subject: The Three Things You Need to Know When Shopping for Carpet [print this page] The Three Things You Need to Know When Shopping for Carpet
Anyone purchasing carpet can be overwhelmed with the sheer number of choices available. Not only are there hundreds of colors, but hundreds of choices in fibers, patterns, styles, and prices abound. Consumers should carefully consider when deciding on a carpet purchase because carpet is expensive, represents an investment in a home, and it stays in a home longer than furniture and accessories. On average, a medium grade carpet lasts anywhere from 5 to 15 years, and the highest quality carpet lasts 15 to 25 years. Here are three items to consider when buying carpet.
1. Fiber
Wall-to-wall carpet is made out of nylon, Triextra, PET polyester, olefin, wool, or a combination of these fibers. Most carpet is made of nylon. Nylon is a strong fiber that holds up well. With the new methods of adding stain resistance to the nylon and its natural durability, nylon is a proven reliable long-lasting fiber.
Triextra is a new polymer product that is partly made from renewable components. Triextra is stain resistance and durable.
PET polyester is a new product that is made from recycled plastic containers. It is stain resistant and somewhat resistance to abrasion. The problem with PET polyester and polyester is that it crushes and does not have long lasting durability.
Olefin is a naturally stain resistant fiber, yet it crushes, has a low melting point, and does not clean well. It is best used as a commercial or outdoor carpet.
Wool lasts a long time and is soft and rich looking. However, it is expensive, but wool insulates extremely well and is naturally fire resistant. Wool and nylon blends are an excellent carpet fiber.
2. Density
Density refers to how many yarn tufts are in a square inch of carpet. To check for density, bend back a corner of the carpet sample on itself and see how much carpet backing shows. If a lot of backing shows, then the carpet isn't very dense and you won't have much fiber to walk on and the carpet will be less durable. The denser the carpet, the better it is.
3. Padding
If the proper padding is not used underneath the carpet, the carpet warranty could be voided, so it is vitally important to use the correct padding. According to the Carpet Cushion Council, light traffic area carpet should have a minimum of 5 lbs and 3/8 inches thickness pad, and heavy traffic areas should a 6.5 lbs and 3/8 thickness pad. Pads should not exceed 7/16 inches in thickness, or it could cause the carpet to ripple.
