CPSC, Shaw Industries Inc. Announce Recall of Carpet Sold at Menards Stores

Recall Insight

This CPSC action (record #05129) was formally reported on March 9, 2005. It is classified under Moderate severity, with a current status of Active. Shaw Industries Inc., of Dalton, Ga. is listed as the recalling firm. Federal records indicate About 5,000 square yards (about 700 individual units) of carpet units are affected, placing this recall in the million-unit bracket that typically triggers nationwide consumer alerts and retailer sweeps.

The documented reason for this recall is: Due to a manufacturing error, an uneven application of a latex pre-coat treatment containing a flame retardant was applied to the carpet backing. As a result, the carpet does not meet flammability standards, as required… Distribution information was not included in the agency filing, so consumers should assume broad potential exposure until the firm publishes point-of-sale details. The remedy documented by the agency is: Consumers with recalled carpet should contact Shaw Industries to arrange for free replacement carpeting and installation. — consumers holding this product should act on that instruction rather than relying on general guidance.

To put this record in context, PlainRecalls indexes 83,949 recalls across the FDA, CPSC, NHTSA and USDA FSIS going back to 1995. Within the same product category, the database holds 6 closely related recalls, of which 1 were also issued by CPSC. That clustering is a signal — repeated actions in a narrow category often indicate a systemic quality-control issue, a supplier-wide contamination, or a design defect that has propagated across product lines. This recall is roughly 21 years old; older recalls can remain relevant because many units enter resale, rental, and secondary-market channels where the original warning never reaches the end user. Always cross-check the recall number against the official agency page before relying on any summary.