Shopping for carpet can be a little overwhelming. It’s a popular flooring because of its high-end look and wide assortment of colors, styles, fibers, and constructions.

Installation affects the overall appearance just as much as the product itself and some problems, such as wrinkling, can occur from the beginning when the rug is not stretched properly during installation.

This is why it's better to buy flooring from a company that offers full service.  You want someone to explain the various carpet characteristics, as well as install it and offer maintenance recommendations.

Five characteristics of quality

None of these should be viewed alone; rather, they are a mix of all the factors that contribute to performance.

• Density.  This means how closely the fibers are woven together.  You can check this yourself by bending back a sample card.  If you see a lot of white space, it’s not a good grade.
• Face weight. It’s just the weight of the rug’s pile per square yard. It’s a factor, but not the ultimate determination of quality; thin rugs can be just as good as thick ones.  Think of the low pile/commercial carpets.
• Fiber twist.  This is easy to see for yourself.  Take a one-inch length of fiber and just count the turns; most have three to six, but some can have as many as eight.
• Fiber.  This could be the most important consideration when selecting carpet floors. There are four basic ones: wool, nylon, polyester, and olefin, but there are also blends, silks, and the fairly new Triexta.
• Style.  They include Saxony, Berber, frieze, and cut-and-loop.  Some perform better in certain areas, such as high traffic areas than others.
• Warranty.  There are some terms and exclusions that make it difficult to understand what the manufacturer is offering.

A word about installation

While it’s always tempting to save money, only a professional should do the carpet installation.  Not only do they have the expertise and experience to foresee possible problems, but the service will know how and when to use the various special tools required.

You might also end up losing money because most manufacturers have strict recommendations and guidelines for installation; when not followed precisely, the warranty becomes void and damages will not be covered.

For more information, visit the Carpet Giant showroom in Houston, TX and be sure to ask about our estimates.