Even though you may have been secretly dreaming of a home entirely decorated with the plushest of carpets, a thorough understanding of the concepts of carpeting will make you appreciate the folly of such an exercise. This is because you need to choose carpets depending upon the function of the room and the traffic it experiences. There are other factors such as texture, color, pattern and pile that also play a significant role in the ultimate selection of the carpet. Quite evidently, rooms that see a lot of traffic need to have carpets that are more durable and are dark colored, while other rooms that have a far lower traffic like bedrooms can be very well furnished with thicker, softer and lighter colored carpets. Some important things to take note of while choosing carpets:
Carpet Weight
The ounce weight is among the most important factors in the matter of carpet selection. The higher the weight of the carpet, irrespective of the material it is made out of, the more durable it will be. Typically lower-weight carpets tend to be thinner and as a result less durable. For areas in your home that have high traffic such as stairs, hallways, and living rooms, it can be worth the expense of installing heavier weight carpets. Referring to the website of a reputed home furnishing manufacturer can be extremely helpful if you need more information about judging carpet weight.
Carpet Materials
The material of the carpet plays a very important role in handling wear and tear as well as its overall appearance. The carpet material affects the way it resists damage due to foot traffic or even stains and spills. Because of their inherent composition fibers like nylon, polyester and wool tend to be among the most hardwearing and strongest. While many other materials may initially seem to be more affordable, they are unlikely to be as durable. You should make it a point to install more durable carpets in areas that see a high traffic, such as foyers, hallways, recreation rooms, family rooms, children’s rooms, stairways and also dining rooms because it is necessary to protect them from staining due to spills of food and beverage. If you have pets in the house, make sure that you install heavy-duty carpeting in the areas that are accessible to them; otherwise, you are going to end up with carpets looking very unsightly indeed.
Colors and Pattern
Proper color selection is one of the strategic ways in which it is possible to maximize the performance and gratification over the years. Choosing a darker color will help in extending the life of the carpet in high-traffic areas as the marks of wear and tear as well as stains and scuffs will not be easily apparent and the carpet will look as new for a longer time. Selecting a carpet with an intricate design is also a very good strategy for extending the life of the carpet because the signs of wear and tears are not easily discernible as the complexities of the pattern engage the eyes.
Pile and Pad
While the carpet’s pile height is an important factor in making a carpet seem softer and luxurious, carpets with higher piles should be reserved only for areas that see very light traffic such as bedrooms. Ideally, the pile height should be restricted to less than ¾” as the chances of the pile getting matted and crushed is diminished. Shortpile carpets are not only more durable but also far easier to clean, which is essential to its upkeep in high-traffic areas. Because of the less height of the pile, they tend to be more stain-resistant too. This is the reason why all commercial areas are almost always fitted out with carpets with minimal pile height. If you are selecting a carpet for high-traffic, then make sure that the pile density is high, because more the number of tufts the better it resists crushing and matting and is more durable.
The carpet pad thickness has an important bearing on the selection of the carpet. You will get a more luxurious feel if the pad is thicker and of a better quality. The cost of the carpet does go up but is well worth the money if you desire a plush feel below your feet.
