Carpet can add warmth and beauty with color, texture, and value to your home.  This carpet sale buying guide will help you make a fully informed decision on your project.  Whether you are carpeting your home, re-carpeting a flip, or a rental, we will answer some tough questions so you can make the best choices.  The carpet sale should be about what you want, and should never be a high pressure situation.  First we will go over the different styles of carpet and pad then we will go over installation and price. 

Carpet

Not all carpet is the same and the first thing that differentiates it is what kind of fiber the carpet is made out of, this affects use and performance.  There is Polyester, Nylon, Olefin, Triexta (Smart Strand), and Wool (Natural).  Olefin is stain resistant to liquid stains but attracts dirt and crushes easily.  When tufted into berber it wears well and it is moisture resistant making it the primary fiber for outdoor carpet.  Polyester is used in all styles of carpet and is a good option now that they have made improvements to it in recent years.  A P.E.T. Polyester contains recycled plastic bottles and is stain resistant, soft, and wears moderately well.  Most new construction homes, rentals, apartments, and flips have a cheaper polyester carpet that will not last as long as a P.E.T. polyester.  Triexta (Smart Strand) is the newest carpet fiber, it is luxuriously soft and very durable.  To prove those facts they had a rhino live on this carpet for 2 weeks.  Afterward they cleaned it up with the hot water extraction method and it made it look brand new, however I heard that it didn't smell great.  Nylon has clearly been the best choice in terms of wear for the last 50+ years and is also the most resilient.  It has a luxurious soft "hand" (feel) and is stain resistant.  Nylon is what many people prefer in their homes because it will look newer for a longer period of time.  Some name brands of Nylon are Anso, Stainmaster, and Wear Dated.  Stainmaster is often mistaken as a carpet style when it is in fact a brand of nylon.  Wool is a hypoallergenic natural carpet fiber, unless of course you are allergic to wool.

There are many styles and looks of carpet and we will break it down into 4 easy choices.  All of which can be durable, stain resistant, soft, and resilient, or not. 

Styles of Carpet

Texture / Plush: This style is a cut pile of carpet that can be very thin or really thick and dense.  You can also get this style in a 2 Tone or Multi-Color.  Footprints and vacuum patterns are shown on this type of carpet and it can crush and mat easier than other styles in high traffic areas.  Choosing a carpet with a good texture warranty will reflect its resiliency.  Still this carpet is the most widely sold carpet in a residential home and a higher quality Nylon will hold up for a lifetime.  A lower pile dense texture carpet will fair well in higher traffic areas such as hallways and stairs.  In your family room and bedrooms you may like a more luxurious and thicker carpet for comfort. 

Frieze / Twist: This style has a casual look and can be a lower pile defined by its twisted strands, but is infamously known as shag or Elvis carpet when it is longer.  I really like the comfort it gives a home and it can be a solid color, or flecked with spots of color.  The twist makes this a very resilient carpet that would not crush and mat as easy as one might think.  This style is again becoming more popular because it hides footprints, vacuum marks, and gives a more custom look than the common plush style.

Berber / Loop: Berber is a looped carpet that creates an informal look for contemporary or cottage furnishings.  I think it looks great in the living room and performs well in high traffic areas.  Berber is commonly flecked with color when made with Olefin, and more residential applications are solid in Nylon.

Pattern: Pattern carpet is a cut and loop that creates a textured design.  Great for a Living Room, Office, and Master Bedroom, this style can look contemporary or Victorian.  The pattern helps to minimize foot prints, and vacuum marks.  This is very much a high traffic style due to its lower pile.

 The carpet cushion / pad is half of the carpet sale and is very important to maintain the carpets beauty.  There are several different types of padding, the more dense, the better your carpet will wear.  It is advised by carpet manufacturers to use nothing less than a 6lb pad, anything less will void your warranty.  There are many upgrades, and it is recommended by professionals to use an 8lb pad.  It feels better and gives your carpet extra years of life.  You can also get a moisture barrier pad to prevent spills from soaking in, and wicking back through as a re-occurring stain after the carpet is cleaned.  Buyer beware of the used material padding from old couches and mattress' it has already been walked out and is not a good pad. 

INDOOR AIR QUALITY: The CRI (Carpet & Rug Institute) regulates material in this industry.  Carpet and carpet cushion pad give off emissions in the home.  This link goes over in detail how they set the standard for control.  The CRI provides a certification on products that exceed this standard called the GREEN LABEL PLUS, this ensures customers are purchasing the very lowest emitting products on the market.  Look for it on all your carpet sale purchases.

How much will it cost to have my home carpeted?

FREE Measures are fine with a reputable company but expect to pay $35-50 for a measure fee.  If you want service from a professional, do business in your community with a local mom and pops carpet store.  It is more common now days to see retailers advertising the Install Special pricing due to the big box stores marketing of carpet installation.  However installers do not install an entire house of carpet for $99 they would do a terrible job, the cost of the install is built into the carpet price.  They get paid anywhere from $3-$5 a square yard for their labor.  Also understand that carpet comes in 12ft widths so the amount of material needed may not reflect the actual square footage of the home. 

This is how much it should cost : 

Carpet .99-7.00 a sf with an install special

Pad .39-1.29 a sf

Always get an itemized breakdown

Can you get it for cheaper somewhere else? Shop around but get a measure and estimate from each then land your business with the company you trust.

Che Lopez

Great Floors

9021 S. 180th St

Kent WA 98032

(425) 251-0200

Ask for Chay

Flooring Buying Guide: The Carpet Sale