With well over a hundred thousands styles and colors of new carpet being released every year, it is no wonder that selecting the right carpet to match your needs can be very challenging. Most people when they select carpet are only considering the aesthetics or the looks but there is so much more to making the right choice.
One of the most important things to consider when you shop for carpet is the amount of traffic that the carpet will get when it is installed in the area you hope to use it in. The construction and the texture are both key aspects that play major roles in how a carpet will stand up in a specified area.
Nylon, polyester, and olefin are the most widely used fibers with carpet manufacturers. Each one has qualities that make them great for specific applications and uses.
Nylon is the most expensive type of fiber but it is also the softest and most resilient, which makes it great for any room in your home, including those areas that have a high level of traffic.
Polyester fabric is less resilient than nylon, although it is more cost efficient and offers a
high level of resistance to stains. This makes it a great choice for areas such as bedrooms or dining rooms that are not subject to a lot of traffic.
Olefin fiber carpets are solution dyed, which results in a highly stain resistant carpet that can be cleaned easily using a water and bleach solution, without any loss to the color. Unlike the other types of fibers, olefin is fade, mildew, and mold resistant, which results in a carpet that performs well indoors and outdoors. However olefin carpets aren’t very resilient and as a result, they should only be considered with Berber construction.
That brings us to the different types of construction. You can get carpets in either plush or Berber construction. The Berber type of carpets are well constructed with a continuous level loop, while plush carpets are constructed of loops that have been sheared, which results in the strands standing upright.
Berber construction carpets don’t crush or matt, due to their high level loops. They are however harder underfoot and less comfortable to sit on or lay down on. Berber carpets are well suited for high traffic areas, which include walk ways, living rooms, and entrance areas. They aren’t popular with bedrooms, as their hard texture makes them a less than attractive option. The other thing is they can easily become damaged by pets with long nails.
The plush type carpets are much softer to walk or lay on and they offer better sound and thermal insulation. They tend to crush and matt though when they are subjected to high levels of foot traffic. Though when nylon fibers are paired with a tight low pile construction this will help to limit the amount of pile and matt crushing that occurs. This is due to the high resilient nature of the nylon fiber and the added support that is gained from tight construction.
Warranties
The warranties for carpet range a lot (from 5 – 30 years). Generally the warranty will not cover carpet that covers stairs. Another rule is most carpet warranties require new carpet padding to be installed at the time of installation in order for the warranty to become valid.
Carpet today is available in so many different textures, constructions, colors, and designs that I am sure you can find the right one to go with virtually any interior design you can imagine. The combinations of texture and color can complement the look of both formal and casual environments, while helping to bring continuity to the overall room and home design.