Selecting the right carpet for your home can be confusing. There are too many choices on the market these days!
The first thing to do is to assess the room.
Then ask yourself the following questions:
- Is the carpet for the family gathering area?
- Is it for a high traffic area?
- Do you have pets and will they be in the rooms where the carpet will be installed?
- Do you suffer from allergies and are you looking for a non -toxic and non-allergenic carpet?
- The next step is to choose the fiber that works for you:
THE FIBERS:
Here are the most common fibers:
Wool:
- It is a natural, strong and durable fiber. It is more expensive than synthetic fiber carpets.
- It comes in different textures form very fine to coarse.
- Wool is considered the finest fiber used for carpet.
Drawbacks:
- It is not mold and mildew resistant and when wet it has a distinctive smell.
Wool also sheds more than synthetic fibers. (You will need to vacuum more frequently) - Dry cleaning is highly recommended.
Nylon:
- It is strong, durable, resilient, abrasion resistant and is the best performing carpet.
- It is the least expensive synthetic fiber. 80% of all carpet sold on the market are made of Nylon.
- It hides dirt and is good for high traffic areas.
- Nylon is non- allergenic, mildew and insect resistant
- It cleans very easily. Steam or dry clean are recommended.
Drawbacks:
- It can have a high sheen, therefore will show footprints and can be unpleasant to the touch.
Acrylic:
- It is a synthetic fiber.
- Its cost is moderate.
- It looks like wool and is often combined with wool.
- Acrylic is soft and warm to the touch.
- It cleans easily steam or dry clean are fine.
Drawbacks:
- It has a low resilience, mats easily and is not durable.
- It has a short life span.
THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES:
Carpet is usually categorized in loop, cut pile, cut and loop types:
Loop:
- Loop carpets have soft, continuous loops.
- They are used in residential and commercial areas.
- Loop carpets are smooth and have a more casual and informal look.
- They are prefect for high traffic area.
- The Berber is a good example for this category.
Cut pile:
- The loops of yard are cut at the top.
- They show traffic, footsteps, vacuum marks and are used in low traffic areas.
- This type includes Plush, Saxony, Frieze carpets.
Cut and Loop:
- These carpets have the cut and level loop.
- They have print, patterns, designs such as leaves, scrolls etc…
- They are more and more popular and can be either casual or formal.
- They are very absorbent and durable.
- This type of carpet includes Sisal carpet which is the trend now
Choose the carpet that is right for you and do not forget when selecting the color to coordinate with your wall paint color, furniture, window coverings and accessories.
Happy Carpeting!