Buying Tips for Carpet
Don’t take the quality of your carpet
cushion lightly
The performance of many carpets will
hinge on the performance of the cushion. Spending a few extra dollars on
cushion can mean extra years of performance for your carpet. Some carpet
warranties also hinge on the grade of cushion you select.
Carpet cushion affects the luxury feel underfoot, quietness, resilience,
cleaning, insulation, and, ultimately, the life of your carpet.
Crushing or flattening of your carpet fiber causes it to look ugly long
before it’s useful wear life is over. Quality cushion will help resist
this condition.
Don’t judge the quality
by feel alone
Thick and luxurious carpet can fool you
at times. Determine the performance you want and the conditions effecting
your carpet. A tighter twisted fiber doesn’t feel as soft but it will generally
give you better performance over the life of the carpet. A tightly twisted
yarn will resist soiling, matting and crushing. When a yarn is not tightly
twisted it may feel more luxurious but it will tend to crush and flatten
out more quickly.
Read the labels
Generally speaking you can review the stain resistance, anti-static claims
and wear warranties right on the back of the sample. You also will see
the type of fiber ( nylon, polyester, polypropylene, etc.), the face weight,
density, and twist.
There is no substitute
for a knowledgeable sales person
As you can see there
are a wide variety of issues to resolve in buying the best carpet for your
needs. The performance and quality characteristics of carpet vary more
widely than that of other flooring materials and a knowledgeable sales
person will help you match up your performance needs.
