plain beige carpet to give it pizazz, you can do that! There are very few limitations when choosing a color for your binding application. There are many jobs that DWP Carpet Binding gets in house where a contrasting color is chosen because the person wants to match the color of their walls or sofas.

The initial principle of carpet binding was that it should be a subtle color, blending in with the color of the carpet so that you hardly notice there is binding at all. This has changed. Business logos or university colors can all be incorporated into a carpet and the binding application.

If you choose to pick a color that is subtle that's perfectly okay too!

Truth is, most of the time we are left to make the decision ourselves. As professionals, this is a part of our daily routine. Over many years of picking and choosing the appropriate color it becomes natural as well as knowing how to compliment the carpet. Sometimes you can not get a perfect match for the subtle blend that is expected. In these cases we consider other variables to figure out how to choose the right color.

What are the shades or hues being reflected by the light?
- Are they making the color lighter or brighter? Darker?
What are the other colors in the carpet?
- Can we pick those colors up & still match the carpet?
Would a darker or lighter tone help subtlety?

I can give you an example of my own personal experience when having a tough time choosing the right binding color. I was working with a low-pile commercial carpet that had color channeling through out. The colors of the carpet were a few tones of blue as well as red. This particular type of carpet and its coloring created the optical illusion if it being a purple carpet. When comparing blue binding versus red binding I had the same problem with both; the color binding would make the opposite color in the carpet pop. Which ultimately equated to not having the option of a subtle look without having to use a color that was not in the carpet. Ultimately, I chose a purple binding which did create a subtle look, due to the optical illusion happening with the color channeling. This sort of thing has happened often. I can remember another instance that we used a brown binding on a carpet that had absolutely no brown in it, simply because it was the most subtle result. This is what I'd like to call "a trick of the trade" . If you are reading this, DWP Carpet Binding will need you to sign a "no compete" clause [laughter from the crowd]. That is Dan's humor shining through, what a joker!

When all is said and done (or typed and read), it is the consumer's decision. DWP Carpet Binding doesn't mind having instruction to use a specific color. It honestly is a bit of relief because we are ensured that the customer will be happy with the result. With our time in the trade, we have the trained eye to choose the right color by instinct. In over seven years of being in business we have only had 2 - 3 jobs come back because the customer did not like the color chosen. Two to three jobs out of thousands makes for a pretty decent track record, if I do say so myself!

Ultimately, the overall point of today's blog is this:
Don't be afraid to get creative and add some flair to your binding application.
If you're not interested in choosing the color of your binding application, you can trust whoever is completing your binding services to choose the perfect match for your carpet!

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT OUR WEB-SITE & ETSY STORE:
www.dwpcarpetbinding.com
http://www.etsy.com/people/KellyGreenCarpets

Carpet Binding 101

2011-03-02T11:28:00.000-08:00

A friend had suggested I post a "Carpet Binding for Dummies" blog for people like herself who don't know what carpet binding is. Fair enough.

Not too long ago, we had a couple that were walk-in customers, having a remnant piece bound. The gentleman of the couple asked if DWP Carpet Binding would mind writing up an article for his web-site, The Natural Handyman. He basically wanted a briefing about carpet binding & the steps involved when completing a carpet binding job. After a few e-mails back & forth to each other DWP Carpet Binding had the honor of an article being featured in his site! This has proven to be a great idea, as we currently get many "referral hits" to our web-site.

Also, not too long ago, we updated our web-site in hopes that any potential customers would have more answers available at their finger tips. In doing so we created a FAQ page, which also gives a great amount of details describing carpet binding.

So without further ado I give you "Carpet Binding for Dummies" in web link form!

The Natural Handyman
DWP Carpet Binding FAQ's

DWP Carpet Binding would like to thank The Natural Handyman & Demetri, our web-site developer, for the wonderful work they did & for aiding in the growth of our small business!

SHAMELESS PLUG:
Want to see more of Demetri's work?!
Check out his web-site and other sites he's built under his "clientele" section!
http://www.iamonlinenow.com/

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT OUR WEB-SITE & ETSY STORE:

http://dwpcarpetbinding.com

http://www.etsy.com/people/KellyGreenCarpets

Making The Work Day FUN!

2011-03-01T12:37:00.000-08:00

Part of the best part of being a small business & a business owner is the FUN you can have at work!

"Fun? Does that say 'fun at work'?"

That's right! Yesterday I wrote about Dan's recent pick up of a trailer load (or three) of carpet. While he's been sorting through and fabricating the new stock, I was working on a HUGE serging project. Both of us had a plateful to handle. When most would groan and moan about the physical effort as well as attention needed to complete these projects we put on a song & dance, literally!

Today we had fun karaoke-ing to Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive", Cher's "Do You Believe in Life After Love" and Paul Simon's "Call Me Al". We did our two-steps , shimmies, shakes, shoulder bobs & shuffles here and there, I personally got down to Lady Gaga's "Alejandro". I currently hear Dan singing Kenny Loggins "Danny's song" as I type this.

Mind you, neither one of us can sing. In fact, I'm sure our voices would make most cringe while it makes us laugh! There is nothing better than a work day that flies by because you were having fun ... and getting paid for it! If we are lucky enough to have you come into our shop at DWP Carpet Binding, this sort of thing would not be unusual to witness. "Danimal" will even coerce you to join in with us!

You might just be amazed at the amount of work we complete, even though we play around. It's not all fun and games here, as we do take our work very seriously. We just prefer to lose the serious attitude!

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT OUR WEB-SITE & ETSY STORE:
www.dwpcarpetbinding.com
http://www.etsy.com/people/KellyGreenCarpets

DWP Carpet Binding: Manufacturers & Environmentalists!

2011-02-28T11:12:00.000-08:00

Many people have asked us if we have strictly commercial accounts. The answer is no.
We have a vast variety of customers consisting of carpet retail stores, wholesalers & commercial builders. We also have walk-in customers that come to us for area rug repairs. Let me take a moment to emphasize that anybody with the need for carpet binding services is welcome to contact us!
Although, there are cases in which we can not be of assistance, such as wall-to-wall re-stretch or hand-tufted carpet repairs; in those cases we have the ability to recommend an installer or store that is capable of completing the work, based on your location. That being said, we're a great source for contacts in the flooring industry.

Let me get to today's topic of "manufacturers & environmentalists" :

DWP Carpet Binding considers itself a manufacturer because we receive rolls of carpet then fabricate them to a user-friendly product. Thankfully, the equipment and materials we stock allow us to make a finished product. This is an advantage that not all of our customers have. Which leads me to the "environmentalist" part. Over years of doing business retail stores & commercial stores end up with numerous remnants from previous install jobs. The type of carpet varies as each store has a specialty or favored product. In many cases, after years of storing these remnants, they may decide to clear out their storage units or warehouses for extra space that is needed. This is where we come in!

Dan, the owner of DWP Carpet Binding, will make an offer for a bulk load of carpet. This prevents our customer from having to deal with the cost of dumpster fees or drop-off fees, fuel costs and labor to bring their remnants to a landfill/dump. If the offer is accepted, DWP Carpet Binding then picks up trailer loads of carpet to sort through and fabricate the remnants.

DWP Carpet Binding's 16 foot trailer!

I'd like to say that these pieces are pristine upon arrival to our shop, but they're not. Sometimes the carpet remnants are soiled, have crush marks or indentations from being stored without a core, or in rare instances they have had water damage. If a piece is not capable of being salvaged because of damage or soiling, then we will cut it up and throw it away. Whatever their status is upon arrival, DWP Carpet Binding finds the way to make them useful to someone! It takes a lot of work, but we feel it's best to make use of a good product, rather than allow them to fill up our landfills or dumps.

Having the ability to fabricate these remnant pieces has salvaged many trailer loads of carpet. Just this past weekend, Dan went and picked up two trailer loads, which we are currently sorting through. We have hundreds of remnants in stock (although, I think it's safe to now call them area rugs as opposed to carpet remnants; the glorious result of carpet binding services)!

Since these pieces come from retail & commercial stores, they range from high-end goods, to commercial goods and everything in between. DWP Carpet Binding currently stocks woven goods, wool rugs, Berbers, plush carpets of various heights and densities, vinyl backed carpet, sisal carpets, a few sculpted carpets, carpets with rubber padding for a backing, low-pile commercial goods ... the list goes on and on. I don't think I need to say anything about color scheme, but if you're wondering we've got a multitude of colors, patterns & designs!

We do not want to claim to sell carpets. It is not the primary focus of our business, nor will it ever be. Our stock pieces may not fit the needs for everyone, yet they are an inexpensive way to get a top quality product without having to pay full price!

We will claim that we are manufacturers & environmentalists. We are proud that we are capable of salvaging carpet goods, ultimately aiding in saving our environment and mother Earth one carpet remnant at a time!

If you are in need of a quick replacement for a hallway runner, door mat, or area rug please consider giving DWP Carpet Binding a call or stop into our shop to check out our stock of fabulously salvaged goods!

We also offer rug-hold product for those pieces that need help staying in place!

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT OUR WEB-SITE & ETSY STORE!
www.dwpcarpetbinding.com
www.etsy.com/people/KellyGreenCarpets

Custom Carpets: "What Are They Good For" ... Absolutely Everything!

2011-02-24T06:52:00.000-08:00

Last July I had the pleasure of being a guest at my oldest sister's friends' wedding! Kate & Geoff put in an exhausting amount of work to create an amazing day honoring their love for each other. It was a beautiful wedding & an absolutely great time!

I had thought to myself, "What could I get as a gift that shows them they are really special?" I pondered over the next few days dismissing gift ideas left and right, because nothing seemed like a gift from me. Then it hit me, "EUREKA! I can make them a custom carpet honoring their special day!"

This wasn't the first time I was making a custom carpet as a wedding gift. I had been hired once before by a friend to make one honoring her Aunt & soon-to-be Uncle's wedding. She told me the colors of the wedding decor , the date and the names of the couple. I came up with a small bordered piece that she loved, but more importantly her Aunt & Uncle loved just as much!

Aunt Tina & Uncle Dale appreciated the custom piece so much, they refused to put it on the ground...

They didn't want it getting dirty!

I figured that if this custom carpet was such a huge hit, I could also make a great gesture by gifting one to Kate & Geoff. I toyed around with a few ideas for the design. I was going to link their names like a crossword puzzle including the date of the wedding:

KATE

                   7/31/ 2O10
                               F
                               F
While the idea of the design & layout worked out nearly perfectly, I wasn't completely in love with it. The design just seemed far too plain to be honoring such an event! I knew I could be more creative. That led me to look at the truly unique invitations Kate had mailed me. In order to have all the information & details of the wedding available to the invitee, the use of four cards was necessary. Kate & Geoff (or maybe just Kate) designed their own invitations using the word LOVE as the main idea. The wedding invitations included directions to the establishment, an invite for the rehearsal dinner party, the invitation to the wedding & lastly an RSVP card. The information was listed on the back side of each card, while the front of the cards had one letter each to spell out "LOVE":

These became my motivation & ultimately the design of my new custom carpet project!

I decided I would recreate these four tablets within an area rug. Now, you may notice a tiny little bird on the card with 'E' on it. This is a small but important detail. While the bride's maids and mother-of-the-bride were preparing for the day, Kate's mother points out a fabulous necklace she bought specifically for the wedding. I over heard her say "as soon as I saw the bird, I knew it was the perfect accessory for today!". In my way of thinking, I considered this a truly special part of the invitation and wedding decor. I wanted to make sure that little bird on a wire was represented in the custom carpet. After a few days of planning, a lot of cutting & trimming and many hours of gluing, Kate & Geoff's piece was finished!

Although small in size, 2 ft. by 3.5 ft. , this custom carpet is packed with sentimental value & memories of an amazing day filled with love. It was certainly a privilege to be a guest at Kate & Geoff's wedding. It was an honor creating a custom carpet commemorating the day!

If you have a special event that you would like to create a custom carpet in honor of, please consider Kelly at DWP Carpet Binding.

SHAMELESS PLUG:

You can learn more about Kate and her amazing skills in photography!

Check out her web-site:

http://www.crabapplephotography.com/

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT OUR WEB-SITE & ETSY STORE:
www.dwpcarpetbinding.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/KellyGreenCarpets

"Make Sure They Cut it Straight This Time."

2011-02-23T09:33:00.000-08:00

Back in mid-October, we had a pretty decent job involving multiple hallway runners to be serged on the sides & fringed on the ends. The job involved a beautiful sculpted wool carpet with an intricate pattern. About a week after completing the job, we received a call from our customer stating their customer wasn't happy with the results.

"Oh my!"

In this situation, DWP Carpet Binding always does the right thing by re-doing any job until the customer is completely satisfied, even if it means eating the cost of materials & labor put forth during the process of correcting any issues. Hearing about an unhappy customer is never a good feeling. Especially for people, like us, who take great pride in the work that they execute. As a small business, it is our responsibility to make sure our customers are happy, therefore it is also our responsibility to make sure their customers are happy.

Now, a person viewing this may think, "why on Earth would they talk about a job gone wrong?".

This brings me to the overall point of today's blog:
Pattern bows & defected carpets.

In many instances, a woven carpet with a pattern may skew off two to four inches to width or length.

"What does that mean?"

Patterned goods have a two - four inch leniency before the mills will consider it "defective". Pieces that are high-end goods with patterns usually come with three or four pages of warnings:
"BEFORE YOU CUT THIS CARPET..."
"THE MECHANIC MUST BE CERTIFIED IN ORDER TO INSTALL THIS..."
"PATTERN MAY BE SKEWED UP TO ...."

Needless to say, there are a lot of rules, regulations & stipulations with these types of carpets. One must be able to recognize if it is a defective piece based upon the pattern & how it lays out on the carpet.
If the pattern begins to bow or skew mid-way through the piece it becomes difficult to cut the piece square. In these circumstances, it is up to the buyer to decide whether the piece should be cut square or if they want it cut to size based on the pattern. With carpets that have skewed patterns, it is impossible to cut square without ruining the visual of the pattern.

In the case of our "unhappy customer" , the hallway runners were cut to the pattern. This means DWP Carpet Binding cut the carpet at the same part of the pattern for the duration of the length desired. For example, if it were a floral pattern, we made sure the same petals were touching the exterior edge of the carpet. A skewed pattern often results in a visual effect of a bowed cut. This could translate to poor workmanship for a person who doesn't know about pattern bows or skews within a carpet. However, if you were to go back and measure, it would be clear that the same petal was an inch from the exterior edge all the way down the side. The bowing effect was merely the visual result of a skewed pattern.

"So how did you correct this?"

In such cases there are a couple of options.
The first would be "cheating the pattern". The "unhappy customer" wanted a straight edge, despite the pattern skew. With their pieces in particular, DWP Carpet Binding took a straight edge, lining up with the narrowest point of the pattern. From there, we cut back the fractional sections that fell beyond the straight edge. The result, a straight edge that DID NOT follow the pattern of the carpet. Since the difference was fractional, the pattern still gave the appearance of being balanced, to the untrained eye.

The second option is to cut the carpet with a square & straight edge with no concern to the pattern of the carpet. Our work order gave us a specific size, we also had to contend with balancing the pattern to do the job correctly. There are cases where a customer might not mind if the pattern is balanced to length or width. This makes life much easier where cutting patterned carpets is concerned. Without contending with balancing the pattern, using a square and straight edge to cut the piece will result in a square piece.

It is up to the buyer to make those sort of decisions. They are the people who have to see the carpet everyday. DWP Carpet Binding is happy to follow the lead of the buyer, unless our professional advice is requested.

In the case of our "unhappy customer" we re-cut the carpet by "cheating the pattern", re-did the work needed & ended the job on a positive note with a satisfied consumer!

Here we are (five months later) when the same customer brings in the same beautiful sculpted carpet with the same applications desired as previous; serging & fringing. The buyer jokingly says to our customer, "make sure they cut it straight this time".
In one sense it is a slap in the face; we followed the correct steps in order to create beautiful hallway runners. In another sense, it is a huge relief; the buyer considered the previous workmanship as wrong or poorly executed, yet the steps DWP Carpet Binding took to correct the problems allowed the buyer comfort and confidence to put another one of their pieces into our hands. That, my friends, is a good feeling!

To any person who may be considering buying woven, sculpted and/or patterned goods, always be aware of the pattern skew or bow that occurs. No piece ever comes out perfect. Always make sure the carpet installer or binding shop working with your pieces are certified to do so. As mentioned in yesterday's blog, always ask a lot of questions. Make sure you understand the nature of the carpet and what the mills' regulations are on a pattern merely being bowed or skewed compared to what they consider a defective piece. Lastly, never be afraid to voice any sort of dissatisfaction after the work is completed. It's your hard earned money; if you are working with honest & decent people who take pride in their work, they will gladly work with you until you are completely satisfied.

DWP Carpet Binding will stand behind our work because we always execute the best workmanship we're capable of. Sometimes we have to swallow our pride to maintain our customers' satisfaction. Although, these cases have been VERY RARE occurrences while being in business, they do happen. We gladly accept them as learning lessons, which become motivation to educate ourselves further.
Dan, the owner of DWP Carpet Binding, proudly admits, "I learn something new everyday." As someone who has been taught and mentored by who I'd consider "the best of the best" in the flooring industry, I too, proudly admit that I learn something new everyday.

It only makes us better at what we do!

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT OUR WEB-SITE & ETSY STORE:
http://www.dwpcarpetbinding.com/
http://www.etsy.com/people/KellyGreenCarpets

Compliments Always Welcome!

2011-02-22T09:03:00.000-08:00

Yesterday afternoon we received a phone call from a woman who had a carpet remnant that she would like to have either bound or serged. Primarily she was calling for a price quote. She was very happy to hear what our prices were because she had previously received a quote for almost four times the amount we charge!

Technically, that would be compliment number one:
*We offer top quality products at affordable pricing!

Furthermore, she had discussed that she really didn't know there was a difference between a binding application and a serging application until she read through our web-site! She informed me that our site was very detailed which helped her understand not only the differences between binding & serging, but also other options she had available to her!

Compliment number two:
*helping your potential customers understand the process & options available to them (without having to say one word)!

DWP Carpet Binding encourages anybody who is seeking binding services to ask as many questions as you need to until you fully understand what you will be paying for. This helps to ensure you are getting more bang for your buck!

To Shirley in Weston, CT,
DWP Carpet Binding thanks you for your inquiry, but more so for the compliments you gave us during our phone conversation!

Today:
Our current projects are a serging job for a set of stair runners & replacing the fringe on an oriental area rug!

DON'T FORGET TO VISIT OUR WEB-SITE & ETSY STORE:
www.dwpcarpetbinding.com
http://www.etsy.com/people/KellyGreenCarpets

Welcome to our blog

2011-02-10T19:09:00.001-08:00

At Done With Precision Carpet Binding, we are always happy to hear from you! You may come visit us in person, talk to us by phone or by email. We set the bar to a higher standard taking PRIDE in what we do and using only top quality products therefore maintaining our customers’ satisfaction by executing only the best workmanship.

			DWP Carpet Binding, LLC
	Address		350 Chapel Road South Windsor, CT 06074

	Telephone		860-436-2196
	Facsimile		860-436-2200
	Email		dwpcarpetbinding@gmail.com