Carpeting
Before purchasing carpet, you need to know:
- How is the room going to be used?
- Is there light or heavy room traffic in the room?
- Is the room the center of activity for family or entertaining?
- Is there direct access from outside?
- Are you installing this carpet for the purposes of selling the home or are you re-decorating it for your enjoyment?
- What is the size of the room to be carpeted?
1. Installation: The quality of your carpet's installation is just as important as the quality of the carpet itself. A second-rate job can leave you with obvious seams, lumps, bumps and other issues, so look for stores that employ their own installers.
2. Budget considerations: Stain-resistant products may be worth the splurge in your busy family room, but more affordable low-traffic carpeting may be just fine for your guest rooms
3. Maintenance: Pick textured rugs to conceal footprints and vacuum cleaner tracks. In high traffic areas, look for textured Saxony, level loop or high-density loop carpets to resist dirt and make cleaning easier. You should only install cut pile and multilevel loop carpets in low- to medium-traffic areas, as both of these designs tend to trap dirt and resist cleaning efforts.
4. Warrantees: The most common warranty is a "wear" warranty. Manufacturers offering these typically define "wear" as a bald spot, while many homeowners consider a carpet to be worn as soon as it loses its original appearance. Similarly, a crushing warranty may state that if the pile height can be restored to a certain degree, there's no issue. But most carpets' pile can be restored through hot water extraction and a pile rake (even though it will be crushed again once you walk on it), so manufacturers will say the warranty doesn't apply
5. Nylon outperforms all other fibers in durability, resilience and easy maintenance. This is a good choice if you want your carpet to last a decade or longer, for high-traffic areas, and in homes with kids and pets. Higher quality nylon fibers are “branded,” and the carpet label will use terms like “100% Mohawk Nylon” or “100% Stainmaster Tactesse.” Lower-quality, “unbranded” nylon fibers are listed simply as “100% nylon.” The strongest and softest type (and most expensive) is 6.6 nylon. Cost is $10 to $45 per sq. yd.
6. Triexta (brands include Smart-Strand and Sorona) is a newly classified fiber derived partly from corn sugar. It has excellent, permanent anti-stain properties (nylon must be treated with stain protectors over its life span). It also has good resilience, but it’s too soon to tell whether it will match the durability of nylon in high-traffic areas. Because of its superior stain resistance, this is a good choice if you have young kids or pets. Expect to pay $20 to $45 per sq. yd.
7. Polyester (also called PET) is stain resistant, very soft and luxurious underfoot, and is available in deep and vibrant colors. However it’s harder to clean, tends to shed and isn’t as durable as nylon. It’s best used in low-traffic areas (like bedrooms) and in households without kids or pets. A nice, cushy choice if you like to exercise on the carpet. The cost is $8 to $18 per sq. yd.
8. Olefin (polypropylene) is an attractive, inexpensive fiber that’s strong and resists fading, but it’s not as resilient as nylon. It’s most often made into a looped Berber with a nubby weave that conceals dirt. It has good stain, static and mildew resistance. Olefin carpeting is often selected for high-traffic “clean” areas such as family rooms and play areas. It costs $8 to $25 per sq. yd.
9.At least a 34- to 40-oz. face weight. This is the number of ounces of fiber per square yard. The range is generally from 20 to 80, and the higher the number, the heavier and more resilient the carpet.
10. A tuft twist of 5 or higher. Twist is the number of times the tufts are twisted together in a 1-in. length. The higher the number, the more durable the carpet.
11. A density rating of 2,000 or more. Density is determined by the thickness of the fibers and how tightly packed they are. The thicker and heavier they are, the better quality the carpet and the less susceptible to crushing. Bend the carpet sample backward (Photo). If you can see the backing easily, it’s a low-density (lower quality) carpet.
12. Is it BCF or staple fiber construction? Carpet fibers can be either Bulked Continuous Filament (BCF) or “staple.” Staple fibers shed more than BCF fibers. This doesn’t affect the long-term quality of the carpet, but it does mean you’ll have to vacuum more often until the initial shedding stops (which can take up to a year), and it can also be an issue for allergy sufferers.
13. At least a 10-year “texture retention” warranty. This covers how well the fibers return to their original shape after being walked on. Although manufacturers tout their 15- and 25-year warranties, salespeople caution that warranties are seldom honored except in cases of obvious product defects.
14. Get at least three estimates. Tell every salesperson that you’ll be getting several estimates, and don’t discuss details about other carpet bids you’ve received.
Formal patterns: add a sense of elegance and visually decrease the size of the room. Appropriate in this room because of the extreme formality. However, this room is still a bit visually unbalanced. A more formal fram for the photo, or even some embellished throw pillow for the couch would add symmetry. DO NOT use excessive patterns in bright colors: looks like casino/hotel carpeting.
Patterns: can add another textural element to a room that may other wise seem a bit bland. A solid gray carpe in this room would almost require a second rug under the table to add dimension. But the style inherent in the carpet makes this unnecessary. BE CAREFUL not to use patterned carpets in rooms that have enough visually stimulating material.
Carpet padding: The Carpet and Rug Institute recommends a 7/16-inch (11-millimeter) padding with 6 pounds (2.7 kilograms) of density per cubic feet to support cut pile or cut loop carpeting. For Berber or thin loop rugs, look for a 3/8-inch (9.5-millimeter) pad or thinner, with 8 pounds (3.6 kilograms) of density per cubic foot. Thinner carpets = more padding.
Woven wool carpets with Jute backing: expensive but durable. Also, natural, organic and free of VOCs like formaldehyde for allergy-sensitivity. Great for high-traffic areas like stairsWool is top of the pops natural fabric-wise, in terms of wearablity, holding dyes well—and it cleans up in a jiffy. Wool is a staple yarn (small strips spun together) so it can fuzz up a bit and pill (think of your favorite old wool sweater). It’s not hypoallergenic, which means you might sneeze a bit if allergic to wool. MOST EXPENSIVE carpet option.
Rug on rug: the rug on this carpet visually centers the room and pulls together the color scheme. It makes the room feel more cozy by visually tightening the room.
Q