Sharon Parisi
United Real Estate Dallas - Dallas, TX
Dallas Homes

Debbie, thanks for this educational tutorial on berber carpet.  Many people are unclear about the properties of berber products.

May 12, 2012 07:45 AM
Gary Woltal
Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX
Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Debbie, I like Berber carpets where they apply, but I also like the "softness" of the traditional carpets when I use them with laying on them and with pets. GREAT GREAT description.

May 12, 2012 08:45 AM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Debbie, great advice for those needing a durable carpet, and will share this post with a current client!

May 12, 2012 10:08 AM
Donna Foerster
HomeSmart Realty Group - Parker, CO
Metro Denver Real Estate Assistant

Debbie~ I've always appreciated the look of berber carpets and even more so, their durability.  I didn't know much about the different types or the costs.  Thanks for the lesson, as always.  I'm going to bookmark for future re-blogging!

May 12, 2012 10:53 AM
Kathy Streib
Room Service Home Staging - Delray Beach, FL
Home Stager - Palm Beach County,FL -561-914-6224

Debbie- I did not know there was a difference in the berber carpets. I remember so many years ago that when you talked about carpet I'd always here the word "berber" thrown around. 

May 12, 2012 11:21 AM
Debbie Gartner
The Flooring Girl - White Plains, NY
The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers

Sharon - Yes, there is a lot of confusion, and I can tell that by the q's my customers ask.

Gary - Thank you so much.  I really appreciate that.  Oh and yes, berbers work in some places, but for bedrooms, I generally prefer soft carpet (or soft area rugs).

Joan - Excellent.  I'm so glad to hear that.

Donna - You are welcome and thank you ahead of time.

Kathy - Yes, so true and so many are vondused about it, so I thought it might help if I did a post on it.

May 12, 2012 11:40 AM
Donald Reich
Prudential Centennial - New Rochelle, NY

Very informative Debbie. I have 2 rooms in my house with berber carpets . . .  they look great!

May 12, 2012 11:40 AM
Kevin O'Rourke - Keller Williams Miami Beach Realtor
Keller Williams Miami Beach Realty - Miami Beach, FL
CDPE Miami Short Sale Agent 305-520-9436
Interesting post Debbie, now I feel I know all there is to know about Berber carpets.
May 12, 2012 11:52 AM
Susan Neal
RE/MAX Gold, Fair Oaks - Fair Oaks, CA
Fair Oaks CA & Sacramento Area Real Estate Broker

Hi Debbie - This is an excellent profile of berber carpet for those who are confused about it.  I know that I have heard people say that their carpet is "true" berber as opposed to what is sold at Lowes, but it looks exactly the same and is made from synthetic yarn, so they should read your post.

May 12, 2012 12:20 PM
Debbie Reynolds, C21 Platinum Properties
Platinum Properties- (931)771-9070 - Clarksville, TN
The Dedicated Clarksville TN Realtor-(931)320-6730
Debbie-I used to love Berber but now think it dates a house. I even still have some in mine.
May 12, 2012 12:23 PM
Joan Whitebook
BHG The Masiello Group - Nashua, NH
Consumer Focused Real Estate Services

Debbie -- I think this is a very informative post.  I like the more traditional type of carpet.. especially because it is difficult to clearn and often shows stains more easily.

May 12, 2012 12:50 PM
Joy Daniels
Joy Daniels Real Estate Group, Ltd. - Harrisburg, PA
Around this area Berber carpet is outdated... Frieze is the style that seems popular now.
May 12, 2012 12:55 PM
Maureen Bray Portland OR Home Stager ~ Room Solutions Staging
Room Solutions Staging, Portland OR - Portland, OR
"Staging Consultations that Sell Portland Homes"

Debbie ~ In my last house I had 100% wool berber carpeting from Australia installed ... very nice quality, but the installer said it was a %#(&% to install LOL!!  It's very long-wearing and soft underfoot ... but sturdy as can be.

May 12, 2012 12:56 PM
Debbie Gartner
The Flooring Girl - White Plains, NY
The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers

Donald - thank you, and I'm so glad to hear that.

Kevin - Excellent!

Susan - Thank you and LOL.  Classic. There really is a lot of confusion out thee.

Debbie - Thank you.  It depends where you live.  They are very in style in NY and northeast.  A lot of that is because we have a lot of basements.

Joan - Thanks so much.  I really appreciate it.

Joy - LOL, that may be.  But, they are vey stylish here in NY/northeast.  And, friezes are very dated here and very out of style.  I don't know why Atlanta keeps coming out w/ more of them.  They are basically shag reincarnated.  They do not do well here at all.  For solids, textured carpet is the preferred type by far.

Maureen - Nice!  Oh, and yes wool can be very challenging to install.  Not only for the reasons given above but also because wool is more challenging to seam and needs to be done diffeently.  And, yes, there is no substitute for wool.  it's incredble.

May 12, 2012 01:21 PM
Shar Sitter
Rooms With Style - Minneapolis, MN
Home Staging and Redesign Minneapolis/ St. Paul, M

This is so helpful Debbie. I am trying to look at carpet now for my home and I need something to hide dirt (3 large dogs), easy to clean, and still elegant. I am looking at 'loop de loop' or something. Is that the name? LOL

May 12, 2012 01:35 PM
Barbara Altieri
Kinard Realty Group Fairfield and New Haven County CT Real Estate - Shelton, CT
REALTOR-Fairfield County CT Homes/Condos For Sale

Debbie- Don't know anyone around these parts who doesn't like a berber. Have to be careful, though, with the pets. Their nails can get caught in the loopier versions. I have one in my lower family room and just love it. Appreciate the history and explanation.

May 12, 2012 01:47 PM
Sharon Alters
Coldwell Banker Vanguard Realty - 904-673-2308 - Fleming Island, FL
Realtor - Homes for Sale Fleming Island FL

Debbie, I like the Level 5 or 6 Berber carpets, but the lower ones are not very attractive to me. I would rather have builder grade plush, IMO.

Sharon

May 12, 2012 01:59 PM
Joni Bailey
101 Main St. Realty - Huntsville, TX
Your Huntsville / Lake Livingston Area REALTORĀ®

I had always heard that berber carpet cost more but lasted longer. Who knew there were different price levals. Thanks for the berber carpet class tonight! :)

May 12, 2012 02:01 PM
Mikayla Jacob
Star Realty - Double Oak, TX
This is something I really enjoyed reading! Informative, but it didn't take all day to read. I really would enjoy more like this!
May 12, 2012 02:04 PM
Evelyn Kennedy
Alain Pinel Realtors - Alameda, CA
Alameda, Real Estate, Alameda, CA

Debbie:

What a great tutorial on berber carpets.  I had no idea about the different types of berbers.  I knew that they lasted a long time and were more costly.  Now I know why.

May 12, 2012 02:11 PM
Kim & Kristine Halverson
Compass - Santa Monica, CA
Sisters, Realtors

Debbie, love this post...reblogged, http://actvra.in/B4C  Kristine

May 12, 2012 02:58 PM
Christine Donovan
Donovan Blatt Realty - Costa Mesa, CA
Broker/Attorney 714-319-9751 DRE01267479 - Costa M

Debbie - I suddenly feel so much more knowledgeable about berber carpets. ; )

May 12, 2012 03:29 PM
DeeDee Riley
Lyon Real Estate - El Dorado Hills CA - El Dorado Hills, CA
Realtor - El Dorado Hills & the Surrounding Areas

Debbie,

This is great information.  We have had berbers throughout the years.  One of our houses in WA had a  wool berber.  You could always smell the wool when we had them cleaned.  You're so right about the seams.  They are hard to hide!

Have a great Sunday!

May 12, 2012 06:08 PM
Debbie Gartner
The Flooring Girl - White Plains, NY
The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers

Shar - Excellent.  Glad to hear that.  I think you are referring to loop cut loop.  Check out this post on Patterned tone-on-tone carpet and this board on Pinterest.

Barbara - Thanks.  yes, the looser loops can cause problems with some pets.  Tighter loops are better for pets.

Sharon - It's interesting because customers seem to be all over the board on which berbers they like.  Some like a certain style and hate the others and other customers are vice versa.  Everything depends on the room, too.  I prefer cut or tone on tone for bedrooms, but that is just my opinion.

Joni - Yes, some last much longer and others don't.  Just like cut carpets, it depends on the quality of the fiber.

Mikayia  - Thx

Evelyn - Thank you so much for your kind words.  Yes, they do vary in quality and some can be very long lasting.

Kristine - thank you so much. I will check that out.

Christine - Excellent.  I'm so glad to hear that.

DeeDee - Thank you, and yes, they really are.

 

May 12, 2012 08:29 PM
Ginny Gorman
RI Real Estate Services ~ 401-529-7849~ RI Waterfront Real Estate - North Kingstown, RI
Homes for Sale in Southern RI and beyond

Deb, i was thinking this is a great guest post as soon as i started to read it...congrats on the feature!  Love the berber

May 12, 2012 08:57 PM
Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

I like the Berber made with man made fibers.  NO INTRINSIC ABSORPTIVE VALUE!!!

That is HUGE!!

Nothing will ruin a carpet worse than spills.  With a good nylon Berber, all it takes is to flood the area, sop it up and you'd never know there was a spill.

Wool or other natural fibers are very stain prone.

May 12, 2012 09:05 PM
Debbie Gartner
The Flooring Girl - White Plains, NY
The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers

Ginny - Thank you.  You are so sweet.

Lenn - Yes, the lower absorption helps.  Wool, though, is usually naturally stain resisant and crush resistant.  That is one of the many benefits of wool.  Stain protection can also play a large role, especially on the synthetic carpets and one of the biggest issues (ironically) is that sometimes the steam cleaning extracts the stain protection making it more stain prone, so it's important to reapply it afterwards.  It kind works/uses similar technology to hair dye.

May 12, 2012 09:14 PM
Amanda Christiansen
Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843 - Fort Wayne, IN
Christiansen Group Realty

Very interesting post Debbie.  I learned something new this morning!!                                                                              

May 12, 2012 09:38 PM
Fernando Herboso - Broker for Maxus Realty Group
Maxus Realty Group - Broker 301-246-0001 - Gaithersburg, MD
301-246-0001 Serving Maryland, DC and Northern VA

I came in to your post. .posted this comment and I'm leaving  a little smarter.

Thank you for the lesson. .your expertise is apparent in your chosen field.

May 12, 2012 09:40 PM
Debbie Gartner
The Flooring Girl - White Plains, NY
The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers

Valerie - Yes, they can be because the loops hold up better vs. the cut carpet.  If you have a cut carpet for a runner, it should be very compact and high quality.

The Christiansen Team - Oh good, I'm so glad to hear that.

Fernando - Thank you.  You are so sweet.  I really appreciate that!

May 12, 2012 09:43 PM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

I like berber.  I see it a lot.  We have it in our family room without an incident like a run or tear.  It is pretty good stuff!

May 12, 2012 09:50 PM
Scott Seaton Jr. Bourbonnais Kankakee IL Home Inspector
SLS Home Inspections-Bradley Bourbonnais Kankakee Manteno - Bourbonnais, IL
The Home Inspector With a Heart!

Funny you put this post up today, we are actually looking at redoing our family room and my wife was asking what the best carpet for the best look would be. I like the explanation and maybe this will help our decision. Thanks

May 12, 2012 10:38 PM
Debbie Gartner
The Flooring Girl - White Plains, NY
The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers

Jay - Excellent.  I'm so glad to hear it. 

Scott - Oh good, I'm so glad this is so timely for you.

May 12, 2012 10:44 PM
Harry F. D'Elia III
RentVest - Phoenix, AZ
Investor , Mentor, GRI, Radio, CIPS, REOs, ABR

I like the higher end carpets in this fashion but the lower end is not for me

May 13, 2012 12:17 AM
Shar Sitter
Rooms With Style - Minneapolis, MN
Home Staging and Redesign Minneapolis/ St. Paul, M

That's it! Loop cut loop. ahahahahh... Thanks for those great links. They were helpful. That is exactly what I have been looking at. I love the tone on tone patterns even in fabrics. Thanks!

May 13, 2012 12:28 AM
Debbie Gartner
The Flooring Girl - White Plains, NY
The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers

Harry - For sure I prefer the higher end carpets.  But, sometimes for basements, these types of carpets are ideal.

Shar - Oh excellent.  Yes, I love the tone on tones, too.  Glad the links were helpful.

May 13, 2012 12:41 AM
Sandy Acevedo
951-290-8588 - Chino Hills, CA
RE/MAX Masters, Inland Empire Homes for Sale

Hi Debbie, I was familiar with traditional berber, but did not know about the new ones. I do remember sometimes getting a heel caught. Great update!

May 13, 2012 12:56 AM
Debbie Gartner
The Flooring Girl - White Plains, NY
The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers

Sandy - Thank you so much.  I really appreciate that.

May 13, 2012 06:41 AM
David Grbich
Realty One Group - www.FindCARealEstate.com - San Juan Capistrano, CA
Orange County Real Estate - 949-500-0484

Thanks for the tutorial - love the berber that looks like sisal without the cost.

May 14, 2012 02:03 PM
Debbie Gartner
The Flooring Girl - White Plains, NY
The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers

David - Thanks.  yes, that is one of my favorites too.  And, it's much softer on your feet vs. sisal.

May 14, 2012 07:51 PM
Dylan Taft
Dylan Taft Broker/Owner Taft Street Realty, Inc. - Woodstock, NY
Ulster County Area Consultant

So much more to berber than i thought.  thanks for sharing!

May 19, 2012 10:01 PM
Debbie Gartner
The Flooring Girl - White Plains, NY
The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers

Taft Street Realty - Thx so much!  Yes, a bit more complicated than most realize.

May 19, 2012 10:09 PM