Before shopping for carpet, note the colors of the furnishings and draperies in the room you want to carpet, as well as the room's function and traffic patterns. Even though new stain and soil resistant technologies make light and very dark carpets easier to clean, medium colors, such as gray or taupe, will help disguise soil in high traffic areas.
Wool Versus Synthetics
Wool, noted for its soft feel, high bulk, and excellent performance, is the most luxurious carpeting you can buy. It comes in all colors, is easy to keep clean, and is more expensive than synthetic fibers. However, if you are looking for durability and easy maintenance, carpeting made with synthetic fibers may be your best bet.
There are four kinds of synthetic fibers to choose from:
Nylon, the most durable of the synthetics, provides brilliant color, conceals and resists soils and stains, and performs well in high traffic areas.
Polyester is noted for its luxurious, soft feel and thick texture. It has excellent color retention, is easily cleaned, and resists water soluble stains.
Acrylic, which is blended with nylon, offers the appearance and feel of wool, has a low static level, and is moisture and mildew resistant.
Olefin (polypropylene) is not as strong as nylon, but it is easily cleaned, resists wear, static electricity, moisture, and mildew and is recommended for indoor and outdoor use.
Construction
The type of fiber used and the way the carpet is constructed determine the quality and performance of the carpet, as well as its price. Quality is enhanced by the way the fibers, or yarns, are twisted and heat set, and by the density of the tufts.
Density refers to the amount of yarn in the pile and the closeness of the tufts. The denser, the better.
Twist is the winding of the yarn around itself, which should be neat and well defined. The tighter the twist, the more durable the carpet.
Heat set is the process used to set the twist by heat or steam, enabling yarns to hold their shape over time.
How the yarn is tufted affects its texture and ultimately, its long term durability and appearance. There are four general categories of textures.
Cut pile has loops that are cut, leaving tufts or individual yarns.
Cut and loop pile is a combination of multilevel cut and looped yarns that produces textured and sculptured effects.
Level loop pile is made of looped yarns of equal heights.
Padding
Also known as cushion carpet padding reduces noise and provides insulation and a soft feel underfoot. The quality of the padding is usually determined by the quality of the carpet.
The most common type of padding is bonded urethane foam, which is available in several thicknesses and densities. The denser it is, the more support it will provide. The thicker it is, the softer it will make the carpet feel, the more insulation it will provide and the more noise it will reduce. Some warranties may require certain thicknesses and densities of padding.
Prime urethane foam and sponge rubber are generally softer than bonded urethane. Rubberized jute padding is very durable, but doesn't give a soft feel underfoot and should not be used where moisture is a problem.
