Carpet Ratings – Should You Pay Attention?

In some industries, you’ll find standardized ratings that can help you compare and contrast products from manufacturer to manufacturer.

Not so with the carpet industry. Some companies may generate their own internal carpet ratings to distinguish between the different carpets in their lines, or to show how they compare to different companies in the marketplace. Carpet Ratings - Should You Pay Attention?While it may give you a starting point, keep in mind that they are subjective at best.

Asking questions is your best line of defense. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

Carpet Pad

Carpet padding is one of the most critical components to installing new carpet. A carpet pad has the ability to create a long life, or reduce it significantly. Which means paying attention to what’s underneath your carpet is vitally important. Carpet padding has a couple of statistical measures that will tell you how well it will perform. The key is in the density. A thinner, denser carpet cushion will absorb foot traffic, which ultimately will prevent the carpet fibers from detaching from the cushion. Select the best padding you can afford to ensure the longevity of your carpet choice.

Carpet padding may also have different insulation values. This is important if you are laying carpet over not so traditional materials, such as over a concrete slab. Fiberboard insulation is made from recycled newspaper, which can provide an insulation value of 3.0 or greater. This will ensure your room stays warmer, as well as giving the longest life possible to your carpet.

Carpet Fibers

Carpeting is made from a variety of different materials. An Olefin or polyester carpet fiber is strong and will hold up in high traffic conditions, but it’s also more difficult to clean and can show dirt easier than other alternatives. Wool or acrylic fiber are softer, plusher in feel, but are also more easily worn down. They are often better in lighter traffic areas, such as the bedrooms.

Carpet Warranties

While warranties are important to help you avoid future problems, it’s important to realize that some carpet damage may void the warranty. Warranties are also often just an indicator or a carpet’s characteristics. It can give you a general idea of the overall performance of your carpet. For most homeowners, they replace the carpeting long before the warranty wears out, due to normal lifestyle situations, kids, pets, and general wear and tear.

The best place to start with carpet selection is to stop by and see what your options are. With just a little education, we can lead you to the perfect carpeting choice for your home.

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What To Expect From Natural Fiber Carpeting

In today’s world, we’re getting back to natural living. We see it in the foods we eat and the materials we use within our homes.

While most carpeting is made from at least some synthetic fibers, there are few choices that are entirely natural. However, you can find some beautiful carpet and rug choices that are made from eco-friendly renewable resources that will help you live as natural as possible.What To Expect From Natural Fiber Carpeting

Wool

Wool is one of the most natural fibers flooring choices used in both carpets and rugs. It’s strong, resistant to stains, resistant to piling, resistant to fire, and is naturally coated to resist small amounts of water. Wool is also a great choice to block cold air, as it has a natural insulation factor built into the fibers. This means it provides both sound and heat insulation.

Seagrass

Seagrass is a smooth anti-static carpet that is made from natural plant fibers. The seagrass plant grows similar to rice, which makes it a renewable, sustainable resource. The fibers are tough and impermeable, which means it’s a good choice for resisting stains, dirt, and discoloration. But just like the color won’t fade, it’s also difficult to color in the first place. You’ll have to settle for seagrass carpets in natural color selections. It is also susceptible to damage from moisture, so it isn’t a good choice in areas where it may be subject to mold or mildew.

Jute

Jute is another favorite that is manufactured from a plant which grows in the subtropical portion of Asia. The plant is soaked in water, and the stalks are harvested and stripped for make the fiber. It is most commonly used in making rope, and is often used as carpet backing. Jute is one of the softest and most inexpensive carpet fibers, which also makes it less durable and more susceptible to wear and tear.

Sisal

Sisal is a soft yet durable natural fiber that is easier to dye. That means it can hold up in higher traffic areas without being uncomfortable underfoot. You’ll find sisal carpeting in a variety of colors and patterns, and is perfect for use in any room in the home. However, it can stain relatively easy. It will require treatments to make is spill and dirt resistant.

Which is the right natural carpet choice for your home?

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How Do Carpet Fibers Impact Your Flooring?

For many, the thought of having to replace your carpeting ranks right up there with visiting the dentist. It’s a necessary task that you put off until you absolutely have to replace.

Because of that, you might not realize all of the choices currently available to you. Carpet has changed a lot over the past twenty years. While we’ve seen a trend of moving from hardwoods, to wall to wall carpet, back to hardwood, there is a resurgence of carpeting being installed in homes.How Do Carpet Fibers Impact Your Flooring?

Before you head to the flooring center, get to know this people pleasing flooring choice a little more.

Carpet fibers can be broken down into two types: natural or synthetic.

Natural fiber is predominantly wool.

Synthetic is broken down into nylon, olefin, and polyester.

Wool has superior qualities over the other natural choices like cotton. Wool is very soft, something no synthetic fiber can match. However, wool tends to be at the top of the list when it comes to expense, and because of the fiber’s porosity, it will soak up moisture. That means it isn’t a good choice for basements, where flooding can occur, or in rooms where you anticipate spills and other moisture to be a problem.

Nylon is one of the most popular carpet choices on the market. Nylon is a synthetic fiber with excellent durability. You’ll find nylon carpet is often associated with different brand names – Stainmaster for instance. Nylon is a very strong fiber that is great for high traffic areas, will retain moisture well and dries out quickly if it does get wet. If also manages to stay fairly static-free. On its own, it doesn’t resist stains very well, which is why stainblockers are often added.

Olefin is one of the cheaper carpets on the market, but has lost its prevalence over the years as new and improved materials have been developed. One of the downsides is its low melt point, which puts it at more risk in the home.

While polyester can’t match the durability of nylon, it is one of the best carpet fibers to take dye, and thus produce beautifully colored carpets with superb fade resistance.

So which is the right carpet choice for you? Stop by today and let us help you decide. You’ll love the look.

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What To Know About Carpet Before You Buy

Some things exist in your home that you probably don’t spend a lot of time thinking about. Your carpet, for instance. Sure, you may vacuum it on a regular basis. You may spot clean it if you spill. But it normally takes years before you look at it with the thought of removing it and installing something new.

Because we don’t replace our flooring on a regular basis, you might not understand all of the details you should consider before selecting a replacement. Most of walk in with a certain color carpet in mind, possibly even an idea of texture or pattern. But what about construction? What about specific characteristics?What To Know About Carpet Before You Buy

The best carpet you can install has the right combination of characteristics, aesthetics, performance and budget you can afford. It takes into account your lifestyle, how you live, and more importantly your expectations.

Our goal is to make sure every client that comes through our door has a thorough understanding of the carpeting they select to lay down in their home. And with a few tips in mind, you can make the right choice for you.

Durability and Quality are Connected

In most cases, when you select a higher quality carpet, you will also be selecting one with a higher durability factor. High quality carpets typically have a greater pile density, tighter twist construction, which will give you better durability throughout the life of the carpet.

Seams

Carpeting comes in rolls that are either 12 feet, 13 feet 6 inches, or 15 feet widths. Unless you have a small room that is narrower than these measurements, you will have seams in your carpet. With a looped or low-profile pattern, the seams may be visible. Use this knowledge to place seams in lower traffic, lower used areas, and adjust according to texture, lighting and furniture placement.

Go With The Flow

Every carpet has nap that runs in one direction. This becomes especially important if you seam your carpet; ensure the nap is placed so it runs together. Shading is also a normal characteristic of cut pile carpets, which can be particularly apparent with a plush carpet. Use furniture and window coverings to lessen the effect.

Color Rules

Sure, you loved the color in the store. But when you get the carpet installed in your home, the color is off somehow. It’s lighter than what you thought. This is a natural optical effect that occurs when it’s installed. And it’s a good point to keep in mind when debating between two colors.

Also keep in mind the size of your room. A lighter colored carpet will make a room appear larger; a darker carpet will bring the walls closer together, creating a more intimate feeling. Neutral colors are always one of the best choices, especially if you change out your decor a lot or use lots of bright colors in your decorating schemes. They are also a good choice if you plan on selling your home anytime soon.

Padding

One of the most important considerations of your new carpet isn’t the carpet itself, it’s the padding underneath. Carpet cushion can make the difference between a good feeling carpet and a great one. It can also extend the life of your carpet by giving it a higher wear factor. When debating between two pads, always select the higher quality for better performance all around.

Is new carpeting in your future?

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Are Carpet Seams Acceptable?

When you slide on your shirt or your pants in the morning, you probably don’t think much about the construction. We accept the fact that seams are a part of the construction.

But what about your carpet?Are Carpet Seams Acceptable?

Carpet rolls come in three sizes – 12’, 15’, and occasionally 13’ 6”. That means if your room size is larger, or if you have long hallways or are carpeting your entire home, you’ll have seams in various places. While some carpets hide it better than others, it is important to realize that seams will never be invisible. But a good carpet installer will be able to place it in such a way it has minimal impact.

Different carpets will seam differently

Depending on the size and traffic of a room, you can choose carpets where seams will be less noticeable. Berbers, for example, are the most difficult to hide seams. That doesn’t mean they aren’t worth the investment, it means you should have realistic expectations about their placement. Shags and twists are the easiest to seam because their loose pile will blend well once installed.

Acceptable seams

You may hear the term acceptable seam when looking at carpets. Seams are visible when they are used to install your carpeting. They are even more visible when you know where they are. An acceptable seam should have the carpet backings flush with one another. They should never have gaps or overlays. Berber carpet should be cut lengthwise along the bias, never cut with a cross seam as it will be more noticeable.

Unacceptable seams

We would term an unacceptable seam those that are not flush with each other, or cause a gap between the pieces of carpet. If you have carpeting installed and this is a problem, in some cases it can be repaired.

Seam peaking

Seam peaking occurs when the seam is set, and then stretching occurs as the installation process is completed. When the carpet is stretched, it is pulled where the edges of the tape are attached to the carpet, and the two pieces lift to create a peak. Seam peaking can be minimized, but only if a professional understands how to install a carpet correctly. This is often one of the easiest ways to tell a professional job from one that wasn’t.

Seams are a part of most carpet installations in the home. They aren’t something to be feared when handled correctly. Have a question?

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The Truth About Carpeting

Thinking about changing out the flooring in your home? Undoubtedly you’ve run into a variety of articles online about the reputation of carpeting. But is it truly as bad as what some make it out to be? Or is carpet still one of the best flooring options you can choose for your home?The Truth About Carpeting

Carpet isn’t just comfortable and stylish, it’s a safe flooring option too. If you have a young family with children learning to walk and tumbling around as they play, that can be a good thing. If you have elderly relatives, it can help them avoid slippery situations and soften falls if they do occur.

Carpet also improves a home’s acoustics because it absorbs noise rather than reflecting it back into the surroundings. And in our cold environment, carpets offer a thermal resistance (R-value), meaning it can help you save energy and reduce your utility bills overall.

Probably the biggest misconception about carpet is that it’s bad for people with allergies. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, the opposite has been found to be true. Studies have shown that as carpet usage has shrunk in the general population, allergy reactions have actually increased over time. And a study of school children showed that by having carpet in a child’s bedroom, missed school days and less need for asthma medication went down.

Carpet acts much like a filter, trapping allergens and keeping them out of the air your family breathes. The trapped allergens, such as pet dander or pollen, can then be removed by proper cleaning techniques. To keep your carpet in good shape and retain good indoor air quality, it’s important to:

Vacuum Regularly
High traffic areas or rooms where pets roam free should be vacuumed daily. Once or twice a week may be fine for other lower traffic areas. Use a CRI certified vacuum for optimum soil removal and avoid damaging your carpets over time.

Limit Dirt Introduction
Keep as much dirt and debris off of your floors as possible. Be proactive and put out durable entrance mats at entryways. Also require everyone to take off their shoes as they enter so less dirt is tracked inside.

Deep Clean
Be sure to deep clean your carpets according to manufacturers guidelines, using an appropriate deep cleaning method. This process extracts deeply embedded dirt vacuuming can’t reach.

Is carpeting a good choice for your home remodeling needs?

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You Love Your Pets But Your Carpets Don’t

Our pets are part of the family. It’s hard imagining them anywhere else but by our side. That means they lounge on the carpets, run across the hardwood floors, and slide on the luxury vinyl when coming in from outside.You Love Your Pets But Your Carpets Don’t

Pets may bring a lot of love to our lives, but they also bring a lot of germs and bacteria into our homes as well. Each time they come in from the outside, the bring in allergens, waste, and other grime with them. Not only can it damage our flooring, but it can also impact our health as well.

What does your pet track in and leave on your floors?

Saliva – a dog can have as many as 20 species of bacteria in his mouth

Pet Waste – There are 23 million fecal bacteria in a single gram of pet waste

Fleas and Ticks – each year we spend in excess of $9 billion controlling fleas

Dander – pet dander is always lurking in your carpets, which affects up to 10 percent of the population in the form of allergies

Dirt – dirt carries many different varieties of bacteria, with one square foot of carpets holding up to a full pound of dirt without the proper cleaning

And once your flooring is impacted, it can affect you in many ways:

  • Allergies
  • Asthma
  • Skin infections
  • Stomach illnesses
  • Respiratory illnesses

What should you do to combat these potentially harmful things?

Add doormats to every entrance to absorb water and help clean dirty paws before your pet enters your home

Bathe your pet regularly

Clean all pet messes up as quickly as possible. If they continue to return to the same spot, talk with a carpet cleaning professional to treat older accidents and get rid of strong odor problems.

Have your carpets professionally cleaned according to manufacturers guidelines on a regular basis.

Replace your flooring as it begins to show signs of wear.

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Save or Replace Carpets After Water Damage

Even a small amount of water can cause a lot of damage in your home. Water from a spill, a broken pipe, or from flooding can quickly grow into a larger problem, producing harmful mold that can impact your family’s health.

A little moisture and a little dark space, and it can quickly escalate into a very large problem.Save or Replace Carpets After Water Damage

And while you may not think Colorado has a large mold problem in our dry weather conditions, think again. Flooding can quickly occur in spring and summer rain showers. And snowpack can quickly melt on warm days and cause damage quickly around the foundation, in basements, or even your main living quarters.

In many cases, you won’t know it at all. Mold and mildew thrive in places you may not think to look … until the problem escalates. Especially with porous materials – carpet, carpet padding, and insulation in the walls.

Quick thinking is the most important part of clean up. From the moment you notice water damage, the sooner you can stop the water, clean up the mess, the more likely you can stop mold from growing in its tracks. Find the root cause, stop the water, and fix the problem. If water continues to flow, or if there is still risk involved, you could be facing the situation all over again. Fix the cause before you begin cleaning up.

Then dry out the carpets with fans. It can take several days for fans to dry a water damaged area. If you can circulate fresh air, it will help. Even if you think it’s dry, it’s not. If a room is closed up, the potential for humidity rises. It’s important to get fresh air circulating as quickly as possible.

Depending on the location of the room, you may have to use a dehumidifier to remove excess moisture from the air. Any equipment that helps dry out the air and the ground will help speed up the drying time for your damaged floors and coverings.

Be sure to professionally clean your carpets to sanitize and deodorize. In most cases, damaged carpet padding must be replaced.

Sanitize all wallboards, baseboards and subflooring. If mold or mildew has stood unchecked for a period of time, it can impact the wood. Be sure it is cleaned thoroughly before you replace the flooring.

And when you are unsure of the safety of your flooring, replace when in doubt. Mold and mildew can quickly form and escalate when not properly cleaned. And because of the serious risk factors in has to your health, the quicker you get rid of the conditions, the more assurance you’ll have that your flooring has returned to normal.

Have a question about which flooring is best in high moisture situations? Need new carpets after flooding in your home? We can help.

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How To Protect Your Flooring When Throwing A Party

The holidays are filled with family and friend get-togethers. More people will be visiting your home, celebrating throughout the end of the year.

It’s a beautiful time of the year, decorations creating a warm glow, and aromatic smells wafting from the kitchen as you prepare your home.How To Protect Your Flooring When Throwing A Party

The last thing on your mind should be the condition of your floors once your guests have said goodbye. There are a few simple tips you can do that will easily protect your floors from the most common damage.

Tip 1: Use Felt Pads
Moving furniture and hardwood floors never mix. With guests coming and going all season long, it’s commonplace to move furniture to change the layout of your room. Be sure to place felt pads under the legs of all furniture that may be moved: tables, chairs, sofas, and loveseats. Sticky felt pieces can be found at most hardware stores and can be cut to size, so they are completely unnoticeable. This will save your hardwood floors from scratching and dents that will have to be repaired later.

Tip 2: No Shoes Policy
Wearing shoes inside can track in dirt, moisture, and other debris from outside. This can scratch hardwood flooring, or grind in dirt into carpets. And if your guests wear high heels, those tiny pinpoints can sink into vinyl and dent or tear. Creating a no shoe policy means your flooring will stay looking its best throughout the holiday season. You can request guests bring a pair of inside shoes or a pair of slippers, or consider having a basket of various sizes for your guest to choose from when they arrive.

Tip 3: Choose Floor Runners
Invariably there is always certain areas of your home that are busier than others during a party. Consider placing holiday rugs and floor runners in these areas to protect the floor underneath. The will prevent spills from soaking in and staining, and protect your flooring from dirt and debris being tracked and ground in.

Tip 4: Maintenance
No matter what type of flooring you have, regular maintenance is a necessity to keep it looking its best. Be sure to vacuum, sweep and clean before every get-together to ensure its clean. As soon as guest leave, clean all flooring again, paying close attention to spills that may have gone unnoticed. Call in a professional as soon as possible to work on tough stains and problem areas.

Protecting your floors doesn’t have to be a difficult process. By adding it to your checklist of party planning items, you’ll keep your flooring in great shape throughout the year.

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Nylon or Polyester Carpet – Which Should You Choose?

Nylon or Polyester Carpet – Which Should You Choose?Shop around for new carpet and you’ll quickly discover that the most used carpet fiber materials are nylon or polyester. Both have their own characteristics. Both can make excellent choices. Which is right for you?

While nylon and polyester are quite different in feel and performance, they do share a few characteristics.

Both, for example, are petroleum based synthetics. Nylon was invented as a silk substitute. Polyester was developed as an alternative to wool.

While both products are derivatives of petroleum, they are produced in different ways.

Nylon is an engineered fiber made in a factory from petroleum. About 65 percent of all carpet created today is produced from nylon that is newly created, with only a select amount of nylon made from recycled nylon.

Polyester used for carpet is made from recycled products such as plastic soda or water bottles. That makes polyester fibers more environmentally friendly than many nylon options.

Nylon is very hard, which is why it’s a durable product for carpet and rugs. When dirt gets into carpet, the sharp edges can cut into carpet fibers. Because of nylons hardness, it slows the process considerably. Nylon also has a better bounce-back feature than polyester. Walk on it and you’ll find the fibers return to their upright position easier. And if you find marks after furniture has been sitting in the same spot for some time, they will be easier to get rid of with nylon.

While polyester isn’t nearly as durable as nylon, what it makes up for is found in the softness level. Polyester carpets are easy to sink your toes in, providing warmth and comfort.

Both nylon and polyester come in a wide variety of color and style options. You’ll find both kinds of carpets offer easy cleaning and easy maintenance, with a variety of stain repellent options. And both types of carpets can be recycled after use.

Which is better for you, nylon or polyester carpet?

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