Selecting Carpeting

February 13, 2007

Before you start shopping for your new carpeting, it is very important to have a basic knowledge and understanding of what features that you need to look for. The best carpet that you can purchase will have all of the characteristics of quality and longevity. After you make your purchase, plan to invest time and money in maintaining the appearance of your new carpet.

Carpeting does more than add color and beauty to your home. It acts as a barrier to heat, cold, and sound. It also improves the footing and helps to hide dirt and soil. Also carpeting is unique to furniture, lighting, and even walls in that you won't have to change it every few years because of it has a relatively long life. Before choosing your carpeting, you must first decide on color, fiber choice, texture, and how that carpeting will perform for you in the long run.

Things to consider when shopping for carpeting:

Be realistic about color. Bedrooms often have less traffic and would be an ideal choice for lighter colors. For a child's playroom, a darker shade would probably be more suitable. Although if the carpet has added in features such as stain resistance, lighter colors can be used in areas of high activity.

When looking at colors, look at large carpet samples. Color intensifies in larger areas. Take the samples home and place them in the room to be carpeted. Look at the samples and see how the colors change during different times of the day. To determine durability of the carpeting that you are considering, look for three basic things: density, twist of the yarn, and heat setting.Density is checked by pressing the carpeting with your fingers to see how difficult it is to get to the backing. The more backing you see, the less dense the pile, or less threads of yarn per square inch. To check for a good twist, examine the tips of the yarns and make sure that there is no fraying or untwisting of fibers. The tighter the twist, the better traffic the carpeting will withstand, heat setting merely locks the twisted yarns into place.

Just as knit fabrics are different from wovens, carpet construction varies. It is tufted, woven, needle-punched, or hand knotted. Tufted is less expensive than woven, it is machine made by weaving the carpet fibers through a backing. Most carpeting today is tufted. Woven carpeting is similar to weaving fabric. Plush, needle-punched carpeting is made by placing layers of carpet fibers on a mesh fabric core and mechanically punching them through with thousands of needles. This results in a carpet that is resistant to water, insects, mold, and sun. Selection of this type is limited. Hand knotted carpets are commonly referred to as oriental carpets. They are expensive, but last a long time.

All carpeting falls into two categories, man-made or natural fibers. The fiber is converted into yarn, which is formed into pile. This is the part of the carpeting that is sat upon and walked on. The fiber that you choose will be very important to the price and performance of the carpet. Nylon which is used about 85% of the time in carpet construction. Wool accounts for a small percentage of carpeting sold today. It is the oldest and considered to be the most luxurious carpet that you can buy. It is also the most expensive. Wool is not as durable as nylon. Other fiber types include polyester, which is less durable than nylon but is soft to the touch, and polypropylene which is used in most outdoor carpeting.

BEFORE YOU SHOP:

Measure the area to be carpeted. Include all closets and openings. Choose a reliable dealer whose staff is well informed about carpet styles and colors. Sit down and determine your budget. Buy the best you can afford, and make sure that padding, delivery, and installation is included in the price.

If trying to match colors to the decor of your home, take along samples of your fabrics, wall-covering, etc. to match with the carpeting that you are considering. Beware of the bargain carpets that will wear out in a few years. Don't be a Scrooge when it comes to choosing your padding. This is where most consumers cut cost. Padding is very crucial to longevity of the carpeting, and footing. Padding will absorb sound, heat and cold. It will provide a softer walking surface and prevent the carpeting from shifting. The thicker the padding the better. Armed with the above information, you should have no problem shopping for your new carpeting.

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