Choosing carpets for the home
Carpets for the Home
There are several things to consider when choosing a carpet for the home. Fiber material used, color, weave style, texture, durability and cost are but some of them.
The two most common weaves in carpets today are the loop and cut piles. Both appear in a variety of styles. In the loop pile, the individual thread goes through the carpet’s backing twice, forming a small loop on the surface.
In the cut pile, the loop is slashed at the top, leaving upright wisps of yarn. Examples of cut pile styles are textured, shag, saxony and velvet, while loop piles include cable, berber and sisal. Cut piles are usually more durable, but loop piles are a better choice for placement in high foot traffic areas.
Nothing comes close to wool as carpeting material when it comes to quality and price.
The most durable and luxuriant of the fibers, wool has a richness of feel that can last more than 30 years. But the carpet is so exorbitantly priced few can afford it. Wool carpeting also costs more to install.
Acrylic is the one fiber that most closely resembles wool. The more praiseworthy qualities of this synthetic textile include resistance to moisture, mildew, fading and staining. Acrylic also doesn’t get crushed easily. Acrylic carpet is not recommended for high traffic areas. Acrylic is sometimes referred to as man-made wool.
One of the most expensive of the synthetic fibers is nylon. It still is cheaper than wool, though, and is highly popular. Nylon carpets are recommended for installation in high traffic areas.
Olefin is used outdoors as well as indoors, and costs lower than most of the other carpeting materials. It is colorfast, easy to clean and strong. One drawback of olefin is that it crushes easily.
Needless to say, the color of the carpet you choose will have a dramatic impact on the space where it is installed. A light colored carpet can make a room look more spacious, but contrast too easily with dirt and soils. A carpet with a darker hue, on the other hand, can give a room a stylish and elegant look. Dark-hued carpets are also better at masking sullied spots.
You may have to work harder to remove stains or at least make them less noticeable on a light carpet. So, if you have little children or pets around the house, you might want to make it easier on yourself by choosing a carpet of darker hue over a light-colored one for your place.