Saturday, July 15, 2006

Picking Out A Carpet

Carpets are available in many different styles and
colors, although when you shop for your carpet, you
should try to buy the best quality carpet you can
get for the money. Even if you happen to be on a
very strict budget, you shouldn't skimp on your
carpeting or your carpet pad, as quality products
will tend to last longer, wear better, and even save
you quite a bit of money in the long run.

Almost all modern carpets are made from either nylon,
polyester, or olefin. Nylon is the strongest type
of material and also the most widely used. Even
though nylon will never wear down to the treads, it
can fade and get very scrubby in appearance. Buying
the proper padding for your carpet and having it
treated with a stain resistant treatment will help
to make it last a lot longer.

When you pick out a carpet, you need to know how
to tell if carpet is good enough quality. One easy
way to test is by looking at the density of the
carpet. This means the thickness and closeness of
the pile, or each specific strand of fiber.

The closer the fibers are to each other, the better
the overall quality will be. You should stick your
fingers into the rub or bend it to see if you can
feel or see the mesh. The less you feel or see,
the better the quality of the carpet. Another
factor with quality carpet is the twist level or
the number of twists in 1 inch length of fiber - as
the more twists you see, the better.

The density of the pile will affect how the carpet
will wear, while the cut of the pile will affect
how the carpet looks. A plush cut carpet looks like
a field of velvet with even color and it's great
for a formal look.

The saxony cut carpet has irregular cuts of pile,
and provides a great everyday look. Frieze is a
very nubby twisted pile, with a less formal look
although the wear it offers is very good.

When you buy carpet, you shouldn't ignore the
carpet pad. Along with going for the best quality
of carpet you can afford, you should also buy the
best quality of pad as well. The padding will cut
down on noise, and also help to act as a cushion
so it's very important - almost as important as
the carpet.

By taking your time and knowing what to look for,
you won't have any problems picking out your
next carpet. Quality and durability are the keys
to great carpet and pad, which is why you don't
want to rush this process.

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Thursday, July 13, 2006

Todays Carpet Trends

Going beyond beige
Long ago, when the choices of carpet were limited
to basic beige, the designers tended to treat it
more often than not as a neutral background for
rooms. These days, with numerous patterns, textures,
and colors to choose from, the carpet is quickly
emerging as the focal point in many interior
designs.

Although you may think the need for neutral carpet
has faded away, it hasn't, as Berber is still an
excellent choice. Unlike the plain choices of the
early 1990s, the versions of today offer more
pattern and texture. Even the traditional types
of Berber carpet offer more visual interest with
more extreme differences in pile being cut thicker,
with deeper loop textures.

Color being sprinkled against a neutral background
will add interest and dimension while helping to
mask spots and spills. The flecks of color are
now appearing against tan, beige, and cream type
backgrounds as well as in other neutrals as well.



Colors and textures
The major shift in new products is going towards
layered color and softer texture in carpet. The
combination of pattern and texture will always
be a popular choice simply because it minimizes
soil and vacuum marks. The other advantage here
is that the color and texture offer a more
distinct styling and plenty of fashion appeal
as well.

The new products are rapidly changing the
perception of carpet as not only being a
background to showcase other furnishings to
the possibility that the carpet can become a
focus for design as well.

Construction
The new manufacturing capabilities have produced
several new looks with carpets that are constructed
with cut and loop yarns. Some examples include
bows, swirls, lattices, plaids, pin dots, and
several others.

By taking advantage of these choices, you can add
a great deal of interest to the room and in
sequence with the florals, stripes, and other
patterns on windows and furniture. The carpet
pattern and texture will also increase the
perception of quality and value in the carpet,
and will add a much broader element to the
surroundings as well.

These days, carpets can do more than just protect
your sub floor. They can add a new level of
comfort and warmth to your home, with literally
thousands of choices available. Carpet is
easier than ever to clean as well, making it
more than worth worthy of being in your home.

With several different trends and new and exciting
colors to choose from, the carpets of today
can make your house come alive. The carpets
will add new meaning to your rooms, making you
appreciate your home even more. If you have
older carpet in your home now, you shouldn't
wait another minute to upgrade. Once you take
a look at all of the choices you have, you'll
want to get that new carpet in now - as your
floor with want to thank you as well!

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Benefits Of Carpet

In the past and even today, carpet is very popular
with home owners all across the U.S. Carpet is
the most practical, fashionable, and versatile
choice of flooring out there, as it also accounts
for more than half of all flooring purchases that
are made each and every year. The fact is, carpet
has outsold every other type of flooring for more
than 60 years.

Carpet offers you several advantages that other
flooring options can't compete with. Below, you
will find many of the features that carpet will
add to your home.

Warmth
Carpet is the best choice you can make for your
bedroom, family room, and other areas where you
need warmth underfoot.

Insulation
Both carpet and carpet padding will provide an
extra layer of much needed insulation between the
floors of your home. Depending on the density and
weight of the carpet, it contributes to the R-value
of your home, which adds to the energy efficiency
as well.

Safety
Carpet offers a slip resistant surface that will
prevent accidents along with a natural cushion
in the event of someone falling. For young
children and the elderly, this is very important.

Reduction in sound
Carpet will also reduce noise better than any
other type of flooring. Carpet works to dampen
noise in three ways:
1. Reduces surface noise from foot traffic
2. Absorbs airborne sound
3. Blocks transmission of sound
These qualities are valuable in apartments as well
as semi-detached homes.

Surface
Adding carpet to a room can also disguise any
existing damage to the floor and also hide any
other problems such as warped floors. The thicker
density the carpet is, the more problems it will
be able to hide.

Easy to care for
The carpets of today are more stain resistant
than they have ever been in the past, which makes
cleaning even the worst possible spills easier
than ever. No matter type of spill it may be,
there is always a way to clean it up.

Clean air
Research has proven that carpet can indeed improve
the quality of air by trapping allergy causing
dust and allergens if it is properly cleaned and
maintained.

Variety of use
Carpets aren't only for floors anymore, which is
a really great thing. You can easily add carpet
to steps, stairs, walls, posts, and other non
level surfaces, without having to worry about it
slipping, lifting, or buckling.

Flexibility
Carpet is the primary foundation in almost any
room. Because it is available in a variety of
different colors and textures, it helps to
create an unlimited number of possibilities for
decorating. From the neutral tones to rich
solids, carpet is the first step you can take
to make your home look better than ever.

Low cost
Carpet doesn't cost a lot of money, as it offers
an economical alternative to the other types of
expensive flooring. Even with professional
installation, you won't pay near as much as you
would for hard surfaces. Unlike hard surfaces,
carpet can keep you comfortable if you decide
to lay down on it.

Life span
The carpets of today are very durable and can
outlast most other types of flooring available on
the market. All you have to do is select a
type of carpet that has a life span of 5 - 30
years or more, which is very common now days.

Warranty
With most manufacturers, you can get great
warranties with your carpet purchase. This way,
you'll be protected when you install your new
carpet. Once installed, all you have to do is
enjoy it - as the warranty will ensure that you
are very well protected.

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Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Selecting Carpet For Your Lifestyle

Whenever you select carpet, you have to consider many
aesthetic as well as technical areas. With well over
a hundred thousands styles and colors being released
every year, selecting the right carpet to match your
needs can be a very challenging task indeed.

Carpet is available in several different textures,
constructions, colors, and designs - which will open
the doors to virtually any interior design that you
can imagine. The combination of texture and color
will complement the look of both formal and casual
environments, while helping to bring continuity to
the overall room designs.

The most important thing to consider when you shop
for carpet is the amount of traffic that will be
on the carpet that is going to be installed as well
as the area you hope to use it in. The construction
and the texture are both key aspects when you
select a carpet for a specified area and use.

Nylon, polyester, and olefin are the mosty widely
used fibers with carpet manufacturing, with each
one displaying qualities that make themselves great
with specific applications and uses. Even though
nylon is the most expensive type of fiber, it is
also the softest and most resilient, which makes
it great for any room in your home, including those
areas that have a high level of traffic.

Polyester fabric is less resilient than nylon,
although it more cost efficient and offers a
high level of resistance to stains, which makes it
a great choice for areas such as bedrooms or dining
rooms that are not subjet to a lot of traffic.

The fiber olefin is solution dyed, which results
in a highly resistant stain carpet that can be
cleaned easily using a water and beach solution -
without any loss to the color.

Unlike the other types of fibers, olefin is fade,
mildew, and mold resistant, which results in a
carpet that performs well indoors and outdoors.
Keep in mind however, that olefin isn't very
resilient and as a result, it should only be
considered with berber construction.

You can get carpets in either plush or berber
construction. The berber type of carpets are well
constructed with a continuous level loop, while
plush carpets are constructed of loops that have
been sheared, which results in the strands standing
upright.

Berber construction carpets don't crush or matt,
due to their high level loops. They are however
harder underfoot, uncomfortable to sit on or lay
down on, and they can easily become damaged by
pets with long nails. Berber carpets are well
suited for high traffic areas, which include walk
ways, living rooms, and entrance areas. They aren't
popular with bedrooms, as their hard texture makes
them a less than attractive option.

The plush type carpets are much softer to walk or
lay on and they offer better sound and thermal
insulation. They tend to crush and matt though
when they are subjected to high levels of foot
traffic.

The use of nylon fiber paired with a tight low pile
construction will help to limit the amount of pile
and matt crushing, due to the high resilient nature
of the nylon fiber and the added support that is
gained from tight construction.

The warranties for carpet ranges from 5 - 30 years,
with the general rule being that you don't cover
the stairs. Most carpet warranties will require
the installation of new carpet padding as well at
the time of installation in order for the warranty
to become valid.

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Right Carpet For Your Home

If you walk into any carpeting store, you'll find
yourself amazed at all of the choices that are there
for you to pick from. You'll find textured plush
carpets, saxony carpets, berber carpets, and even
commercial grade carpets. There are carpets that
can be installed wall to wall, and carpets that can
be cut to size with bound edges and carpet squares.

Your first consideration when purchasing a new carpet
should not be color, even though it is important.
Your first consideration should be how much traffic
you are going to have on the carpet. If you plan
to put carpet in the bedroom, then it won't have as
much traffic as carpet in the living room.

Stain resistance will also be important. This is
something to think about with any carpet, especially
carpet that is going to be used in a dining room
or play room area where there will be a stready
stream of food or possibilities for spills.

You'll also want to inquire about the rating of the
carpet as well. Indoor carpeting is normally rated
on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest
rating. Carpets with a 5 rating are considered the
best for heavy traffic areas. Rating of 4 are
considered outstanding and recommended for heavy
traffic areas of your home.

Ratings of 2.5 to 4 would provide normal durability
for your home. Carpets that rate 2.5 or lower
should only be used with light traffic areas, such
as bedrooms. Choosing carpet based on the type of
traffic it will receive can help you save a lot
of money down the road, although you should buy
carpet suited to your needs and requirements.

The highest quality of carpet you can buy is carpet
made of wool. Wool carpets are very expensive,
although you'll reap the benefits over years of
use as wool will easily out perform any man
made carpet. Two of the best benefits of wool
carpet include its natural soil resistance and
it's ability to retain appearance, meaning it
won't crush or wear down like other carpets.

The downside to wool carpet, is the fact that it
is out of reach for most of us. If you can't
afford to have woold carpet installed throughout
your entire house, then you should instead have
it installed in the room that receives the highest
amount of traffic.

There are several different man made carpets that
you can choose from as well. If you have a high
traffic area, then nylon would be an ideal choice
due to the durability. Nylon is stain resistant
as well, and repels mildew.

Carpets made of olefin is also a great choice for
high traffic areas as it is very strong and easy
to clean. Polyester is another good carpet as
it is easy to clean and repels water based stains.
Polyester is known for the look and feel of wool,
although it is much less expensive.

The color consideration is also important. Light
colored carpets create an effect of a larger
space, although they do tend to show stains more
easily. Dark carpets on the other hand tend to
absorb light, giving a room what many know as
the "cozy feeling".

When you find a carpet that appeals to you, you
should ask to take a piece of it home. Look at
it during natural daylight and at night under
an artificial light to see if the color changes
at all.

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