The Buyer’s Guide to Carpeting Your Home
Carpets have been a treasured indoor decoration going back thousands of years. The Persian, Indian and other Asian cultures have developed a heritage of making fine carpets that have been prized for their beauty. If you are looking for a floor-covering that will add charm to an indoor space, a carpet can be a great solution.
The type and material of carpet you will need depends on the function it will serve. If you are decorating a spacious bedroom, something equally expansive will do. However, for warm but reserved living rooms, you will want something more restrained. Use these tips below to make the best carpet selection for your needs.
5 Types of Carpets You Should Know
Carpets come in many material types and colors. There are two variants you will run into frequently while carpet shopping. These are cut pile carpets and loop pile carpets.
Some loop pile carpet types are:
- Berber carpets – These carpets have a loop of the carpet material on the top. They are quite cheap and are named after the African tribe that’s famous for this style of weaving.
- Multi-level loop carpets – These carpets have loops of material on top, which are cut at different heights to create patterns.
When it comes to cut pile carpets, you will typically run into:
- Frieze carpet – This carpet type has long threads and is quite shaggy.
- Saxony – This carpet type is very smooth and has long fibers. The surface is soft and comfortable.
- Plush carpet – For a smooth and formal-looking carpet, you will want the plush carpet type.
The Best Carpet Brands
You will encounter a large variety of generic carpets and brand name carpets when shopping. Brand-name carpets cost sometimes much more than generic carpets but the quality of craftsmanship will be worth it. If you are carpeting highly trafficked areas such as the living room, kitchen and dining rooms, you want to invest in a good brand name carpet.
Some highly-regarded brand name carpets are Shaw, Mohawk, and Atlas Carpet Mills.
Shaw is an innovative carpet maker. You can count on Shaw’s carpets to be of detailed fabrication and premium materials.
Mohawk Group makes great-looking carpets for all kinds of spaces from commercial to residential.
Atlas Carpet Mills is an award-winning carpet maker with a history of making beautiful carpets. When you want a signature carpet that naturally stands out, go for Atlas Carpet Mills.
Choosing Carpet Colors and Materials
Carpet materials impact the aesthetic of a room. The same is true for colors.
When selecting colors for family rooms, for example, you will want bright warm colors that add to a happy feeling. In contrast, darker colors can be more somber and are suited to more formal settings.
Here are some material recommendations for different needs.
Nylon is a popular material used in making carpets of all types. Nylon is long-lasting and is also easy to clean. It is a synthetic, highly versatile material. You should select nylon carpets for high-traffic areas.
Olefin is a carpet material noted for its ability to retain color. When you need a carpet for places exposed to sun or water, you should use olefin.
Carpets made of polyester fabric, on the other hand, are especially easy to clean since they are very stain-resistant.
High Quality Carpets for Living Rooms and Bedrooms
Flooring a living room takes considerable effort. This is where you will be spending a lot of family time and entertaining guests after all. A living room is a good place in which to splurge on a well-made wool carpet. Wool makes for an impressive carpeting material and is soft and comfortable, making for a cozy living room.
For your bedroom, you want a carpet that’s soft to the touch so that it soothes you when you are going to bed and helps you relax. A cut pile carpet serves these needs superbly. You can choose a warm color like cream or a soothing white.
How to Take Care of Expensive Carpets
If you have expensive carpets such as antique Persian rugs, you will need to exercise great care for their maintenance.
You should make sure that expensive carpets and rugs do not get wet, unless when doing routine cleaning. Even then, make sure they get completely dry again quickly, by drying them in the sun or a warm room. Moisture will destroy the fabric if the carpet is allowed to stay damp.
In addition, use mild cleaning soap and watch for running color. For more thorough cleaning, you should take expensive carpets to a carpet cleaning service.
