At ProSource Wholesale, selection matters, and when it comes to carpeting for the home, finding the perfect flooring option requires understanding all of the different colors, textures, and styles available to choose from.
The wrong carpet could break a design concept, which is why it is vital to learn as much as possible, ranging from their various styles to the benefits of each common fiber type that it comes in.
Choosing Carpet Flooring
Carpets fit the comforts of the home and encourage the entertaining of friends and loved ones. Its soft texture offers ambiance that when maintained properly, can last for years to come. Below are reasons as to why carpet is an excellent decision when looking to replace floors:
•Softness: The most appealing aspect to having carpeting with the feeling of carpet fibers on bare feet.
•Comfort: With the relaxing atmosphere that carpeting offers, it is no wonder that it is the most comforting flooring option on the market.
•Warm: With its ability to insulate heat, carpet gives homes in cold temperature the opportunity to warm those inside.
•Economic Flooring Option: Carpet often is a lot less expensive than hardwood.
•Safe: Providing a cushion for any trip or fall, carpets keep kids safe.
•Sound and Noise Reduction: With the natural insulation properties, noise levels in the home are greatly reduced.
Helpful Carpet Tips
No two carpet textures and styles are the same. Each style is designed for the vision of the space, offering endless opportunities to express personality and passion with each décor decision. With these decisions, below are tips to consider:
•Quality Over Price: Higher quality carpets tend to cost more upfront, but they have greater pile density and a tighter twist construction which makes them more durable. This ultimately leads to a longer lifespan.
•Opt for Stain Protection: Stains will occur, making it necessary to do whatever it takes to protect the long-term health of the carpet. Investing in stain protection will do exactly that.
•Cushioning: Cushioning is a layer of comfortable spongy material that sits between the floor and the carpet. This padding also can help preserve the carpet, so that it lasts longer and serves as a safeguard against everyday wear and tear.
Types of Carpet
Understanding the different types of carpeting is necessary when either updating a space’s flooring options from hardwood, vinyl, or laminate to carpet, or replacing existing carpet. From the microscopic differences of the fiber to the aspects of durability, carpet types offer households options to choose from.
•Berber: The term “berber” describes a type of loop carpet originated in north Africa by the Berber tribes. Berber carpet is a versatile, fairly durable, and more resistant to spills and stains that other types of carpet. Additionally, berber often sports a reputation of being less expensive. This type of carpet is most commonly seen in an office area and a home office. One thing to keep in mind is that berber carpets often can snag, creating challenges for pets.
•Frieze: Frieze carpeting, also referred to as “California shag carpeting,” is a form of shag-style carpet that features tightly, long twisted tufts of fibers. A laid-back aesthetic often is attributed to frieze carpets, because of its comfort and naturally clean appearance. They are highly durable and great for high traffic rooms in the home, hiding footprints and dirt well. They can be made from a myriad of different types of carpeting materials, such as polyethylene terephthalate, wool, and nylon.
•Loop: Loop is a carpet style that combines straight fibers with looped fibers, allowing carpet designers more flexibility to experiment with abstract designs, geometric designs, and more. These carpets are making a comeback in contemporary style homes after achieving the height of its popularity in the 1970s and 80s. Due to the daily wear-and-tear that can negatively impact the carpet’s design, it is best not to utilize loop carpet in high traffic areas of the home, such as hallways and living rooms. They may be better suited for dens, bedrooms, basements, and more.
•Plush: Known for its velvety texture and formal appearance, plush carpets originate as loop-style, and then they are cut, in order to offer a softer surface area that emanates comfort and class. This type of carpet is popular in residential homes, perfect for more formal rooms, such as family rooms, bedrooms, and dining rooms.
•Texture: Texture carpets often have uneven fiber lengths, giving it rougher aesthetic features than other types of carpet. It reflects light well, making it difficult to see tracks and dirt. This type of carpet highlights an informal and comfy look that can be found adorning the floors of bedrooms and basements, where relaxation is prioritized.
Common Carpet Fibers
When shopping for carpet, the commonality found may lie in the fibers of the carpet options in question. More than 90 percent of carpet made today is made out of synthetic fibers, and with four different types of synthetic fibers for carpet in existence, polyester, nylon, triexta, and polypropylene, there are several fiber options to choose from. In terms of natural fibers, the two main types are sisal and wool.
•Wool: As the environmentally friendly flooring option, wool is a natural fiber that offers durability, but it also has a high absorbency rate, making it a problem in houses where stains may frequently occur.
•Nylon: Given that it is the most popular fiber type used in carpets, nylon boasts durability and resistance to wear-and-tear. However, maintaining that level of durability may require a stain-resistance treatment, especially if the household is prone to stains or spills.
•Olefin: Resistant to moisture and molding, olefin fibers often are found used in basement carpets and outdoor seating areas. While it may not offer the same level of comfort as other fiber options of carpeting, it makes up for it with its durability.
•Polyester: Sporting both softness and durability against everyday wear-and-tear, polyester is a carpet fiber that is incredibly fade- and stain-resistant with an often economically friendly price point.
