We understand at the surface these are your main concerns and some might not know other questions to consider when making this purchase. To help in your buying process, we created a carpet buying guide of terms and products to help you make a more educated purchase.
Questions to Consider
Answering the questions below will help you determine the best fiber for your carpet; as well as, texture, construction, and even color.
- What is the main purpose of this room?
- Will their be a lot direct sunlight in this room?
- How much traffic does this room get?
- How often am I willing to vacuum? (be honest we all skip days)
- Is this room next to indoor or outdoor spaces?
Facts About Fiber
For most carpets produced in the United States, they consist of 1 of 6 pile fibers:
- Nylon: The most expensive fiber and the best all around performer. It’s strengths include: good resiliency, good yarn memory to hold twist per strand, good stain resistance with stain treatment applied, and good soil hiding ability.
- Polypropylene: Relatively inexpensive fiber. Strengths include: superior stain resistance and low cost. Weaknesses include: poor resiliency and limited color selection.
- Polyester: Susceptible to pilling, shedding and oil-based stains but cleans fairly easily and is enhanced by stain treatments, and is offered in a wide selection of textures and colors.
- Wool: This traditional favorite offers a deep, rich look and feel. It has excellent resilience and durability but is very expensive. Wool is naturally stain resistant but requires a high level of maintenance including mothproofing and tends to wear down.
- Cotton and Acrylic: Used in very few carpet styles in the U.S but are increasing their presence in area rugs. Both offer poor resiliency and tricky carpet cleaning requirements.
SmartStrand (Triexta)
Their tagline says it all: The toughest, easiest to clean carpet on the planet. The brand SmartStrand is a growing name in the carpet world. It combines the performance characteristics of polyester and nylon to make it durable, stain and soil resistant, easy to clean, colorfast, fade-resistant, and soft.
SmartStrand (MOHAWK Flooring) selling points:
- Perfect for families with kids and pets
- Nanoloc spill protection technology for quick and easy cleanup
- The only carpet with permanent built-in stain and soil protection that won’t wash or wear off
- Exceptional durability that preserves the style, beauty, and appearance of your carpet
- Luxurious softness that you can sink your toes into
- A breakthrough technology in renewable and sustainable carpet
What’s your carpet style?
The style basics of carpet fibers are they either are cut, looped, or cut and looped.
Cut Pile: Increased durability through the type of fiber, density of tufts and the amount of twist in the yarn.
Plush: Dense and luxurious- can show footprints and vacuum marks easily. Good for rooms with low traffic or formal settings
Textured Plush: Decoratively versatile, textured surfaces help hide footprints and vacuum marks. Preferred style for busy households.
Saxony: Well suited for living and dining rooms due to it’s refined surface.
Frieze: Extreme twisted yarns create a “curly” texture that helps to minimize footprints and vacuum marks. Good for high-traffic areas.
Shag: A type of frieze with a very tall pile height.
Cable: Similar to frieze but some fibers are thick and others thin for a varied appearance.
Loop Pile: Yarn tips are not exposed, making these carpets to wear extremely well. Perfect for high traffic areas.
Level Loop Pile: Loops are the same height, creating a uniform look. This style lasts a long time in high-traffic areas.
Multi-Level Loop Pile: Usually is made up of two to three different loop heights to create pattern effects. Good durability with a real dimensional look.
Cut-Loop Pile: This style combines cute and looped yarns. You can recognize cut-loop pile carpets by their variety of surface textures (effects of squares, chevrons, and swirls). This texture helps to conceal soil and stains.
What carpet pad is for you?
Many people believe that added carpet cushion is used for added comfort and while this is a result of the use of carpet padding, the primary reason is to absorb impact that the carpet would otherwise be subject to. This impact can cause backings to stretch and unnecessary stretch on the face fiber.
There are many different types of padding and at times it can be overwhelming; so, we’ve identified our top choice for residential pad. We believe that this is the best choice.
Bonded Foam: The most popular type of carpet padding sold today. Also known as Rebond, it is made of reclaimed scrap of high-density urethane foam used in furniture and automotive manufacturing. Bonded Foam comes in various thickness and densities and highly suggest the combination 1/2 inch thickness and 8lb weight.
Do you plan on purchasing new carpet during your Spring Cleaning? Share your experience with us using the tag #AmeriCleanTips and you’ll be entered to win a FREE DRYER VENT CLEANING!
About AmeriClean, Inc.
AmeriClean, Inc was established in 1986 by Bob Eriks in a small warehouse as a provider of Fire Damage Restoration for Northwest Indiana. Fast forward to today and AmeriClean’s services include Carpet, Upholstery, Air Duct, Area Rug, Ceramic Tile Cleaning; as well as: Water Damage Restoration, Fire Damage Restoration and Mold Remediation. With 30 years of experience, AmeriClean, Inc. is now a leading name in residential and commercial properties for cleaning and restoration needs. For more information, visit our website or call 800.654.9101.
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