How to Choose Carpet
Before buying a new carpet, it's vital to find out as much as you can about the different types - how they're made, what they are made of, and how well they'll wear— to be sure of choosing the right quality for each room.
Ideally, choosing the carpets for your home should take priority over any other decorating decision.
As well as providing a warm, hard-working covering for your floors, a carpet contributes a significant area of color, texture, and sometimes pattern to a room.
Whether you are starting from scratch or replacing an old carpet, selecting a new one that suits your lifestyle and meets all your preferences - for color, pattern, texture, warmth, sound insulation, quality, and cost - is one of the most momentous and expensive choices you ever have to make for your home.
Reconciling all these factors with the bewildering variety of carpets available can seem daunting for the first-time carpet buyer. To ensure you make a suitable choice and get the best value for money, it pays to do your homework.
Buying Carpet
Check through the following points to make sure you have all the information you require to make the right choice for you.
Do I want a wall-to-wall or an area carpet?
Wall-to-wall carpet is the most popular choice for providing luxurious comfort and style in a room. If you are intending to move soon, or want to feature an attractive floor, an area rug is a more practical solution.
How much can I afford to spend?
Always buy the best quality carpet you can afford; cheap carpets are a false economy because they wear and stain badly. Bear in mind that you will probably have to buy more carpet than the area of the room to allow for fitting around awkward shapes, such as a chimney breast.
Will I have to pay for the installation?
It's always wise to have a carpet installed professionally to get it stretched properly so that it wears well. Many suppliers offer free installation.
Where do I buy carpet?
Carpet is available from large department stores, furniture or carpet showrooms, and local flooring specialists.
How do I buy carpet? New carpet is sold in one of four ways:
- Bodywidth is usually 2 ¼ , 3, or 3 ¼ ft wide, to minimize waste on stairs and in hallways.
- Broadloom comes in a range of widths over 3 ¼ ft - 12ft and 15ft are the most common sizes- for fitting wall to wall.
- Carpet squares or rectangles are room-sized rugs with tightly bound or fringed edges.
- Carpet tiles are small squares of carpet that are laid and lifted individually.
Book a time for installation when you place your order, allowing a few days for delivery.
How much carpet will I need?
Some suppliers will bring samples to your home and measure before quoting a price.
When visiting showrooms, measure the room first and take along a sketch plan giving the dimensions to discuss with the sales staff; they will advise on how to arrange widths for minimum waste, and where to position any seams inconspicuously and to avoid wear.
What type of carpet do I need?
Jot down any questions you want to ask the sales assistant about wearing qualities, soil, stain, fire resistance, pile fiber, and density. When appropriate, check whether the carpet is suitable for installation in a bathroom or kitchen.
What color carpet do I want?
Take samples of wall coverings, paints, and fabrics you want to match to the shop. Then take a swatch of carpet home to check it in daylight and under artificial lighting.
At the same time, think about any special effects you want to achieve, such as warming a cold room or lightening a dark one, making a large room look cozier, or adding a pattern.
Can the carpet be fitted on my floor?
For even wear, the floor must be perfectly clean and smooth.
Make sure that all loose floorboards are fixed, planed, or covered with plywood, and solid floors are level and dry. When you have any doubts, ask your carpet retailer for advice.
Click Here to share this page with your friends, website visitors, ezine readers, social followers and other online contacts.Disclaimer: Throughout this website, statements are made pertaining to the properties and/or functions of food and/or nutritional products. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and these materials and products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Health & Beyond Online
P.O. Box 755
Earl, NC 28038-0755Contact Us
License, Terms of Use, and Privacy PolicyClick here for Other Chet Day Websites
H&B Online and Content © 1993-2009 by Chet Day
