Important things to remember before buying a carpet

Important things to remember before buying a carpet 

Carpets and their specialty have been there since childhood, remember Aladdin and that magical flying carpet where no one fell from while riding. The message is the same, that it prevents one from slipping and falling and it’s cozy to own one. Carpets have powers, oh yes they do.

They make a boring space look interesting with their designs and colors and give added depth to your room.

1. Selection

When shopping, think function first. As yourself a few questions:


i) What is this room used for? 

ii) 
How much traffic does it get?

iii) Does the room receive a lot of sunlight?
iv) 
Does the light change during the day?
v) 
Is it next to indoor or outdoor spaces?
vi) 
How often am I likely to vacuum it?

Answers to these questions will help you begin to determine the best fiber for your carpet as well as texture, construction, and even color.

2. Types of Fiber

The type of fiber used determines the basic performance and appearance of the carpet. The biggest trend today is: soft. Homeowners seek comfort, and carpet offers a cushion underfoot. It also suppresses noise. The fiber content is usually listed on a specification sheet on the back of the sample. While names may differ among manufacturers, products still fall within one of five basic categories.

      a) Wool

Wool, the granddaddy of all soft floorcoverings, retains its legacy of luxury. Natural and made from woven construction, it offers a greater range of designs, detail, and color than a traditional tufted carpet. Expect good stain resistance as long as you treat it as soon as something is dropped on it. It also has inherent flame retardant characteristics.

      b) Nylon

Nylon comes a close second to wool in terms of performance and feel, but on average it costs less. This versatile fiber offers plenty of variety in styles and construction: frieze, textured, shag, loop cut loop (LCL) all can be made from nylon. It has excellent soil resistance, color fastness and resilience, which allows it to bounce back, making it a suitable just about anywhere. Some of it can be recycled once into another nylon carpet if the manufacturer so chooses.

     c) Polypropylene

Previously called olefin, polypropylene is a solution-dyed synthetic that is both water- and stain-resistant, making it a good choice for indoor/outdoor carpeting. Because it is solution-dyed, it will not fade, making it good for rooms that get a lot of light or traffic from the outside or from a chlorinated pool. Because it is less resilient than nylon, it is best used in low-pile carpets such as berbers (low, loop-pile carpeting with flecks of different colors).

     d) Polyester

Polyester is noted for its soft hand, or texture, especially when used in a luxurious thick pile. It is a good value choice, as its styling attributes are competitive with nylon—it can be made into loop or cut loop, and it takes color extremely well. But it's not as resilient. Soil resistant and easy to care for, it's suitable for bedrooms as well as playrooms. Everstrand, a polyester carpeting from Mohawk, has been manufactured by a process that uses recycled soda bottles since 1989. 

     e) Triexta

One of the newest fibers to hit the market, triexta (sold under the brand nameSmartStrand) combines the performance characteristics of polyester and nylon: durable, stain and soil resistant, easy to clean, colorfast, fade-resistant, and soft. It's made from a polymer, 37 percent of which is created from corn, a renewable resource.