How To Buy Carpet and Flooring Wisely

Carpet Buying Q & A

Best Carpet Selection?

Your website is great...the information has been so helpful! We have just started carpet shopping and have brought home a couple of samples. Both are frieze carpets made of nylon.

One says that it is 100% Continuous Heat-Set Nylon. The other is 100% WearOn;™ Nylon. What does this mean? Also with respect to frieze carpets, does the pile length make a big difference for durability and wear? One has a longer pile (however we prefer the color of this one) and seems to show footprints more than the other.

Answer:

Frieze is my favorite carpet. It has great twist and is made of nylon. You can't go wrong with a frieze. Heat set nylon just means they use heat to "set" the twist in the fiber, just like you might use heat to set the curls in your hairstyle. The other is a trademark by a company. It's kind of like Chevron's gasoline additive called "Techron™", nobody really knows exactly what it is...

Milliken is a well-known brand. I think you should stick with the well-known brands. My book would be a great help to you in your carpet search, selection, installation and purchase. Learn more about Frieze is my favorite carpet. It has great twist and is made of nylon. You can't go wrong with a frieze. Heat set nylon just means they use heat to "set" the twist in the fiber, just like you might use heat to set the curls in your hairstyle. The other is a trademark by a company.

It's kind of like Chevron's gasoline additive called "Techron™", nobody really knows exactly what it is... Milliken is a well-known brand. I think you should stick with the well-known brands. My book would be a great help to you in your carpet search, selection, installation and purchase. Learn more about

Carpet Stain

I have bad carpet stains from water flooding and it cannot be removed via professional steam cleaning. What carpet can I replace it with that is absolutely stain proof and cannot be stained again by water flooding. The carpet is in the basement, which is a full basement entertainment room.

Answer:

There is no carpet made that is totally stain proof. I think that Sorona is the most stain resistant carpet fiber available today. It is also called Smartstrand by Mohawk. Learn more about How To Care For Your Carpet

Can I "Haggle" with Carpet Dealers?

We are considering purchasing replacement carpet from a local reputable dealer. It will be about 160 yards of carpet. We are wondering how negotiable pricing is. The dealer has given us a price and we wonder if we should try to get some reduction in price. Is it common practice to "haggle" some with carpet dealers?

Answer:

It is possible to negotiate with the dealer but it may not do you any good. A better idea would be to order my ebook and discover all the great ways that you can save by knowing exactly how to get the entire job done properly. It’s much more than just a good price on carpet.

You must be concerned with a dozen other important areas like correct padding, installation, warranties, selection and so on. Only when you get it all done correctly will you be getting the best deal possible. For example, if you get a great price on your carpet and then have it installed improperly you will not be satisfied with the end result.

Frieze Carpet Styles?

Do you know of any manufacturers that sell frieze carpet in something wider than 12' width? We have a room layout that will not work with 12' width and we are pulling our hair out trying to find something we like in a 13'6" or 15' width. We have found some Saxony carpets, 100% nylon, twist 5, density 3108, face weight 58 oz, but we don't know if this will take the high traffic of our hallway and living room. Also we aren't sure we like the way it looks.

We really want frieze, but we have only found ONE in over 12' and we've looked and looked. We found one by Milliken in 13' 6" (which will work) but it is pricey. The density seems rather low at 1874. Twist is 7.5, and weight is 40 oz. Which one of these do you think will stand up to heavy foot traffic and kids best? If you could point out any other wider frieze carpet we would be grateful.

Answer:
A manufacturer’s representative for each mill account they have services each carpet retailer. Since there is only so much showroom space available, retailers cannot display every carpet sample available by all the different carpet mills. I would suggest having your salesperson contact their various mill representatives by phone and ask them what Friezes are available in wider sizes. The mill rep. can then make arrangements to make those samples available to you.

While the Saxony and frieze carpets you have mentioned are plenty durable for your needs, I always suggest that my clients buy the carpet they like. Don't settle for a Saxony when you really want a frieze (my favorite). A Frieze is inherently more expensive than a Saxony but will last longer. While the Saxony and frieze carpets you have mentioned are plenty durable for your needs, I always suggest that my clients buy the carpet they like.

Don't settle for a Saxony when you really want a frieze (my favorite). A Frieze is inherently more expensive than a Saxony but will last longer. Learn about Carpet Styles

Best Carpet Choice

I have learned so much about buying carpet by reading your web-site. What a wealth of information! My husband and I have pretty much made up our minds about the carpet we are going to purchase for our living room and hall. I thought that I would run it by you first, just to see if we had done our homework correctly.

We have two older children and no pets. We are looking at a Mohawk product called Bigelow Chateau. It is 100% Dupont Tactesse BCF nylon. Its face weight is 45 ounces. We will pay approx. $37/square yard. The pad that has been suggested is a rebond pad that is 1/2", 8lb. for approx. $6.50/square yard. What do you think?

Answer:
I'm sure it is a beautiful carpet! The price is good and I think it will do you nicely. The padding is where you could save a little bit. $6.50 per yard for 8 pound rebond is reasonable, but your carpet does not require an 8 pound pad, a 6 pound pad would be less expensive and a little softer underfoot. The 8-pound pad would be a bit stiffer.

A good 6 pound, 7/16 inch, Rebond should only be about $4.50 per yard (unless you live in Hawaii or Alaska). That will save you $2 per yard! I bet you will save at least a hundred bucks and be happier with the outcome. Thanks for the kind comments! Learn about Carpet Comparison

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