Need help with carpet selection (1 Viewer)

[Henry Carmona]

Hello
We are trying to figure out what type and style of carpet to have installed in our condo.
I know little about this and would appreciate the help of the forum educated
My wife wants a soft carpet that will hold up well over the years and one that is stain ressistant of course.
What brands or types would you guys recommend?
Thanks.

 

[SteveA]

I have a new house under construction and had to make the same decisions a couple months ago. From what I found out, the padding under the carpet is much more important than the carpet itself. Installing good padding will make any carpet last much longer. Typically, builders only pay for the cheapest possible padding. Upgrading to something good might cost a couple bucks per square yard - which shouldn't be a major expense unless your condo is like 10,000 square feet or something!

 

[Adil M]

I suggest you get advice from an interior decorator specializing in carpets or a lesbian.

 

[Henry Carmona]

Thanks adil, that was great advice. Why didnt i think of that :rolleyes

 

[Neil N]

I agree with Steve, that the padding is as important if not more so than the actual carpet.

Beyond that, if you're concerned about stains (esp. if you have small kids or pets) I would definitely make that a higher priority than getting the softest, most plush carpet. I'd even give serious consideration to tile, hardwood, etc., possibly with an area rug, or partial carpeting only in certain areas.

As for the carpet, (and realise I haven't had to shop for carpet for quite a while) I prefer berbers for thier look, durability, etc. A thick, rich carpet looks nice as long as you never walk on it, but I feel you can walk on, play on, have the dog roll on, a berber type carpet and it will still look great.

 

[LDfan]

Hmm, I used to work in the carpet/floor dept at home depot a couple years ago but I still remember a little bit. Basically you have 3 types of carpeting to choose from:

1. Berber

2. Textured

3. Plush

They all have their + & -'s. Berber is very popular for family rooms and such. It usually wears very well and comes in a variety of types, Berber is made from a continuous looping stitch. If you have cats and have any furniture that can snag the carpet it can get really messy. That one snag can keep in pulling and pulling if not repaired.

Textured and Plush carpeting are your traditional types of carpeting. Plush is cut so it feels softer but it will leave footprints, textured is cut so it won't leave footprints or traffic marks but it isn't quite as soft.

When you go to a carpet store or home depot pull up a sample and look on the back. All manufacturers include wear ratings etc... A few that I remember are pile weight, density, and fiber-twist. The higher the pile weight and density it will give a fuller, thicker feel. Fiber twist is very important. Basically this is how many times each carpet fiber has been twisted. The higher the twist the more durable it will be and less likely to get smashed and matted over time.

Padding is important. Standard contractors usually use cheap 5 pound padding. At home depot the basic padding is 6 pound which is pretty good but the upgraded 8 pound padding is the best. It does make a big difference.

Oh and about stain protectors. Every manufacturer uses them but every time you have you carpets cleaned or you clean up spills you need to apply more protectant to ensure the carpet will retain it's stain resistance.

Hope this helps,

Jeff

 

[Henry Carmona]

Jeff,
You have educated me
Thanks man, im running out to look at some carpets now

 

[Kurt B]

Jeff, excellent info. I too am looking at carpeting for the home theater and the rest of the basement rooms I'm finishing off.