Selecting Durable Carpet

Carpet should be either a good quality nylon, or wool. Both of these fibers have great resilience and stain resistance. I have had bad experiences with other fibers, and remain skeptical that they are a good investment. I know improvements are being made all the time with other fibers, but in my own home I would not take the chance. A carpet rep once told me that all nylons are not the same, and I believe her, that makes it worth it to buy from a company with a good reputation. Buy the best quality carpet you can (because having to replace carpet is a huge pain). Be sure it is dense, if you can feel the backing between the fibers, it is not as dense as it could and will show wear. I look for tightly twisted yarns, and a dense carpet, a pattern or multiple colors help hide wear. In reality a white carpet does not get any dirtier than a darker color, but you sure notice it sooner. I jokingly suggest that clients buy carpet the color of their pet’s hair, so when they shed it will not be noticeable. A good warranty is also a must, as is a good quality pad. I always warn the installers that I am very picky (I am) and ask for their best installer. Be sure to get a good warranty on stain resistance and wear for nylon carpets.

My favorite carpet is wool. It is the measuring staff by which we compare all other carpets. It is durable and soft. I have wool carpet in most of my house, and I find it very easy to clean. You can get wool carpet in almost any style. From contemporary berbers to sisal looks, to traditional cut pile styles. One of my clients had a plush carpet installed in her family room and told me that when she walks on it in bare feet she feels like she is walking on baby lamb bottoms! Another wonderful aspect of wool carpet is that it is VERY environmentally friendly.

An example of a textured wool carpet. The use of multiple colors of yard adds character and beauty.

I am a huge fan of neutral carpet. It is easy to change wall color, and even furniture, but carpet is more expensive and more trouble to change. In my experience clients do get sick of colored carpet. That spring green that looks so current today may be the next avocado green waiting to happen. This is not to say that all carpet needs to be boring beige. I love a carpet with texture, it adds interest, and helps hide lint. The tone on tone carpets that are available now are very interesting. They combine cut pile with loop pile, and can have either geometric or more organic patterns in them.

An example of a tone-on-tone nylon carpet. It adds interest without being busy.

If you have had to move all of your furniture more than once for carpet installation than you know that it is not much more fun than a root canal. So buying durable carpet, that will last, is important.

Of course, buying carpet through my office is a great way to save some money. You can be assured of high quality, and I pass on discounts to you. I have been using the same carpet installer for 15 years, and he is the only carpet installer I would want working in my own home.

Here's some of my thoughts, share yours.
-MaryBeth