Carpet Choices

How to Choose The Perfect Carpet for Your Home

Let's talk about carpet choices. 

If you are thinking of purchasing new carpet, chances are, the first factor you considered was color.

Just like the purchase of a new car, there is far more to ponder than just color. 

Carpet comes in a variety of textures, fibers, patterns, designs, styles, and types of pile. 

There are different levels of durability to consider as well.  All of these things will play a role when it comes to selecting your carpet.

The type of pile (the short yarns attached to the carpet backing) a carpet has will give the carpet a particular look about it, 

Each strand of yarn is pulled through the backing of the carpet on both ends, creating a small loop.  This is known as loop pile.  When the loop is cut, the strands stand straight up.  This is referred to as cut pile. 

Cut pile is generally more durable than loop pile.  Cut pile comes in several different styles, such as shag, velvet, saxony, and textured.  Loop pile can be found in cable, sisal, and berber styles. 

It is likely that another big factor you will be considering is cost.  No doubt you have a budget in mind, whether big or small.  The bottom line when it comes to carpet price will be affected mainly by what type of fiber the carpet is made of.

If the sky is the limit, wool carpet is one of your best bets.  Wool has been the staple of carpet making for hundreds of years, and for good reason.  Wool beats synthetic fibers hands down when it comes to durability; a wool carpet can last up to 30 years or more.  Wool will maintain its beautiful appearance over time as well, and feels especially soft underfoot.  Though it is expensive to purchase and to install, it is likely to pay off over the years.

If your budget is too tight for wool, there are a number of synthetic fibers to choose from that will also perform well. 

Acrylic, which is sometimes referred to as "man-made wool", produces a carpet that feels and looks like wool carpet.  It is resistant to staining, crushing, mold/mildew, and fading. 

Unlike wool, however, it is not as durable.  For this reason, acrylic carpet is best when used in low-traffic areas.

A better choice for those high traffic areas in your home is nylon carpet.  Though is the most expensive of the synthetic fibers, it is cheaper than wool, and still highly durable.  It will also repel most stains, and is easy to clean.

Olefin is the least expensive of the synthetic fibers, and is to manufacture both indoor and outdoor carpet.  It is colorfast, strong, and cleans well.  Its major drawback is that its pile is easily matted and crushed.

Once you have decided on the type of carpet that you want, you can focus on choosing a color.  Lighter colored carpets can be used to lighten up a room with darker walls, or one that doesn't receive much natural light. 

Lighter colored carpets can also give an air of spaciousness to a smaller area.   On the other hand, darker colored carpets absorb light, which gives a "cozy" feeling to a room.  A darker colored carpet may be a perfect choice for a larger room, or one with large windows and lots of exposure to sunlight. 

Of course, darker colored carpet is also better at masking stains and soil, a factor that may weigh strongly if you have young children or pets.

Whatever your budget, lifestyle, home size, or décor, it's plain to see that the possibilities are endless when it comes to carpet choices.   Finding the perfect carpet, one that you can enjoy for many years, is easier than ever.

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        Bob and Tammy Sedona
       Carpet & Rug Specialist
 

 Carpet Choices