YOUR GUIDE TO CARPET SELECTION: WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE CARPET FLOORING
When you think of carpet types, it usually means the carpet material that is the most distinguishing element. There are majorly four types of carpet fibres:
• Nylon: This material is also the most durable and popular. It is known for its capability to resist soil and stay the same for many years. For high traffic rooms, this is the best kind that you should look for.
• Polyester: These have wonderful colours and textures. Known for having luxurious looks. It is harder to clean and less durable than nylon. It can be best used in low traffic areas or houses without kids and pets.
• Olefin: It is known for being inexpensive fibre, not as resilient as nylon. It might be damaged with excess exposure to sunlight. Often selected for high traffic sections like play areas.
• Wool: The appealing factor will be its resilience for stains, dirt, and dust. It is quite expensive as the fibre is durable and strong.
HOW CAN YOU DETERMINE THE QUALITY OF THE CARPET?
It’s better to know what entails a quality
carpet material. Ask the salesperson these qualities before finalizing the
carpet material.
• Face weight: This is
usually the weight of the carpet measured in ounces. Check for all the factors
along with the weight to determine the quality of the material.
• Density: It is determined by the thickness of the fibre and how they are packed together. A density rating of 2000 or more is what you should be looking for.
• Carpet twist number: This refers to several times the strands are twisted together when you measure it within the one-inch length of the fibre.
• Warranties: It is very important to understand what the manufacturer is offering in the name of warranties. Check for exclusions and texture retention in your warranty.
• Carpet style: Your carpet style plays an influential role in its performance. The styles include Saxony, frieze or cut-and-loop.
How to Choose Carpet Color
If you’re not sure what color of carpet to pick for your bedroom, living room, or hallways, fret not! Go with a dark shade to make the room seem warm and cozy or pick a light color to make the room appear larger
Picking Your Perfect Shade
Choose a light, neutral shade to make your space appear bigger. If you’re upgrading a small room, consider using a light-toned, neutral shade of carpet. This looks great in traditional homes and light carpet provides a sense of luxury. Attractive light shades include taupe and sand.
- You can also select beige, tan, or light grey carpet for a warm, comfortable option.
- This is a good choice for living rooms and offices, for instance.
Pick a dark-colored carpet to make the room look modern and comfy. In general, dark carpets make rooms look smaller and cozy. This is a great idea if you prefer a modern style and want your space to look warm and inviting.
- For instance, pick out charcoal, dark brown, or slate-gray colored carpet for a trendy bedroom or living room carpet color.
Choose a multi-colored carpet if you want to hide dirt and stains. If you have children or pets, you may be worried about them tracking footprints or leaving crumbs behind. In this case, select carpeting that has 2-3 different tones. This way, the stains or marks will be less noticeable.
- For example, go with a dark brown, medium brown, and tan blend to cover your living room floors. This way, you won’t notice pet hair, dirt, or debris as easily.
Select a brightly-colored carpet to create a personalized space. While colorful carpet is not for everyone, it’s a great way to add a unique touch to your space. Pick a blue, green, pink, or red carpet if you want to customize your bedroom, studio, children’s rooms, playroom, or den.
- Keep in mind that this may make your home harder to resell down the line, as not everyone loves colored carpet.
Variation: If you want to add some color but don’t want to commit to the entire floor, go with a neutral carpet and decorate with bright area rugs, throw pillows, and blankets instead.
THE OPTIONS – PILE FIBRE
Wool – Generally used for high-quality carpets, you’ll pay more for natural materials, but you’ll get a great looking floor covering that is made from sustainable fibre, is resilient and highly durable. It gets top marks for insulation, too – good for reducing heat loss and noise – and retains its appearance remarkably well. Wool also feels beautiful and soft underfoot!
Wool-mix – Some consider a mix of 80% wool, 20% man-made fibres (such as polyamide or polyester), as the best combination for an all-purpose carpet.
Polypropylene – This man-made carpet fibre is a popular choice, because it’s hardwearing and resistant to stains. It can be cleaned using a part-bleached cleaning solution, although always check with the manufacturer or retailer first. However, Polypropylene is flammable and not self-extinguishing.
Polyamide (also known as nylon) – Available in a wider range of hues and vibrant clear colours that can’t be reproduced in wool. A good all-rounder for family homes, good-quality polyamide or nylon carpets come with built-in stain-resistant treatments and score high marks for wearability.
Why Carpet is the Best Choice for Bedrooms
The debate between carpet and hardwood is alive and well, with hardwood seeing an increase in popularity in recent years. However, there are some places in the home that are just better suited to a soft floor covering than a hard one. One of the best examples of this is the bedroom. For most people, the bedroom is a cozy sanctuary from the bustle and activity of the rest of the home. The softness, quiet, and warmth of carpet often make it the best flooring option for this private oasis.
Quieter Space
Most people tend to prefer quiet when trying to sleep. No one wants to be woken up by the sound of someone else clomping through the bedroom. Carpet is quieter to walk on than hard flooring, and it helps to mask the sound of a partner walking around the room. This can be especially beneficial when partners have different schedules. Also, carpet absorbs sound—while hard flooring reflects it—reducing the noise of speech and other activity.
Warmer, Softer Step
Most people don’t enjoy waking up to an alarm every morning and having to leave the warmth of a bed. But it can make matters worse when your first steps are made into a cold, hard floor. By contrast, carpet provides a nice transition between the comfort of the bed and the reality of facing another day. At the end of the day, when your feet are tired and sore and you retreat to your bedroom, it’s nice to have a soft, cushioned feel underfoot. The softness of the carpet can be intensified by choosing a high-quality pad
The Safer Choice
Slips can happen easily, particularly if you’re half asleep. Stumbling to the bathroom in the middle of the night when you’re not quite awake could be hazardous on a hard, slippery floor. For kids’ rooms and nurseries, carpet is the logical choice. Young children are more prone to falling out of bed and will benefit from a softer landing place. And for babies who are crawling or learning to walk, carpet is much softer on the knees and much more forgiving during crash landings.
Easier to Breathe
With all the time people spend in the bedroom—albeit much of it sleeping—air quality is an important consideration, especially for people with asthma and allergies. Numerous studies over the past several decades have shown that carpet reduces the number of allergens in the air as compared to hard flooring. Carpet prevents allergens from becoming airborne by trapping them in the fibers of the carpet, helping to keep them out of the air and out of your lungs. Vacuuming the carpet then removes the trapped allergens completely.
A Possible Compromise
If you’re having trouble going one way or the other, perhaps the best solution is a compromise. You can reap many of the benefits of carpeting by using an area rug to cover a hard flooring in the bedroom. It’s best to have a large area rug that goes under the bed and extends beyond the bed on all exposed sides. If you prefer small rugs, create cozy spaces by placing a rug at each side of the bed (for stepping onto when getting in and out of bed in bare feet) as well as in front of a bench or other seating or dressing areas in the room.
Signs You Need to Replace Your Carpet
Stains in carpet
Are you covering up carpet stains with furniture and rugs when carpet cleaning fails to remove them? If your house is starting to resemble a minefield, it’s time for a carpet replacement. Most carpets come with a stain-resistant finish, but over time, the treatment fades and eventually leaves the carpet unprotected.
Wear and tear on carpet
Has your carpet seen better days? Are you putting rugs all over it to cover rips and tears, or rearranging furniture to cover defects? Are your kids scared to lay on it? Matted carpet, tears and significant wear on the main walkways are major signs your carpet is on its death bed.
Stinky carpet
If you own a pet or haven’t cleaned in a while, you may notice a lingering smell on your carpet, but the odor should be gone or noticeably diminished after a proper cleaning. If it doesn’t, this means that the odor has penetrated deep into the carpet fibers, the carpet pad or the subfloor, and it may even indicate mold and mildew growth.
Condition of carpet padding
Carpet padding is like the pillow under the case, the carpet is nothing but a layer of fabric without the padding. It helps support the carpet, working as a foundation and making it comfortable to walk and lay on. It buffers sounds and keeps a room quieter and even improves insulation.
Increased allergy symptoms
Often, older carpets catch and retain more allergens and particulate matter, which may cause your allergies to act up. If you notice an increase in allergies, one source may be your older carpet.