Most stain and wear proof carpet?

8 years ago

I have another thread in Design Dilemmas that's not getting many responses, so I want to try posting in the flooring forum instead,

http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/4790788/durable-and-easiest-to-maintain-carpet#20504413

I was going to replace carpeting with tile in the remaining sections of the house that are not already tiled, but now I think it will not be worth the money especially since I would want rugs over the tile in those areas anyway.

So, I want the most durable and stain proof carpets available with warranties that have the least exclusions, exemptions, excuses and caveats as to why they won't cover replacement for wear or stains within it's 25 year or "lifetime" warranty.

I'm looking at carpet such as Lifegaurd, LifeProof, Stainmaster, Platinum Plus and Mohawk SmartStrand, Is there another better option?

Smart Strand seems to be the hardiest because they claim to be bleach proof, where as Stainmaster has several exclusions including bleach and makeup spills.

Stainmaster's warranty also says you must professionally clean carpet stains at your own expense if home cleaning doesn't work and then you must make a claim within 30 days after the professional cleaning if that doesn't work.

They also don't cover recurring stains due to wicking. That sounds like a pretty useless warranty if recurring stains are likely enough to happen to need that exclusion in the warranty to protect them against claims. There would need to be some way to prevent wicking or else the stain proof carpet warranty has little real value.

The warranties are also often prorated. So, if the carpet stains or starts showing wear nearer to the end of the coverage period, you get such a small credit toward replacement that you may be better off finding some other carpet on sale for less outside of the warranty.

As far as I can tell, Platinum Plus carpet is the only one that has a 25 year warranty that is not prorated. However, you may need to pay an inflated installation labor price for the carpet replacement that could make the free carpet not worth much. I don't see anything that says they will not charge more than a competitive local market labor rate for the carpet replacement.

I want something that is stain proof as their marketing suggests so that I won't need to use the warranty. Which carpet will hold up the best to wear, high traffic with dirty shoes and any household product that may spill in a typical house?

I want something that doesn't need runners and throw rugs over it to protect it from traffic and food spills and will remain looking like new for at least 15 years against just about anything short of someone actively and purposely trying to destroy it with sharp tools or fire.

I can replace the carpet every 15 years multiple times for less than one installation of tile or quality hardwood.

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Comments (4)

User
8 years ago
I have Berber. I was told it will likely last 20 years and it's high quality. Came with this home. No pile, you can't even tell it needs vacuuming. It's a cream/beige neutral. I have been here ten months and I swear there is no wear. However, it's only me and one small dog.
steve_o
8 years ago
We had commercial carpet tile installed in the "public" areas of our house. It's a modern house and I like the look (and the recyclability) of it. This is the same stuff they put in airports and shopping malls and it handles years of heavy foot traffic, slush, spills, wheeled carts of all sizes and abilities, etc. It won't stand up to, say, bleach or strong acids and bases -- but no carpet will.

The place that supplied ours told me they have the contract for the international airport near here and that the same carpet lasts 8-10 years there, so getting 15+ years out of it in a residential setting should be no problem. You can help yourself by making sure there are walk-off mats by entrances, etc. But it's tough stuff.

Aside from its toughness, though, it's also possible to actually pick up a tile and clean it (rather than clean it on-site) or, if the very worst happens, to replace it, rather than ruin yards of carpeting.

Some patterns are less obviously tile-like than others; it's always a matter of esthetics. But it might be worth checking out.
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gracie01 zone5 SW of Chicago
8 years ago
I had commercial carpet in my kids' bedrooms that lasted 30 years! Reason being it is tough wearing and easy to vacuum. Also felt padding which doesn't show the traffic lines. I also installed it on my stairs about 4 years ago. Still looks brand new.

This might help out: https://www.thisoldhouse.com/ideas/carpet
PRO
Cinar Interiors, Inc.
8 years ago
Recurring stains happen due to your pad. Moisture will penetrate your carpet and seep into the pad. You can clean the carpet all year long but the stain will reappear due to it residing in the pad. There are pads on the market that have moisture barriers and do not allow the stain to penetrate the padding.

All of the brands listed above have great stain protections as long as you handle the stain within a timely manor. The longer the stain sits, the harder it will be to remove it from any fiber.

Wool is the best fiber for stain protection and wear, plus it is the most expensive. Nylon is excellent for high traffic areas. Polyester and Olefin handles stains better than Nylon but does not wear as good.

Dirt and soil are a carpets worst enemy as they can mat down the fibers in high traffic areas. The best way to resolve this is to vacuum your carpet and remove the dirt/soil.

If you're unwilling to keep up with the maintenance of carpet, why not choose vinyl or tile?