carpeting
Carpeting Is an Inexpensive Way to Make Your Home Look More Luxurious
You might be interested in using carpet in some rooms as you decorate your home. Carpet both warms the visual impact of any room, but is also warm and cozy on cooler days or when the A/C is blasting.
New materials mean that your carpet might last 15 years or even longer. Carpet stains are almost a thing of the past with Smartstrand carpets and waterproof pads.
How should you think about your carpet choices?
Most customers are going very practical and using Smartstrand by Mohawk. (Also known as PTT polyester, triexta, or Sorona.) Until Smartstrand was developed, homeowners were forced to decide between stain resistance (polyester) and durability (nylon.) While nylon rugs still provide some advantages in durability, PTT polyester has closed the gap while continuing to be the better choice for stain resistance.
If you are interested in low pile carpet, you may prefer a loop type such as Berber. Berber gives a very clean look and is easy to maintain. Small loop Berber is commonly found in high-traffic areas due to its durability. It is great for offices and commercial applications.
Another very durable carpet is frieze. Growing in popularity, the frieze's look distinguishes it from other carpets. It has a “knobby” and twisted appearance. Some of the frieze’s new popularity is due to its style, but it is also a high-performing type of carpet. It’s made with a tight twist construction that improves durability.
For a very formal room, you might be interested in deep pile carpets such as plush or Saxony. The quality is generally high along with the cost. However, these carpets are hard to keep up with. Luxury has its drawbacks.
To be complete, some folks still like shag. While shag is generally a solid choice, it is not currently very popular, due to style.
PATTERN
Pattern construction carpet is made with varying loop and cut heights for looks that range from bold and dramatic to simple and understated. This low-profile style handles traffic beautifully.
LOOP
Loop construction carpet has dense, looped strands and a low profile for a clean, low-maintenance look. This style is durable, reliable, and ideal for high-traffic areas.
TEXTURE
Texture construction carpet has long, crimped yarns for a casual look that works for any room. With a higher pile for a super-soft feel, it's no wonder that texture is our most popular style.
FRIEZE (TWIST)
Frieze, or twist construction, carpet has high, twisted yarns for a longer crimped look and relaxed feel. Its long twists create dimension and visual interest as well as a bouncy, springy feel underfoot.
Whichever carpet you choose, padding is critical for increasing the life of the carpet, providing additional water and stain resistance, and adding to the comfortable feel of your new carpet. For almost all carpets you will want to purchase 7/16”, 8 pounds, rebond foam padding (also known as bonded urethane, bonded polyurethane) with a moisture barrier.
You can pay less for lower-quality pads. We just feel that with this size purchase for the carpeting, it makes sense to stick to quality for the pad. And the difference between excellent quality and something that will not provide you with the same quality is very small in the case of padding.
While 7/16”, 8 pounds, rebond foam padding is going to be the best choice for most applications, you will not need or want 7/16” for Berber or other low pile carpets. Use a thinner pad for these.
With plush carpets, you may prefer some of the new memory foam products. We will be happy to make specific recommendations based on the carpet you select.
Your carpet warranty may specifically require a certain pad or have some pads that will cause your warranty to be void. You certainly want to follow these directions.