5 Things To Know About Choosing Your New Carpet
*Thanks to our friends at Stainmaster for their input on this post
In the market for new carpet? Educate yourself and research your options before shopping.
Room Use
- How is the room going to be used?
- Is there light or heavy room traffic in the room?
- Is the room the center of activity for family or entertaining?
- Is there direct access from outside?
By asking these questions, the dealer is trying to gauge which grade and style of carpet would work best for your home.
Color and Style
- How much use will the room get? (This is a consideration because a heavily used room may not be the best place to install white or very light-colored carpet.)
- Are kids going to be playing down on the floor? Or is it a formal room that doesn’t get much use? (Again, lighter colors my create more maintenance but another factor the dealer is trying to consider is whether you should choose carpet made with BCF fiber like STAINMASTER® so that children playing on the floor will not find themselves covered in loose fibers shed from staple products.)
- Is it a small room or a large room? (Smaller rooms can be made to feel larger by selecting a lighter colored carpet while larger rooms can be made to feel cozier by using a mid-to-darker colored carpet.)
- What are the lighting conditions in the room? (Rooms with plenty of natural light will show the true color of the carpet while rooms on the north side of a house may need a lighter shade of carpet to keep them from feeling darker than they are.)
You should always remember to bring swatches of fabric from drapes and furniture, wallpaper samples, and paint chips with you when you are selecting carpet. That way you can consider a range of colors that will match your existing décor. Remember that color can also affect your mood. Warmer colors often make you feel energized while cooler tones provide a sense of calm.
Cost
- Are you installing this carpet for the purposes of selling the home or are you re-decorating it for your enjoyment?
- What is the size of the room to be carpeted?
The dealer is trying to determine what style of carpet you might be interested in. A home seller is going to want to select a neutral toned carpet in a simple style, like a cut pile texture. But a home owner who is re-decorating will want to explore the many varieties available to them. Either way, STAINMASTER® carpet is a good choice.
Quality
Only STAINMASTER® carpets offer the exclusive three-part system for lasting beauty:
With this patented fiber technology, STAINMASTER® carpets resist crushing, abrasive wear and color fading. The unique molecular structure of 6,6 nylon make it much more resilient than carpet fiber made from polyester, polypropylene and other types of nylon. Plus, this specially designed fiber keeps soil and stains from penetrating.
This superior soil resistance technology enables SM carpet fibers to push dirt away, allowing it to be removed more easily with a vacuum cleaner. And the Stain Protection reduces the fibers ability to absorb liquids, greatly limiting its ability to become stained. This unique soil and stain protection lasts much longer than other carpets’ protection, which must be re-applied after each cleaning in order to maintain their warranties.
The fibers in every STAINMASTER® carpet contain a special carbon compound that act like thousands of tiny lighting rods, deflecting static shock for the life of the carpet. Most other carpets are sprayed with anti-static protection that can wear off with foot traffic and successive cleanings.
At the store, you’ll see lots of labels from different mills and manufacturers. You might get confused as to what type of carpet you are looking at.
Look for the STAINMASTER® label on the back of the dealer’s sample. That’s the only way to guarantee a carpet that features STAINMASTER®’s comprehensive warranties, anti-static controls, resilient fibers and a carpet surface that actually repels dirt and soil.
