Skip to main content

Choosing a carpet

With all the styles and colors available in carpeting, one can easily get overwhelmed when deciding to purchase new carpet. In this article I will try and give you enough information to help make this decision a little easier. Remember, selecting a new carpet for your home can be easy or it can be very difficult depending on your expectations.

The first thing you should ask yourself is: Is durability or stain resistance more important. If you have an active home with accident-prone children, stain resistant carpet may be more important. Generally speaking polyester carpet is the most stain resistant fiber and the easiest to clean, however it is not the most durable. Nylon carpet tends to hold up better, but is more susceptible to stains. Not all carpet fibers are created equal. I recommend taking the time to learn about the different fibers and their inherent characteristics.

Next you must decide whether you want a plush pile, frieze, or a Berber carpet. If you are in the market for a plush pile carpet, here are a couple things to consider. Number one: Consider the threads per square inch. Generally speaking the more threads per square inch, the longer the carpeting will hold up. The individual twist of each fiber is also very important. The tighter the twist, the better the fiber. A tight twist acts like a shock absorber on a car. It provides for recoil to the fiber and helps with wear resistance. A tightly twisted fiber with lots of threads per square inch is what you should look for, preferably made from nylon. Polyester carpets can have some of the same specifications, but are more prone to matting and crushing. There are two main types of plush carpeting to consider. The first is trackless (tracks less not trackless) and Saxony. Saxony carpet is the type of carpeting that shows defined vacuum cleaner marks and feels like velvet. Another question to ask is whether the carpet is a staple yarn or a continuous filament. A staple yarn will shed (causes little fuzz balls) a continuous filament will not.

Berber carpet is next on the list. This type of carpet is available with an olefin fiber content (essentially the same as polyester), sometimes mixed with nylon and nylon. Berber carpet is a loop carpet, but can also be mixed with a cut pile. This is called a cut and loop carpet. This type of carpet is usually made from nylon and is very durable. A loop pile carpet also comes in many styles and colors and can be purchased in a variety of patterns. Most loop pile carpets are made from olefin. A rule of thumb is; the bigger the olefin loop, the less resistant to wear the carpet will be. If you are going to purchase an olefin Berber, I recommend purchasing one with a small dense loop. As you can imagine, olefin is the least expensive fiber available, where as wool is the most expensive. The cost of nylon carpeting falls in between the two.

In my opinion the information stated above is far more important than color, however that is for you to decide. Remember, always ask plenty of questions and don't rush into any decisions. I hope the information in this article has helped. If you have any other questions feel free to leave a comment or send an email to cooperjm68@yahoo.com
Thanks,
The Floor Man

Comments

  1. Find wide selection of carpet flooring service in new york. We are dedicated to providing first quality merchandise and service to our customers. In fact, most of our customers come to us by word of mouth.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Solid Vs. Engineered Hardwood. Which is better?

In this article I will cover the difference between engineered and solid wood flooring. I often get asked; is engineered hardwood actually real wood? The answer to that question is: Yes! There are some who think that engineered wood is inferior to its solid counterpart. Solid wood has its benefits, however it is not necessarily better than engineered. Actually, the opposite just may be true. Engineered hardwood has a cross-plywood construction, with a solid wood veneer laminated to the top. Solid hardwood is just that, solid. Both styles range in thickness from 5/16 to 3/4 inch. Both types of floors come prefinished or unfinished and come in a variety of widths and styles. There are several benefits to engineered hardwood. Here are just a few. Engineered hardwood is more dimensionally stable than solid wood flooring. Engineered floors can be glued down directly to concrete, floated or stapled. They can be installed above, on, or below grade. Engineered floors are less prone to cupping

Urethane vs. Acrylic adhesives

If you are about to install engineered hardwood using the glue down method, I recommend that you read this article. One of the most important factors when installing engineered hardwood is the adhesive. Using the proper adhesive is critical to a successful installation. In this article I will briefly cover the differences between Acrylic and Urethane based adhesives. Let me start with acrylic adhesives. Acrylic adhesives are resin based and contain a certain percentage of water in them. The main problem with resin based adhesives, is the lack of tensile strength. In order for Acrylic adhesives to perform at their optimal level, the sub-floor needs to be well prepared and extremely flat. If the sub-floor is not level and flat and you choose to use an acrylic adhesive, I guarantee you will have hollow spots once the job is complete. Hollow spots are areas in which the wood floor is not adhered properly to the substrate. This problem is common and can be recognized by a popping or hollow

Hardwax Oil vs. Urethane Finishes

In the early to mid 1980's,  a new type of urethane fini sh entered the market; water-base urethane was the new craze. With the entrance of water-base into the market-place, contractors quickly began to realize its value. The new water-base finishes added extra durability, dried much faster than its counterpart, and reduced the amount of labor hours. Prior to urethane finishes, hardwood floors were often sealed with multiple layers of shellac (lacquer was also popular); contractors would apply a coat of hot wax, which acted as a protective barrier. Finally, contractors would then polish the floor; finishing it up. Now, almost after a half of a century, the new craze is here; "Hardwax Oil".  Made from waxes and oils, such as carnauba and parrafin wax, and natural oils, such as sunflower and linseed. Hardwax Oil is quickly gaining favor in the hardwood finish industry. So, the question is, which is better. Urethane or Hardwax Oil? The following material will compare the tw