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Carpet Buying Questions & Answers 4
Q. Best Carpet Fiber, Style and Padding for Basement?
We just finished off our large basement and ready for the carpet. The basement is very dry and has never had any water. It will be heavily used for bedroom, game room, family room, home theater, pool room, and a weight room. I know from researching that nylon is the best way to go but not sure if I should go with textured plush or a commercial grade of carpet. I don't really want to use any glued down carpet and definitely not Berber. To have less seams we have to look at 15 ft goods. Also need to know what would be the best pad and weight of carpet to use. I am going to bookstore to try and find your book because I am hesitant to order on the computer. Your web site has been most helpful.
Answer:
A dry basement is a good thing, but doing a moisture test would still be a good idea, just to be sure. The padding requirements for a residential grade textured and plush styles are different than for Berbers and commercial grade carpets. A frieze style is also a good choice for a basement. More about Popular Carpet Styles
I have a 20 oz. commercial grade level-loop style carpet installed in my office/family room and it is great. It was glued down without any pad and it is super durable and easy to clean. I know I will get my monies worth from it, as it will last for 15 to 20 years. It is not soft underfoot but the durability and no-pad savings were well worth it for me.
Good quality Textured or Plush residential carpet styles, with a good padding, might last 10 to 15 years. You decide how long you want your carpet to last and use that as your guide. This will help you decide: What Grade of Carpet Do I Need?
Q. Is there really a difference in 6 pound padding vs. 8 pound padding?
I am getting a home built and I choose the 8-pound padding, but will I be able to tell the difference when walking on it or is 6-pound thick enough for a new home?
Answer:
Selecting the right padding is not a simple task and must be done right or you could accidentally void your carpet warranty. There are many factors to consider and you should not trust the carpet salesperson or retailer to select the right padding for you.
The typical padding rating system defines the DENSITY of carpet padding in pounds, not the thickness. An 8-pound padding is less spongy and is stiffer to walk on than a 6-pound pad, which is a bit more spongier underfoot. 6-pound padding is usually dense enough for use with most residential carpet and falls within most carpet manufacturers' warranty guidelines.
More homeowners prefer the 6-pound pad overall because they like their carpet to feel softer and cushy underfoot. There's not much difference in price between 6-pound pad and 8pound pad.
In your case, it could save you some money to use the 6-pound pad since you are dealing with a builder. They typically force you to buy flooring through their high-priced sources and they get a handsome kickback for every upgrade you choose.
Builder-grade carpets are usually fall on the lower end of quality so going with the cheapest pad is what I would do. You can buy a better carpet and pad after a few years and get something that you really like. Learn more about Carpet Styles
Berber Carpet
Hello, I need some information regarding what questions I should ask the seller of a house I am looking at buying. All the carpet is Berber. What should I ask them about it?
Answer:
Having Berber carpet can be a big disadvantage for the seller and an advantage for the buyer.
Let me explain:
It's what you need to know about Berber that is important here. If
you buy this house you have two options.
Either keep the Berber or replace the Berber. Why would you want to replace the Berber you ask? If you have kids or pets you might want to replace it, or at least tell the sellers that you will have to have it replaced soon. Why?
Berber carpets snag easily.
Kids and pets will snag the carpet and can ruin it in a hurry. It doesn't
matter what brand it is, or what style it is, they all snag. If you have
kids or pets, you will end up wanting to replace the Berber before too long.
Perhaps this is a good negotiating point.
On the other hand, if you don't have kids or pets, and never plan to, then you might like having a Berber carpet. Here are some facts about Berber that no one else will tell you.
Most Berbers are made of olefin; some are made of Nylon (better). Some have large loops some have smaller loops (better). Some have no pattern and some have a repeating pattern (better). So ideally, to determine the quality level of this Berber, a good grade of Berber will be made mostly of nylon, have smaller loops and a repeating pattern.
That means if this Berber has
large loops (they tend to fall over, mat down and look bad), made of olefin
(a strong fiber but not very resilient), and no noticeable pattern, then it
is probably a relatively inexpensive carpet.
If the wrong padding was used, the carpet may stretch out prematurely and
need to be re-stretched at some point. It is expensive to have this type of
carpet re-stretched. Learn about Carpet
Comparison
Best Carpet and Pad For Growing Family?
I am a new homebuyer. I would like carpet throughout a majority of my home (including the stairs). My family (which includes a 2.5 year old and a newborn) walks around barefoot all day everyday. So we would like our carpet to be as soft as possible, but also very stain-resistant as well. Can you please help me figure out the best carpet and carpet pad for my situation? I would like the carpet to last 10-15years and I am willing to spend up to $30/yd. please help!
Answer:
You really do need help because you are asking a lot and have a limited budget. As far as selecting the right carpet, there are a few good carpet choices that are within your price range that I discuss in detail. You must buy a durable carpet if you want it to last and you must follow my care and maintenance advice to the letter, but that's only the first step in my five point plan to be sure you get the whole carpet job done right, including carpet selection, correct padding, professional installation and a good price.
Heavy Traffic Lanes
I’m so glad I ran across your website! We're getting ready to invest in
carpeting our entire house (about 2,000 sq. feet). My brother's builder
(consistent high end Parade home winner) referred us to his supplier and
buyer. He gave us a quote for carpet, pad, and
installation for Mohawk's Horizon carpet. It's kind of like the frieze' (I
call it a twist-short shag). I love it, but I do have kids and we show
Dobermans. I don't have a housebreaking problem with the dogs and they are
kept in our indoor kennel room 60% of the time, so they don't create
excessive wear.
My problem is that we have high traffic patterns. Our house is a typical
ranch home that's about 20 years old (original carpet). You almost walk the
same exact pattern every where you go. Is this a good traffic carpet and do
you think it's a good price. I can't seem to find a durability rating for
it anywhere. Trying to find it at Home Depot or Lowe's for a comparison is
very difficult as they use different product names and colors.
Any help is appreciated. I've never had to purchase carpet and it's so
confusing! Thank you for being so helpful to everyone. I was relieved when
I found you!
P.S. Half of my sq. footage is basement. Would this be a good carpet for a finished very dry basement? Would you suggest a pad over concrete for the basement? I have Berber now and I hate it! I want something more softer and elegant as we use it for our family room, den and office (dog kennel is there too, but I will keep the Berber in that room).
Answer:
Wait! Don't buy anything yet! There is so much more you need to know.
The frieze you mentioned would be all right for you if it were made of nylon. I suspect the carpet you have selected
is a
polyester. Inherently,
a good quality frieze will tolerate a lot of abuse, but only when it is made
from Nylon. A polyester (P.E.T.) carpet will mat down in a hurry,
especially in moderate to heavy foot traffic areas. Carpet durability?
Check out this chart: Carpet
Durability Guide Chart
My advice: Take your time and do your carpet homework. Make sure your
basement is dry (do a moisture test to be sure). Use a good quality padding to
make your basement warmer and softer underfoot. Buying carpet is so
complex anymore, proper selection, correct padding, quality installation,
accurate measuring, not to mention getting a good price is the four step
process that all must be done right in order for you to be successful.
Otherwise, you will end up not satisfied with the outcome and you will have
lost hundreds or worse.
Day Care Carpet
I run a Day Care in my lower level. So the carpet gets a lot of traffic.
Was thinking of a Berber but was told it would snag if the children would run
toys across it. What would you suggest? We also use it for our own family so
would like something that looks nice (not commercial).
Answer:
Looped Berber for you is a no-no! I know you say you don't want commercial carpet but your options are quite limited if you expect your carpet to last. I suggest you consider a shorter nap, cut pile, commercial grade carpet installed over hair or synthetic fiber pad. This type of carpet really looks nice! It will clean easily, last forever, tolerate a lot of abuse and it is reasonably priced. For the best price, stick with a basic style with no pattern.
Berber Carpet Choices
We are looking at buying 192 yards of Mystic Trace carpet by Shaw. It is a DuPont Xtra
life Tactesse, BCF Nylon, short looped Berber carpet. Face weight 46.8oz. Tufted
pile height .437 inches. . Density is 4434. Total weight is 82oz. We are buying
the carpet from a local family store in Houston.
We are having this carpet installed over stairs. We are a little worried about
the "smile" - a cracked appearance where the carpet bends. Will this
be an issue? Can a good installer avoid this? Is this a good mid-grade carpet? We do have a kid and plan to have more but really love Berber.
Answer:
I'm afraid that your love of Berber will soon into a disheartened relationship. Not only do I see the damage caused by children and pets on a frequent basis but I also get plenty of e-mails from folks with kids or pets who purchased a Berber carpet only to discover un-repairable snags and runs showing up all over the place.
If you were older and all your kids were grown I would say great choice! But you are just going into the family zone where everything you hold dear will soon be ruined, stained, snagged, broken, lost, mistreated or mutilated. I know because I have had 6 children and 4 are still at home.
If you decide to buy Berber anyway, there is a right way and a wrong way to put Berber on stairs. It's a matter of the direction of the pile. A good installer will know how to reduce the "smile" issue on the stairs you are concerned about. Learn more about Carpet Comparison
More Q and A
