With all the colors, types and styles, choosing carpet that is right for your home can be overwhelming. Purchasing carpet is a huge investment for your home so do some research before you start shopping to make the task easier. Kids can be tough on everything, including your carpet. Durability is the most important factor. Quality flooring can be expensive and it’s not a choice that should be taken lightly. Thicker is not always better and you need to look at how the carpet is constructed. Look for tight twists in each yarn instead of loose and frayed. Firm, dense pile is a sign of good quality carpet. You can check this by bending the carpet back to see how much of the backing you can see. More backing means less dense carpet and less durable carpet. High traffic areas should have lower profile carpets because there’s less potential for matted and crushed carpet.
Glossary of Carpet Terms to Understand
If you’re planning on buying new carpet, there’s important information you need to know.
1. Carpet face weight. This is the weight in ounces per square yard of carpet and lets you know “how much” carpet you have. This tells you how much the fiber/yarn of the carpet weighs. The thicker they are, the more they weigh and the more durable they are. The only problem here is that the height of the carpet isn’t taken into consideration. Taller carpet increases the face weight but doesn’t make it any more durable. It may even cause the carpet to breakdown faster. The maximum face weight for durability should be at least 35 ounces.
2. Carpet density rating. If the strands of carpet are close together at the base of the carpet it means the carpet is denser. Density will affect how the carpet will perform and look.
3. Carpet tuft-Twist level. This is the amount of twists that two or more piles of fiber are given. This is key in how your carpet will keep its like-new look longer. You can figure out how many twists a carpet has by looking at it closely. Short, medium dense, 40-ounce face fiber, high twist carpet can last as long as many looped carpets. Think of curling your hair. The tighter the tufts are twisted together, the more durable the carpet will be. So, carpets with higher tuft-twist like 5.5 to 7.5 will look newer longer and tolerate more foot traffic.
Is Carpet Padding Important?
Carpet padding isn’t designed to provide extra comfort under your feet. It’s designed to help absorb foot impact that will affect how the carpet fibers will break down over time. Extra comfort is an added plus, so invest in good carpet padding. The padding is typically made from rubber, urethane foam or bonded urethane. Carpet padding is available in different thicknesses and densities. Carpet manufactures recommend a cushion of at least 6 lbs. and 3/8-inch thickness for areas with light foot traffic and 8 lbs. and 3/8-inch thickness for areas that will get heavier foot traffic.
Carpet Installation & Cleaning in Tracy, Livermore, San Ramon, Dublin, Mountain House, Walnut Creek, Danville & the East Bay of California
Depending on the areas of your home that will have carpet and the traffic it will get means you might want to choose different kinds of carpet and padding. Contact Carpet Care 2000 for carpet installation and to keep your newly installed carpet looking its best with regular cleanings.
