What is the best Carpet to buy? Vol. #1 Style

"What is the best carpet to buy?" is a question that can not be answered, or at least will not have the same answer for everyone. When I began my career as a carpet salesman I received some great advice from a good friend and mentor Glen Matton of Deacon Flooring in London On. He said "Don't always sell the customer what they want, you should sell them what they need!" Oh??? I said?? "You wouldn't sell a loose looped carpet to a customer with a bunch of cats because the consumer likes that particular carpet, the cats will destroy it in no time!" he said. That was great advice from a great guy, and since then I do my best to sell customers on products that better fit their needs while certainly still respecting their wants. If you are a serious capet consumer do yourself a favor a read my next few blog posts, so that when shopping for a new carpet, you not only purchase what you want in a carpet but also what you need in a carpet.

Over the next week or so we will be posting about carpet to hopefully educate you on what is the best carpet to buy FOR YOU? 

Vol#1 Style

When it comes to carpet style these days it seems there are so many options from, however there is really only four main residential types.

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Berber has become a very popular choice over the years because it is generally cheap and it wears very well. Berber is made with a loop construction, so if you have pets (specifically cats) I do not recommend this option. If looking at a berber carpet I strongly recommend a tight loop because it is harder to pull, snag, or run and it wears much better than a looser loop. There are several companies that make berber carpets out there, however I recommend Kraus berber because of their "Zipperlock" technology. Zipperlock has been created to guarantee the berber will not run and it works fantastic. With the Zipperlock, the carpet may still pull or snag but the pulls and snags can be easily cut off leaving a minor visual, however much better than the look of a run right through the middle of a room. Berber is a great way to spruce up a room on a budget and can last a very long time if properly maintained.

Plush is probably the most consumer known type of carpet, it is a very flat usually solid color carpet that provides a thick soft feel while you walk. Plush carpet is a cut pile carpet, so there is no fear of pulls, snags, or runs, however because it stands upright, it generally wears more than a berber because it gets crushed or matted down over time.  Plush carpet is making a huge comeback in the marketplace with the new virtually stain free Stainmaster Pet Protect fiber as well as the ultra soft Stainmaster Truesoft fiber. When made of nylon & properly maintained plush carpet wears really well, when made of a polyester it generally wears faster because nylon is naturally stronger than polyester, however we will discuss this more in Vol #2 Types of Fiber. My favorite plush carpet is the Stainmaster Luxerell and Stainmaster Pet Protect carpets because you get a nice soft feel with a great stain warranty. When buying a plush carpet that you want to last a long time go with a nylon carpet, I suggest STAINMASTER because I feel Stainmasters nylon 6.6 has proven itself to be the best over the years. A really good nylon plush carpet will range from about $4.75- $10.00 sf installed with premium under-pad. You can also buy a less expensive plush carpet made of polyester that is great for stains however will not last as long as the nylon these carpets will range from $2.75- $5.00 sf installed with a premium under-pad and these carpets will last from about 5-12 years, so if you are planning on moving soon, or you want something to last long enough to get your children out of the house or if you like frequent change in your home, this could be what you're shopping for. This less expensive carpet is also great for rentals because it looks great, is stain resistant and provides a nice soft feel on the feet and again will not pull, snag or run like a berber. Less expensive plush has its place in the market, providing the customer knows what they are purchasing.

Sculpted/Pattern carpet seems to be a fast growing type of carpet, there are so many styles and patterns and colors available these days! Pattern carpets are generally a mix between a loop and plush carpet so be cautious if you have pets! This carpet generally wears great, again a nylon generally lasts the longest but polyester does have its place in the market. A pattern carpet can really make a room look rich and give it, it's own style, I also recommend this type of carpet for stairs and area rugs because of its beautiful style as well as it's great wearability. I believe a pattern carpet is the most luxurious of the styles of carpet and they generally come with a bit higher of a price tag because of this. A quality nylon patterned carpet should cost aprox. $4.00-$9.00 sf installed with a premium underpad. Masland Carpet is a great choice when it comes to a pattern carpet because of its cutting edge high quality products. Dixie Home  is like a sister to Masland providing similar cutting edge products with a more affordable price tag, both companies use Stainmaster nylon to make most of their products so rest asure that you are purchasing a quality product. There are many other companies on the market that sell beautiful patterns, and some priced better, however know what it is you are buying and why it is so much less money, because it is difficult to tell just by looking at it. I am just a big fan of the quality you get with Masland and Dixie Home products.

Frieze or Short Shag is probably my favorite carpet! Frieze is longer than a plush and does not stand straight up, it kind of lays down giving it a really nice perfection in an imperfect world kind of look. Frieze carpet wears great, even when made with a polyester, I have a Phenix Flooring polyester frieze in the bedrooms in my home, I love it and would suggest it to anyone, it wears great, looks great and polyester naturally repels stains, and is ultra soft. With a polyester frieze carpet you get a luxurious feel & look with a great price tag. It's a great carpet for dogs, cats, kids etc. Frieze is an all round great family carpet. Although frieze comes with a bit higher of a price tag than a berber, it really gives you that extra soft cushion like feel under the foot, as well as a worry free family life. I do however suggest that you get at least a 40 oz. frieze. this should cost aprox. $3.65-$6.00 sf installed with a premium under-pad. There are plenty of cheaper products available now, however if you can swing it spend a bit of extra money because it will pay off a couple years down the road, and clearly if you are reading this blog post it is because you are interested in purchasing a quality carpet.