Carpet Face Weight

Fiber is an essential part of carpet as well. The carpet face weight is the amount of fiber that is in each square foot of carpeting. The concept of carpet face weight is simple because the more the carpet weighs then the more fiber that is in the carpet. Most experts would say that the heavier a piece of carpet is, then the more expensive it is as well. The carpet is priced higher because it is also a higher quality product.

Carpet Durability

If you are a consumer looking for the most ideal carpet, then carpet durability is as important as the density. The durability is simply how well the carpet can withstand everyday use and foot traffic. You can easily tell how durable a carpet is by testing it out. A lot of carpet companies test out their carpets for durability before sending out to businesses for resale. The durability of a carpet is usually rated by a number system. The number can be 1-2 for light traffic durability. Number 3 means the carpet can withstand normal foot traffic and number 4 means it can handle heavy traffic. If you find a carpet at a level 4 rating, then you have hit the jackpot in carpet durability.

Carpet Fibers

Since you are looking at the carpet density, weight, and durability, you should also consider the fibers. There are many different fiber materials that carpets are made out of. However, there are four major types of fiber materials. Those fiber materials are known as nylon, polyester, wool and polypropylene carpet fibers. The type of fiber a company chooses to use is based on the look and feel they want out of the carpet.

Carpet Details are Essential

Choosing a carpet includes a lot more detail than one might realize. Carpet density is one of the most important aspects of choosing a carpet. This is because it determines how thick and comfortable a carpet will be for use in a home or business. Checking out all of these factors can guarantee you make a good decision when it comes to choosing a carpet.

1. I don’t want a carpet to be the cause to any respiratory problems, or skin rashes due to contact with chemicals used to treat the carpet. I also don’t want any allergies triggered from my carpets.

2. I need a carpet that will be able to withstand a lot of wear and tear while still maintaining a fairly new look for a good period of time.

3. I want to have a carpet that allows me to clean and maintain it without too much of a fuss. If I can find something I can hose off, the better!

Now, the two main types of fibres used to make carpets today are nylon and polyester. But just which of the two would come out shining if I was to pit a nylon vs polyester carpet? Here I go:

1. The pricing of a nylon vs polyester carpet

Generally, the quality of each of these two fibres is the determining factor in which kind of carpet will be produced. I graded the carpets produced from nylon, and they are termed as “middle to high end” quality while polyester produces carpets graded between “cheap and middle end”. The most obvious effect I noted on pricing is that nylon carpets are more expensive than polyester.

2. Quality of a nylon vs polyester carpet

I have no doubt about it; nylon makes a really tough carpet that will withstand high amounts of traffic without showing any signs of aging. A polyester carpet on the other hand, will get matted over time from high traffic. Nylon wins this one.

3. Cleaning and maintenance of a nylon vs polyester carpet

I’d need to buy a specially treated nylon carpet to ensure that it’s stain resistant. If not, then I understand that I’ll be dealing with an unsightly carpet as nylon tends to soak in stains through its dyed fibres then lock them in. Polyester, on the other hand, is dyed while it’s still in molten form. What this means for me is that there won’t be any risk of having stains stick on my carpet. Cleaning is made easier with a polyester carpet.

4. Nylon versus polyester as fibres

Polyester is a synthetic fibre while nylon is a polymer which resembles plastic. That immediately puts polyester ahead as the carpet that would be most environmentally and human.

My conclusion? We ended up buying a polyester frieze carpet for the entire house. Originally we considered using both, nylon for some areas and polyester for the higher traffic areas. But in the end, we got a pretty good deal through Big Bobs carpet here locally and ended going with all frieze.

First, I was looking to eliminate the possibility of any rotting/odours coming from a damp floor being covered by a carpet in below-grade room. For this, I asked around a couple of home improvement stores and did your basic internet search. Also, from experience I figured berber would be the best bet. Some suggested a vapour barrier but I didn’t give that much thought as it sounded complicated and adding price to my project. I was looking at both moisture that might seep in through the slab or moisture that might come about as a result of general dampness in the basement/environment. Even if I get the best carpet for basement use, it won’t matter if it’s exposed to dampness and generally lies in a place where it is left to rot and develop mildew. With that in mind, I did decide to do a little research on types of moisture barriers to use on the floor before putting down the carpet.

One of the main types of barrier layers which are used as the first layer in contact with the floor is dimpled polyethylene. Its dimples work to provide much needed air space and to also act as a moisture barrier for the area between the floor itself and the next level such as a carpet or plywood. I was advised to lay plywood as another layer before a carpet pad then the carpet itself if I felt that there was more risk of moisture seeping in from the concrete floor itself.  It was to acquired the dimpled polyethylene underlayment that was 6 micrometers thick; found from most home improvement stores and I understand that its also easily found at suppliers of flooring materials, hardware and even online.

Thereafter, a bit more research into reviews by home owners who had used a variety of carpets for their basement rooms led me to believe that Berber carpets are regarded as the best carpet for basement or below-grade rooms. I saw some samples and I must say that durability due to the strong fibres used to make them and the method of weaving used was evident. It also helps that they are highly stain resistant and felt very comfortable to the touch and had an exquisitely exotic look to it. We ended up finding some great Berber remnants for a few hundred bucks (if I recall exactly, I know it was pretty cheap and surprised me at the quality) at a local carpet retailer and had enough to carpet our entire basement.

This was several years ago and since then we had some moisture in our basement and had to pull up the carpet and dry it out. Our sump pump went on the fritz and our basement flooded. Of course this also meant we had to get rid of the padding. But the Berber remnant was still in great shape so we just let it lay without any padding for a few years. Then, I guess it was in 2010, we had new carpet installed throughout the house and pad the installers $70 to put padding back in and re-tack the basement carpet down. It’s turned out pretty nice and we’re pretty sure we picked the best carpet for us and our basement

First off, when most people hear the term “carpet remnant,” they immediately think it is discarded or a defective product. This is usually NOT the case. There are two ways in which carpet can become a remnant product. One is as the end of the original roll of carpet from the carpet mill and/or manufacturer. Many times the mill will cut off the last 5 to 30 feet of carpet in order to insure solid ends to the customer who ordered it, or they run past the length to make sure they have enough for the order. The carpet is simply left over and is as good as new. Many carpet warehouses bulk order this from the mill for extremely low prices and that is where we get it for a great deal!

The other scenario is pretty much the same in that the remnant carpet is left over from a large carpeting job or from a huge custom order in which all the carpet was simply not needed. The installer or carpet company usually offloads this again for a discounted price—sometimes called bound carpet remnants which basically means they’re already bound—and is still basically brand new. Additionally, many of these carpets are of extremely high quality. Most often the best deals you’ll find are on shorter length or more rugged typed carpets. This is due to the large amount of retail office space that is carpeted and the large amount of left-over remnants from these large jobs. Even if you have several rooms you want to carpet, often times you can get enough remnants to cover complete rooms with the same or complimentary carpet colors. And remember, most of the carpets are designed for commercial use so they are high quality and will stand up to high traffic.

Even if you’re not necessarily looking for office style carpet, you can still find some great deals on more luxurious styles as well, you just have to be a little more patient and know where to look. We’ve found the best way is to call a local carpet shop and ask if they have carpet remnants, then go look for yourself first hand. Although we’ve found some of the best deals are online. Many online carpet retailers will actually send you a sample of their remnants so be sure to ask. The trick in getting cheap carpet, or any cheap flooring for that matter, is not being afraid to ask questions and keep shopping until you get the size, style, and price that will fit within your budget.

Not only are carpet remnants as good as new, most often they will still have the manufacturers original warranty attached. But this is something you’ll want to make sure and check for as some do not extend their warranties to remnants, especially if they were bulk sold to wholesalers. There are also many good resources for finding carpet remnants online, so be sure to check that out and be aware of all your options for finding the best deals.

So the next time you need to carpet or re-carpet a room or small area, consider carpet remnants!