Choosing Your Next Carpet
/When it comes to selecting the best carpet for your needs, where do you start? If you’re like most people, walking into a fully stocked showroom can be overwhelming.
It’s like this… You’ve just entered the flooring showroom and upon traversing the foyer, your eyes are met with a sea of carpet displays. You’ve never seen so much tufted fiber in all your life …and it all looks the same. Broadloom, carpet tiles, wool, nylon, plush, Berber, waterproof backing, padding… Information overload! How do you begin to cut through the jargon and marketing to decipher what’s most important and avoid overspending? How do you get the quality product that fits your needs and meets your budget? In this article, we hope to give you the information you need to make the best selection when choosing your next carpet!
Let’s get started.
Five Categories to Consider
We recommend starting with these five categories when making a new carpet purchase. Consider…
Budget
Type of Fiber
Durability (which includes choosing carpet pad!)
Style
Color
First Category: Budget
When entering the carpet buying decision, it’s helpful to have a good idea of your budget. What’s your range? Knowing your spending range can help you eliminate options outside of it. Because there are so many options of carpet in today’s market, prices vary from less than $2 per square foot to over $15 per square foot, which is a $500 to $3,750 swing for a 250 square foot room! Knowing your budget range can narrow your options which will aid you in making your final selection.
Determining Your Needs
Once you know a range of how much you want to spend, consider what you need your carpet to do. What’s your specific situation? What strengths are you looking for in your carpet? Knowing what you need will help ensure you spend money only on the essential qualities that you need in your carpet. Durability, stain resistance, style, look, etc… These are some of the elements that can factor into the cost (and quality) of a carpet. You want to make sure you’re getting what your situation demands and avoid spending money on the aspects of carpet you don’t need.
Here are some examples of situations and our recommendations:
If you’re a landlord renting out your property, for example, we would advise you to spend your money on a durable carpet with good stain and soil resistance. You can save money by choosing a straightforward style like a level-loop or a high-density, high-twist, cut-pile carpet. (The term pile refers to the carpet’s surface or “face” and twist refers to the amount of twist in each strand of carpet.) Having a dense carpet with high twist adds to the durability! Avoid unnecessary expense from styles like shag, intricately patterned, or cut-and-loop options. Longer strands will cost you more because it’s more material while cut-and-loop carpets cost more because of the extra time and effort in the manufacturing process. Also, a tip for landlords is to educate your tenants on carpet care, which will save you money on carpet replacement in the long run.
If you’re planning on selling your home, look for an option with a lower price tag but still has a full and appealing look. Wool, nylon, and triexta are the best carpet fibers for longevity, stain-resistance, and comfort, but they’re also the most expensive, and you’re not even going to get to enjoy them! That’s why polyester is probably your best choice; It’s less expensive, provides good value for your money, and looks nice. Olefin (or polypropylene) is another inexpensive option, but it’s more commonly used in commercial applications.
If you’re a homeowner with kids, a triexta or polyester carpet will provide inherent stain resistance while a nylon or wool will keep looking good longer. Polyester will crush sooner than nylon, showing wear in a few years in high-traffic areas. So polyester can definitely be a win for kids’ rooms while nylon would be a good choice for hallways, stairs, and the main living room. Also, we recommend getting a multi-colored (marbled) option that will hide dirt and stains better than a solid colored carpet. Avoid a white carpet! The darker/marble-colored carpets will save you money from having to replace a worn-looking carpet.
If you’re a homeowner with pets, avoid getting a loop-pile carpet as your pet’s nails can snag the loops. While loop-pile carpets are acclaimed for durability, they’re no match for those claws! Stain resistance will be an important quality to spend money on as well, so a polyester carpet would be a good option. Where durability is key, we recommend a quality nylon carpet.
If you’re a homeowner without kids or pets (and you’re planning to live in your house for 10+ years), we would recommend spending the money for a quality carpet that will last. Wool, nylon, or triexta are good options. If you want to save money, polyester can be a good option for low-traffic areas. If you’re not often entertaining and spills aren’t a constant concern, you can go with a lighter color to make your rooms feel bigger!
Some More Heads Up Related to Budget
As you’re considering your budget, remember to think in terms of total project spend. You’re buying carpet, carpet pad, and likely the labor to install it as well. This includes a lot more than that dollar per square foot price you’re looking at on the display. We advise you to come to the store with a rough estimate of room sizes and layout. This will help us give you a ballpark idea of total project cost while you’re perusing.
Our process at D&S: When you're ready to buy, a sales team member from D&S will come out to you, take a free on-site measurement, and send you an estimate within seven business days.
This estimate will include padding, installation, seaming, stairs (if applicable), thresholds, the moving of furniture, and the removal of old carpet or other flooring and materials. You can save money by doing the demolition and carpet removal yourself!
Keep in mind, there may be extra carpet that you’re paying for. At D&S, we never add more carpet than is needed, but there can be excess carpet in certain situations. If a room is over 12 feet wide and 12 feet long, as in a room that’s 15’ x 18’ for example, there’s going to be a good chunk of carpet cut and not used. This is because of two reasons: One, broadloom comes in 12’ wide rolls, so a seam will be needed. Two, the seams needs to be made with a carpet that’s running in the same direction. (It has to do with how the carpet is constructed in the backing.) If two sections of carpet of the same colored carpet are installed in different directions, they will look like two different colors! When there is a pattern in the carpet, there can be even more excess carpet because of cuts needed to make the carpet’s pattern match up as well as to reduce the amount of seams needed. Similarly with padding, which comes in 6-foot-wide rolls, you’re likely to spend some money on excess padding depending on room size and layout.
Tip: Get multiple bids from installers when shopping, but remember to compare apples to apples. Also, once the carpet arrives, double check the tag that it’s the carpet you paid for. It could be an honest mistake or the company you’re getting carpet from is actually scamming you!
Now that you’ve got an idea of your budget, the aspects of carpet you want to spend your money on, and room sizes and other factors considered, let’s take a closer look at a few more categories of the carpet buying decision.
Second Category: Type of Carpet Fiber
The next thing you’ll need to decide is the type of fiber that makes up your carpet. There are a number of different fiber options on the market, and they fall into two main categories: natural and man-made fibers. Natural fibers include wool (which you can see so beautifully pictured above), sisal, cotton, seagrass, jute, silk, and coir. Synthetic fibers include nylon, Triexta (PTT), polyester (PET), olefin (polypropylene), and acrylic.
Each fiber has its strengths and weaknesses, and, to be clear, there’s not one super fiber. You should get to know the pros and cons of each fiber and how it performs to determine which best fits your needs.
NATURAL FIBERS
In the natural fiber category, the most commonly used fiber is wool. Its elasticity enables it to be used in broadloom (wall-to-wall) carpet in both loop-pile and cut-pile styles. Wool is completely natural, super-soft, flame-resistant, and great at hiding dirt. When compared to other common fibers on today’s market like nylon and polyester, wool comes out on top as the most sustainable and environmentally friendly. Sheep just keep growing their wool back, and that wool is 100% biodegradable! It’s also a durable fiber. Unlike synthetic fibers that are either good at resisting oil stains or water-based stains, wool is good at resisting both, and It does this naturally without added chemicals. We will note it does have some susceptibility to mildew because it absorbs water and maintaining it is different than synthetic fibers. You and the carpet cleaner will need to be informed of the specialized cleaning process. Also, wool is the most expensive of the fibers that make today’s carpets. While some entry-level wool carpets can be as inexpensive at $3 per square foot, mid to high-end wool carpets can cost up to $15 or more per square foot.
Sisal, cotton, seagrass, jute, silk, and coir are other natural fibers used mostly in the production of area rugs and woven carpets. Jute is the most popular of this group for its softness and price point. Jute is the most inexpensive natural fiber for carpet, but because it’s so soft, it’s not the most durable.
In our carpet showroom, customers can see and feel some real wool carpets at our Godfrey Hirst display. This line of wool carpet is made from the coats of the generous sheep of New Zealand. 🐑
👆🏼Godfrey Hirst Carpet Samples!
MAN-MADE FIBERS
In the man-made fiber category, nylon is still the most popular fiber on the market today. Invented in 1935 by DuPont and first introduced to the carpet industry in 1948, nylon has gained the reputation as the most durable of synthetic carpet fibers. Nylon accounts for over 65% of the carpet produced in the U.S. There are two types of nylon: 6,6 and 6. The strongest, softest type, and most expensive is type 6,6 nylon. Nylon is versatile, abrasion-resistant, and resilient. (It’s more abrasion resistant than wool in fact.) It resists wearing over time and its flexibility allows it to be used in a variety of different carpet patterns and styles from ultra-plush to dense and tightly packed. Nylon is not inherently stain-resistant, but when treated with protective solutions, as with branded nylon from Shaw Floors or Mohawk, for example, it does a good job at resisting stains and soiling. We should also mention that nylon carpets can be recycled, lessening their negative impact on the environment! (In fact, nylon has less of a negative impact on the environment than PET carpets, since PET carpets can’t be recycled once they’ve been used.) Prices for nylon carpets average between $3 and $8 per square foot.
Triexta (PTT) is the ‘new kid on the block’ in the synthetic fiber category. It’s only been around for ten years, but there’s quite a buzz about it. Triexta, also known as polytrimethylene terephthalate 🤓 or PTT for short, is another product of DuPont. Where you’ll find Triexta in our showroom is in Mohawk’s SmartStrand Forever Clean line of carpets. Triexta is like polyester, inherently stain and fade resistant, but it’s more resilient, bouncing back to its original shape when crushed. Time will tell how it stacks up against nylon in resiliency and wear, but as far as stain resistance, like polyester, Triexta is already ahead. PTT fibers are hydrophobic (repelling water) and are solution-dyed, which is a process of introducing the color in the liquid chemical stage before the yarn is produced, resulting in fibers that have color locked in throughout each strand. Even bleach won’t take the color out! Any water-based stains can be easily cleaned by water extraction. It is susceptible to oil, however, and will need treatment to resist it and special cleaning to address oily stains. Prices for Triexta carpets average between $2 and $5 per square foot.
Polyester (PET) is a soft fiber that is extremely stain-resistant. It’s less expensive than both nylon and Triexta carpets, and solution-dyed polyester carpets won’t fade in the sun. Because polyester is hydrophobic, it inherently repels water and thus water-based stains. Shaw Floors’ high-performance polyester “Bellera” carpets are a great example of the strengths of PET carpets. They come with a 10-year warranty against stains caused by pets, grease, mustard, coffee, lipstick, cola, and even bleach. They also promise resistance against soiling by common household soil. While Bellera is an example of a quality PET carpet, polyester is not inherently resistant to oil-based stains. It’s also not as resilient as nylon or Triexta, however. So, if you’re looking to install it in a high-traffic area, consider going with nylon over polyester or be ready for it to look warn in a few short years. An environmental plus about PET is that they’re made from recycled plastic bottles and other recycled materials. As we’ve already mentioned, once PET carpets are used, they can’t be recycled again unfortunately. Prices for polyester carpets average between $2 and $6 per square foot.
Olefin, also known as polypropylene, is an excellent choice where budget, mildew, colorfastness, or staining are top concerns. Olefin is the least expensive and most colorfast of synthetic carpets. It’s the most colorfast across the board because solution-dying is the only way this fiber will receive color. It’s also stain resistant because the dye sites are filled with color. Olefin is most widely used in commercial applications and for outdoor carpets. It’s not a very resilient fiber, so it’s often produced in a loop-pile style to hold up against matting and crushing. It’s also susceptible to oil and grease stains. We recommend installing it in low-traffic areas, basements, or outdoors. Prices for Olefin carpets average between $1 and $5 per square foot.
Third Category: Durability
There are a number of factors that contribute to a carpet’s durability, not just the type of fiber as we’ve mentioned already. A carpet made of high-quality polyester could outperform a low-quality nylon carpet. In addition to fiber type, a carpet’s durability is determined by face weight, density, twist level, padding, and style. Let’s unpack each of these factors.
Face weight is the weight (in ounces) per square yard of carpet. Generally, the higher the face weight, the more durable the carpet. However, this does not take into account the height of each of the carpet fibers. For example, let’s say you’re looking at two carpets with a face weight of 50 ounces each. One of them is a frieze style (long, twisted strands) and the other is a very short, cut-pile style. The Frieze is going to have a much lower density while the shorter carpet’s density will be higher, making it more durable.
Carpet density refers to how close together the fibers are tufted (stitched) into the carpet backing. A carpet whose fibers are really close together will have a high density rating and thus a greater durability. In fact, density is the best specification by which to determine durability, but there are still other important factors to consider.
Twist level is the number of twists per inch in each of the carpet strands. Much like carpet density, the higher the twist level, the more durable the carpet. Each twist strengthens the carpet’s ability to resist wear and being matted down or crushed. When you buy a carpet, you can try to find its twist number on the label (sometimes referred to as turns-per-inch (TPI). If not, you can do the math on it yourself using this formula:
Twist level = [# of twists] / [inches of carpet]
If the carpet you’re looking at is shorter than an inch, measure half an inch and double your number. Carpets with lower twist levels are more susceptible to unraveling. A good twist level is 7 or higher.
Padding or cushion is another factor of durability. Even though the padding is separate from the carpet, the two work together. It’s like the relationship between a bridge and an asphalt road. Without the support of the bridge, the asphalt would fall apart under the weight of the cars driving over it. The same is true with carpet. Cushion (or the bridge) can help keep a carpet new-looking by reducing height loss and crushing of the fibers. Also, the right padding can even stop premature breakdown of the backing. Manufacturers know this and often recommend specific types of padding to go with their carpets. Mohawk, for example, will add ten years to their warranty for customers who purchase their brand of padding (called “SmartCushion”).
Continuing on the subject of padding, the two main things you want to look for when buying cushion for your carpet is pad type and pad density. Here are the pad types available:
Rebonded padding - 85% of the padding sold in the US today is rebonded, aka bonded urethane/polyurethane. We recommend rebonded padding in most cases for both the price point and durability.
Prime foam pad - The worst. It’s not very dense as the foam is full of air pockets
Frothed urethane - Second best and second-most durable & second-most expensive. Shaw Floors offers a frothed urethane or pure foam padding called “Courage” to go with their carpets.
Memory foam pad
Fiber pad - In some cases, like with a loop-pile (Berber) carpet, the carpet manufacturer’s warranty may call for a fiber pad.
Waffle rubber pad
Flat (slab) rubber pad - the best (i.e. most durable but also most expensive)
Pad density refers to the measure of how compact a carpet cushion is, and it’s measured in pounds per cubic foot. If you were to grab the carpet cushion by your hand and do a squeeze test, the firmer the feel the higher the density. You don’t want to find the softest, squishiest pad! For durability, we recommend purchasing a high-density, compact carpet cushion. For rebonded padding, that’s anything over 6 lbs per cubic foot. 8 lbs. is recommended if you’re wanting your carpet to last 10+ years. We have both 6 lb. and 8 lb. rebonded cushion in stock at D&S! We also have SmartCushion by Mohawk and “Courage” padding, which is a frothed urethane foam pad, by Shaw Floors. For specifications on carpet cushion, see carpetcushion.org for more info.
The final factor of durability has to do with the carpet’s style. Style contributes to durability because of the loop-pile and cut-pile construction. Allow us to explain. Every tufted carpet starts out a loop-pile carpet with the strands inserted into the primary backing and then looped over and then secured by the secondary backing, locking in the strands. The strands are then either left looped or are clipped and set to stand up or twisted. Carpets that are left looped over are referred to as loop-pile carpets. Carpets whose strands are clipped are referred to as cut-pile carpets. Cut-pile and loop-pile carpets differ in how the surface or pile (also called the “face”) of the carpet is either made up of the sidewalls or the tips of the fibers. Because the sidewalls of the fibers are more durable, loop-pile carpets are naturally more durable than cut-pile carpets of similar quality. Cut-pile carpets can still be durable, but the simple fact that the sidewalls of the fibers are more resistant to wear generally makes loop-pile carpets more durable. In the case of pet’s claws, however, cut-pile carpets are more durable because they won’t get snagged and cause runs in your beautiful carpet! Additionally, tighter loops in loop-pile carpets are more durable as they’re more resistant to crushing and matting.
A Visual Summary: The Durability Puzzle
Here’s a visual that helps explains the relationship between all the factors of durability. Note: The larger the puzzle piece, the greater its factors in a carpet’s overall durability.
Fourth Category: Style
Pictured: Shaw Floor’s sonora timeless taupe
Now that you’ve considered you budget, type of fiber, and factors of durability, let’s look at the carpet style. Carpet style, as we’ve mentioned, refers to the texture of the carpet, how the strands look and are arranged in the backing. Plush, Berber, level-loop, multi-level loop, Saxony… Perhaps you’ve heard these terms. They all refer to how the strands of carpet are either looped or cut and set together in a number of ways. For example, cut strands can be made long and tightly twisted as in the case of a frieze or they can be left looped in alternating short and tall loops as in a sisal-style, loop-pile carpet. Manufacturers today produce loop-pile carpets, cut-pile-carpets, and loop-and-cut-pile carpets with intricate designs (as demonstrated by Shaw Floor’s Sonora carpet, pictured above).
A cut-pile style carpet (also commonly referred to as a plush carpet) with the looped strands clipped has a soft, plushy, and often taller surface while a loop-pile style carpet is typically shorter, more rigid, and denser. Loop piles might not be as soft as plush carpets, but they have a uniform look and hold up really well (with the exception of homes with pets and their claws that snag!) In the loop-pile category are level loop, multi-level loop, sisal, and berber. In the cut-pile category are plush pile (velvet), Saxony, cut-pile twist (or textured Saxony), and frieze.
Loop-Pile Carpets:
Level loop refers to a loop-pile carpet whose loops are all the same height.
Multi-level loop refers to a loop-pile carpet with loops of varying heights.
Sisal refers to a loop-pile carpet with short and tall loops that alternate each row, resulting in a linear pattern.
Berber (which is the term often mixed up by carpet professionals and shoppers alike with the term level-loop) is very similar to standard level-loop carpets but has thicker loops and constructed with tighter circles. Of the level-loop carpets, berber is the most durable. Additionally, the tighter the circles, the more durable the carpet and resistant to matting and crushing it will be.
Cut-Pile Carpets:
Plush pile (aka velvet) refers to a cut-pile carpet with a soft, velour-like appearance and even, upright finish that makes for a formal look. In a plush, the strands are densely packed together, short and slightly twisted. While durable, a drawback of this style is that it can display tracking from footprints and vacuuming.
Saxony refers to a cut-pile carpet whose strands are not as dense but are tall and twisted tightly. Saxonies present a smooth and luxurious-looking finish. A drawback of this style is that it can display tracking from footprints and vacuuming.
Textured Saxony (or cut pile twist) is made up of long, twisted strands designed to lay in different directions. This greatly reduces tracking from footprints and vacuuming.
Frieze refers to a cut-pile carpet with really long fibers. Sometimes called California shags, these tightly-twisted strands make for a laid-back feel. These actually tend to be pretty durable since the carpet fibers are laying down and highly twisted.
Manufacturers also produce cut and loop style carpets which, as the name suggests, are made of strands that have been clipped as well as left looped back into the backing. Styles of cut and loop include the pin-dot style, linear patterns, and varying geometric shapes. These can be very elegant and interesting in their look. A drawback to cut and loops is that they tend to show wear sooner than all cut-pile carpets or all loop-pile carpets. This is because the cut fibers will wear at different rates and this more readily show the affects of traffic.
Fifth Category: Color
Hopefully at this point in the selection process, you’ve narrowed down your choice of carpet based on budget, fiber type, durability, and style and are ready to pick your color. Now you can make your color selection and lock in your next carpet!
First Step
Our first big tip is to start with avoiding the colors you hate! (Obvious enough, right?) That step should help you eliminate several colors right there. 🙂
Your Next Considerations
The next thing you should do is choose a color based on other factors at play in your space. If you’re choosing a carpet color for your main living room, for example, choose the sofa color first! Sofas don’t typically come in as many color options, so picking this first will be much easier. Similarly, choose the paint color in your room last since paint comes in an endless selection of colors. Some other things to consider when choosing the color are needs of your situation. What strengths do you need your carpet to have? Do you want…
…stain hiding? Choose solid, dark color to hide that spilled grape juice 🍷 or cat pee 🐈.
…dirt hiding? Chose a multi-colored (tonal) carpet to keep that dirty appearance from oil buildup at bay.
…seam hiding? Choose a darker color to hide those seams better.
…a bigger, more spacious feel? Choose a lighter color to make your room feel bigger.
…a cover, more inviting feel? Choose a lighter color to make your room feel cozier and more inviting.
…to not have to vacuum up lint and dust all the time? Choose a lighter color to hide lint and dust.
Go Classic
Interior design trends are ever changing. Because of this, we recommend considering a classic neutral color like beige, ivory, taupe, or gray. These timeless colors don’t go out of style with the latest trends. In fact, the most popular colors sold today are gray and beige (gray currently overtaking beige in popularity more recently). Since a new carpet is a big investment, it’s not practical to make a trendy purchase you’ll regret in 3 years. Additionally, choosing gray and beige opens up a lot of design options as these neutrals go with a variety of other colors. On the flip side, neutral colors can lend themselves to a bland or sterile look, so consider adding color to liven up your space. Using contrast and a color family, you can make your rooms spring to life.
The Psychology of Color
Did you know that color can affect your mood? Warmer colors often make you feel energized and can be more inviting while cooler tones provide a sense of calm. Here’s a quick list of colors and their psychological affects:
Black - attractive, elegant, sleek, sophisticated and have a grounding effect (bringing calm) but also can be somber, sad, and evoke anger
White - cleanliness, freshness, simplicity, youth, and modernity but can also be cold, bland, and sterile, a good color for kitchens, living rooms, and bathrooms.
Silver - innovative, modern and cutting-edge
Red - an attention grabber, it speaks of warning, passion, and dominance and can also raise the blood pressure and stimulate the metabolism and thus the appetite which is why restaurants often use the color red
Blue - calm, serene, trustworthy, traditional and the least appetizing but can also be icy, distant, sad or cold
Green - natural, safe, tranquil, calming and sometimes energizing but is also associated with envy
Yellow - warm, bright, energizing, cheerful, attention grabbing and can increase metabolism but can also cause frustration and anger
Purple - wealthy, royal, symbolic and regal but also can be mysterious and exotic
Brown - natural, strong, dependable, down-to-earth and secure but can also be isolating and lack ambition or drive
Orange - enthusiastic, energetic, and happy but can also be attention-grabbing and linked to Halloween and spiritual
Pink - romantic, kind, nurturing, calm, joyful and creative but can also be feminine and childish
Final Considerations and Tips
Colors look different and often lighter in your home than in our showroom. At D&S, we encourage our customers to take carpet samples home to see how the colors look in their space. If it’s a little too dark in our showroom, take it home and see if it’s just right. If it’s too light in our showroom, keep perusing the displays till you find a darker shade to take home. Finally, if you’re worried that your color is too boring, remember that you can choose a carpet with interesting textures like a cut and loop in a linear pattern or a frieze carpet to add dimension to your space.
Closing Remarks
We’ve done our best to give five categories to consider when making your next carpet purchase. There are many other factors like choosing your installer, warranties, knowing the best time to buy, and carpet maintenance. Check out our carpet maintenance tips on our blog and ask a sales team member at D&S who would love to help you with your carpet buying decision! Give us a call or send us a message by filling out the form below to get the ball rolling on choosing your next new carpet!
Thanks for reading, and we hope this has been helpful!
