How to Choose the Best Carpet for Your Home

Hard surface floors are gaining popularity in home design but homeowners are still purchasing carpet for some if not all areas of their home. Carpet can give a cozier feel to a room leading homeowners to not completely rule it out when choosing flooring. Carpet can also be more affordable than hard surface flooring. When choosing the right carpet for your space there are some key elements of carpet to keep in mind the traffic of the area being carpeted, fiber, and construction.
First when deciding upon a carpet type you should consider the area you are carpeting. How much traffic or wear and tear will this carpet need to stand up to? If you are carpeting a guest room odds are the carpet in that room will not see much traffic. Carpet in rooms with less traffic is pretty much fair game for any type of carpet. Less traffic is less harsh on the carpet and therefore almost any type of carpet would do well in a room with less use such as a guest room. For rooms with a lot of traffic such as a family room or a hall or stairway you will want a more durable carpet.

Another key factor in carpet selection is the fiber. Carpets are made with wool, nylon, polyester and olefin fibers. The type of fiber in the carpet can effect how the carpet feels to the touch and its functionality. Wool is a natural fiber and is very resilient in carpet form; it can also keep its shape in high traffic areas and under furniture. Wool will cost a pretty penny though it is generally the most expensive of carpet fibers and can be hard to get stains out of. Nylon is a synthetic fiber introduced to the carpet world in the 40’s.  Nylon is pretty durable, offers a long life, and can be treated for stain resistance.  Polyester fiber is great for those seeking a bright color carpet because it holds dye well and is less prone to fading. Polyester is not as durable as nylon but there is polyester carpets made of recycled soda bottles that offer the benefit of less VOC the chemicals that give off that new carpet smell which can be harmful over time. The polyester carpets that are made of recycled material have proven to be the most durable of polyester fiber carpets. Olefin, most often used in loop construction carpets carries color throughout the fiber; because of this Olefin is the most stain resistant of carpet fibers. Olefin is a good choice in areas with pets and children.

Construction plays a big part in the durability of a carpet. A loop construction carpet such as Berber has a low pile and can stand up to a lot of wear and tear. Loop pile may not be as plush and can be prone to snagging. Loop piles are great in high traffic areas, homes with pets such as cats with claws and dogs who love to dig may not want to purchase a loop pile. Cut pile carpets are plusher than loop pile and come in a variety of lengths. A cut pile carpet simply means the loops have been cut at the tops. The shorter the cut pile the more durable it will be and it will trap less allergens though it may not feel as plush. A cut loop pile carpet has a combination of both loop pile and cut pile. Cut loop pile carpet is made to offer the durability of a loop pile with more plush like that of a cut pile carpet.

When you have the selected the best carpet for your home no doubt you will want to keep it looking new and fresh for as long as possible. Vacuuming at least once a week can extend the life of your carpet as well as professional carpet cleaning. When carpet is cared for the life of the carpet can be extended by years..