How To Buy Carpet and Flooring Wisely
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What Grade of Carpet Should I Buy?
For most homeowners, the grade of carpet selected is based mainly on how much money they have to spend on the project. This is not the best way to go. You don't want to use your budget as the main factor in determining the grade of carpet you select. You would be better off choosing your carpet based on your needs, goals and lifestyle! If you are on a budget you may want to consider doing your carpet project in two phases to give yourself time to save up more money to buy a better grade of carpet. Perhaps do the living and dining room now and do the hall, stairs and bedrooms later?
What Makes a Carpet Wear Out Faster?
If you don't buy a carpet that is designed to handle your level of foot traffic, your new carpet will wear out in a hurry! The manufacturers carpet warranty will have no value if you choose a carpet that is incapable of tolerating your level of foot traffic. Take my FREE Carpet Foot Traffic Test to help determine which grade of carpet you need.
Price vs. durability is the main problem to overcome when you are considering the best flooring options for your home. If you buy a poorly made carpet it will surely wear out faster than you expect. How will you know which grade of carpet is right for you? This is the hardest question for most consumers to answer. But this is where I can help you make wise and informed choices.
What makes one carpet more durable than another?
If you have an unlimited budget and can afford to buy the absolute best carpet on the market you don't need me to help you. Just go out and buy the most expensive carpet you can find and you will likely do just fine. For everyone else, you need to take the time to learn a few things about carpet specifications so you can get the most bang for your buck. Learn about Carpet Specifications
Which grade of carpet should you select?
Let me be brutally frank, if you choose carpet that cannot handle your foot traffic it WILL wear out faster than you expect. Maybe you want your new rug to last for ten years. How will you feel when it wears out in five years or less? Will you be in a position to replace your carpet again in five years? Or will you have to live with an ugly, matted down and worn out rug for another five years.
YOU must make the final carpet and padding choices!
You must do your carpet homework! Most homeowners don't know what grade of carpet to buy and blindly put their trust in what the salesperson recommends. This is often a HUGE mistake! "But The salesperson seemed so knowledgeable!" Yeah well that may be true in some cases but there are a ton of smooth talking salespeople who know very little about the products they sell.
Even if the Salesperson assures you that "This Carpet is very durable and will last for at least 15 years" it doesn't guarantee it will. If it wears out faster, then you have NO recourse! Never blindly trust what any one salesperson tells you. In the end, YOU will be solely responsible for the carpet and padding you purchase. You cannot go back to the carpet store and complain that the salesperson made you buy the wrong grade of carpet.
Don't Trust Manufacturers Warranty Limits or Wear Ratings
You should never trust the manufacturer's warranty or rating system to make your selection. Many carpet manufacturers use a scale of 1 to 5 to reflect how durable the carpet is rated based on a typical family of four scenario. Even if the Carpet Manufacturer's warranty label says: 10-year texture retention; 10-year stain-protection; 10-year defect, or whatever.... It does NOT mean the Carpet will last 10 years in YOUR home!
I believe Carpet manufacturer's warranties are practically worthless these days. None of their stated warranty coverage will protect you if you choose the wrong grade of carpet for your home. There is absolutely no guarantee that your new carpet will wear well for ten years unless YOU select the right grade or quality of carpet! And even if you do choose a carpet that can handle your amount of foot traffic, you still must choose the right pad, and have it all installed correctly.
Beyond all that, you are also required to properly maintain your carpet according to the manufacturer's warranty and care guidelines. It's good idea to follow all their care suggestions and recommendations to the letter.
Proper Carpet Care and Maintenance?
It's very important. Let me give you a simple example, it doesn't matter if you buy a new Ford Focus or a new Mercedes Benz, if you don't change the oil and do the necessary maintenance any new car, regardless of it's purchase price, will not last as long as it was designed to.
Carpet is no different. You must be sure to select the right carpet grade or quality that your home requires, based on your needs, goals, lifestyle and long-term expectations and then be darn sure you take proper care of it according to the manufacturer's warranty guidelines.
How is Carpet Graded?
Carpet is graded by the quality and type of materials used, the fiber type, the fiber weight, the tuft twist, pile height and density, and how well it is constructed overall.
Determining which carpet is the best choice for a particular application can be quite challenging for even a seasoned carpet salesperson. Many factors must be considered.
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Which carpet fiber will be the best choice for you? Carpet Fibers
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What anti-stain treatment is best? Sorona® / Smartstrand®
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What carpet style is best for kids or pets? Carpet Styles
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What carpet is best for my basement? Carpet Q & A
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How do I select the right pad? Carpet Pad
Q. How do I measure for carpet myself?
How to Measure for Carpet in 4 Simple Steps
Q. How will I know if my carpet is installed correctly?
Before Hiring A Carpet Installer
When choosing the right carpet quality... The main problem is, many carpet salespeople can't or won't help you make the right choices. They either don't have sufficient knowledge, or just don't care what carpet you select. Learn more about Common Carpet Scams
Carpet Salespeople are Hired to Sell
When the store owner is looking to fill a vacant carpet sales position he gets plenty of applicants. Many talented salespeople eagerly apply for these higher-paying sales jobs.
Faced with a stack of job applications who do you think the store owner or manager will hire? It's often a more aggressive sales person. They tend to make more sales by being pushy and not taking no for an answer.
Why should they hire the kind, honest, caring and knowledgeable salesperson who will spend extra time to be sure that each customer is treated fairly? This is the major difference between the carpet dealers that I recommend to my readers and the carpet dealers whom I would never recommend at all!
Paid On Commission Only?
Some carpet salespeople are paid on salary, some are paid by the hour, but most are paid on a commission basis. This means they may be more motivated to encourage you to buy, even though you may not have selected the carpet that meets your needs and goals.
So let's get one thing straight, I suggest you not rely solely on any one carpet salesperson to advise you about what carpet you should buy. If you follow their bad or wrong advice you can't go back later and blame the salesperson and hope to get a refund or replacement.
You need to take your time and be absolutely sure of your carpet and padding choices. You need to determine your carpet needs all by yourself by a simple and basic process to decide what carpet can meet your needs goals and budget. Don't be in a hurry to make your final selection. You need to take many things into account including....
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How many people live in your home?
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Do you have small kids or pets?
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Do you entertain often?
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Is durability or stain resistance most important?
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Is this for a basement area?
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Do you have teenagers?
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Do you have elderly people in the home?
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Do your pets have occasional wet accidents?
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and much more....
Sound difficult? Yes it is! That's why I created this website... to help you make wise and informed choices. Take the time to learn how to choose new carpet based on your needs and goals. Take my FREE Carpet Foot Traffic Test
