Becoming a homeowner feels like an achievement for many people and while moving into a new home is exciting, it can be stressful as well.
You would hope the property is in good condition and has no issues before you move in but unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen. Sometimes homeowners face unexpected problems or unwanted surprises that leave them baffled.
A TikTok user @davine.sunshine shared a video on the platform of weeds growing through her carpet near the skirting board. Overlaying the clip, she wrote: “We are new homeowners. We didn’t know weeds growing through our carpet would be included in our mortgage.
“Tips and advice please.” She continued to share her shock at the unusual situation in her post’s caption where she added: “I think the only thing we can do is laugh?”
The video has racked up an incredible 2.9 million views, 67,000 likes and more than 1,000 comments. TikTok users were quick to share what they think the problem could be, ranging from the invasive plants knotweed and bamboo to too much moisture to a random seed that has dropped onto the carpet.
One viewer said: “You have a moisture problem. Seriously, pull up your carpet in that area and look/feel for water damage.
“If you’re lucky, it could have just been a spilled glass or something. If not, water is getting in there from somewhere (bad roof, plumbing, foundation crack, etc) and the longer you wait, the more expensive it’ll be.”
Another wondered: “Could it be [that] the previous owner had a bird, and this is the result of some birdseed fallen through the carpets and the seed has germinated after the carpet was cleaned when they moved out?”
A third commented: “Looks like a seed [has] been dropped to me. Too random to be knotweed or bamboo.”
Someone else agreed: “Might just be some seed that’s made its way in. It’s not Japanese knotweed, they’re red/purple and much thicker than this.”
Others saw the humour in that situation with comments, including “that’s a free indoor plant babe”, “free garden, it comes with the home” and “that’s just your closing gift from your realtor”.
In a follow up video, Davine’s partner ripped up the carpet to uncover grass growing in the gap between the skirting board and carpet. She thought it “looks like it’s coming from outside”.
Weeds can grow through carpet because plant roots intertwine with the carpet’s fibres, and the carpet may not be a complete or effective barrier to all vegetation. Common reasons for this include using non-natural fibre carpet (which contaminates the soil and can trap moisture, encouraging growth) or the simple fact that roots find ways to grow through the material over time, especially with moisture and plant debris providing nutrients.
Grass can also grow through indoor carpet if seeds from bird food, or even household plants, fall onto the carpet and get wet. Moisture and soil underneath carpet allows seeds to germinate and sport and this can happen when carpet is used as a weed barrier on top of soil, with new seeds being blown or dropped onto the carpet’s surface, or if water and nutrients from spilled food or moisture penetrate the carpet, creating a suitable environment for growth.