What carpet do I want?

[Violet Crown]

Our three-year carpet is fifteen years old, and boy does it look it. We have a cat and of course children who are none of them believers in carpet care, nor do I plan to take up futile nagging at this point. We aren't trying to sell the house any time soon.

 

I've never carpet-shopped before. Any hints? Suggestions? Warnings? Things you wished someone had told you? There is no advice too obvious or straightforward for me; I am at Zero.

[bolt.]

Have you actually settled on carpet for a reason, having considered other flooring options? Or is carpet just your default idea for 'what you replace carpet with'?

 

(I like hard floors with decorative rugs.)

[MrsMommy]

I only have one piece of advice...get carpet at least one shade darker than you think you want. I really wish we had done that (dh wanted to, but I thought it was too dark), because a darker carpet would hide a lot more of the, um, damage, carpet gets, and I think it would look cozier, too.

[regentrude]

The best carpet is no carpet. I am so glad to be rid of mine.

If it must be carpet: something with specks/non-uniform pattern that does not show dirt, and ideally is the same color as your pet. Our carpet was the exact same shade as our cat.

Which is why I will be a dissenter ot pp's suggestion of a dark carpet: if you have light haired pets, dark carpet will show every.single.hair.

 

( now, without the carpet, I see all the dirt I never saw with the carpet... I shudder at the filth carpets must harbor)

[MrsMommy]

The best carpet is no carpet. I am so glad to be rid of mine.

If it must be carpet: something with specks/non-uniform pattern that does not show dirt, and ideally is the same color as your pet. Our carpet was the exact same shade as our cat.

Which is why I will be a dissenter ot pp's suggestion of a dark carpet: if you have light haired pets, dark carpet will show every.single.hair.

 

( now, without the carpet, I see all the dirt I never saw with the carpet... I shudder at the filth carpets must harbor)

 

I guess that makes sense...we don't have pets, so pet hair isn't something I think of in regards to how it looks on the carpet. All I was thinking about was all the dirt that I know is hiding in there...a darker carpet would help hide it better!

[fraidycat]

You want the invisible kind where you can actually see wood, tile, linoleum - anything other than carpet underneath. ;)

 

I LOATHE carpet!

[wapiti]

Decide whether it's important to you that the carpet be soft (e.g. if there will be kids sitting or laying on it often).  Compare textures at the store - notice that the less-expensive ones tend to be rougher.

 

Our upstairs is carpeted and, nine years later, it's so dirty that I wish it were hardwood like our first floor, though in that case I'd prefer a Karistan-style runner on the stairs for noise purposes.  I think my prior washing of the carpet with the Hoover rug-washing-machine probably washed off some of the stain resistance chemical.

[Angie in VA]

Another vote for no carpet.

[Lisbeth]

I agree that the best carpet is no carpet. Carpet harbors a bunch of ick. We are working to get rid of the carpets that remain in our house.

Also ditto those who said if you have to have it...go with one that has a few different colored fibers in it, and not a solid light shade.

[Calm37]

I have to ask all you carpet haters about the noise. I have been in the homes of a few friends with all wood floors. Oh, my, word! The noise! Not just the walking on the floors, but it seems every sound is magnified! Am I needlessly blaming the floors? Are these just loud families? 

[Um_2_4]

I have to ask all you carpet haters about the noise. I have been in the homes of a few friends with all wood floors. Oh, my, word! The noise! Not just the walking on the floors, but it seems every sound is magnified! Am I needlessly blaming the floors? Are these just loud families? 

 

We installed new flooring in this house 2 1/2 years ago when we bought it. At that time I got a big education in the underflooring. If a cheap under layer was used then the sound will be worse. Also it could be floor joist issues if the house is older. We put a special layer under our wood flooring (up and down stairs) and the noise is minor (no more than with carpet, less than previous condo we rented that had carpet, probably because this house is newer).

[bolt.]

I have to ask all you carpet haters about the noise. I have been in the homes of a few friends with all wood floors. Oh, my, word! The noise! Not just the walking on the floors, but it seems every sound is magnified! Am I needlessly blaming the floors? Are these just loud families?

Our most recent home (with carpet upstairs) does seem quieter -- I can no longer locate my kids by sound alone, nor hear them get up in the night until they are looming right beside my bed. (Aaaaaaaahhh! Hmmm? Oh, sorry, small child who was already upset before Mama screamed at you...)

 

But I never found our laminate floors particularly "loud" when we had them, and this house will be getting flooring whenever the carpet is done-for. It was just hearing the sounds of life, dirt if like you can hear it when someone chops carrots for supper... Audible, but not loud, bothersome or upsetting.

 

I imagine rugs help a lot?

[Violet Crown]

Most of the downstairs has wood flooring. In the aftermath of The Great Plumbing Disaster (don't ask), we planned to replace all the flooring with wood; but the flooring company said there would have to be a lot of carpentry work done in the now-carpeted areas, and the subfloor would have to be built up substantially. The carpet in that end of the house is hiding the subfloor problems.

 

Upstairs, the carpet is in good shape. And there's no insulation between the floors, so the noise would be even worse than it currently is if the floors were hard.

 

But we might have the stair carpet replaced with wood. That's tempting. Otherwise, though, I think we're going for carpet again.

[Slartibartfast]

I have to ask all you carpet haters about the noise. I have been in the homes of a few friends with all wood floors. Oh, my, word! The noise! Not just the walking on the floors, but it seems every sound is magnified! Am I needlessly blaming the floors? Are these just loud families?

I am allergic to dust, I prefer no carpet and some noise. Rugs help and can be cleaned better than carpet.

[lewber]

Yes there are many applications where anything other than carpet is prohibitively expensive. 

I agree with going as dark as you can stand.The multicolored speckled shaggy kind that's not too shaggy will hold up and look the best for the longest probably. Do not shampoo it. If you get it cleaned make sure they use hot water extraction, no soap. 

As with most purchases, find a local retailer that you trust and has lots of experience to help you out and know you get what you pay for really. Also, ask for their best installers. It's usually worth waiting a little longer to get the busier crew. 

[DawnM]

We ARE getting new carpet upstairs.  We are trying to move and 100% of the money we have is going in to the kitchen and bathrooms.

 

The entire downstairs has new hardwood flooring but we cannot afford to get it upstairs in the bedrooms.

 

We plan to get a med. tan carpet of some kind with flecks.

 

In my next house I would like stained concrete.......something pretty much indestructible.  But it prob won't happen as that isn't popular or common.

[Colleen]

I understand the call to avoid carpet, but it has its place and all carpet is NOT created equal.  It doesn't have to be a synthetic, environmental bane to our existence that harbors all manner of household junk.  In my case, I have no pets and don't wear shoes in the house, so those two factors alone help minimize accumulation, as does a good (Miele) vacuum.

 

I have bamboo flooring in the kitchen, dining, hall and office areas; Marmoleum in the boys' bath and mud room, and stone in the other bath.  But I love carpet in living/sitting room areas and in my bedroom.  I did a great deal of research and opted for an all-wool, jute-backed carpet from Geoffrey Hirst, an Australian company.  It is lovely and I highly recommend it both in terms of care, appearance, and health/environment.  

[Meadowlark]

The OP didn't really ask IF she should get carpet....she asked for tips because she IS getting carpet.

 

We replaced carpeting 3 years ago and put in a longer variety. My parents chose it for their house and we loved it. However, with the 7 people currently walking on it all day long, it now looks all matted down, unless it's freshly vacuumed. I wish we had gone with a shorter carpet. My parents however, still looks fabulous. So that's my suggestion-be sure you choose a length you think will hold up.

[PrairieSong]

I love my hardwood floors in our kitchen, dining, and living rooms. We do have carpet in the basement and on the stairs. Don't get anything super light. We got that short shag that is popular now, and it has variations in height of the pile and in color...sort of speckled. It doesn't show dirt but I'm sure a lot of stuff is hiding in there.

[DawnM]

Oh, and I have never heard of 3 year carpet.  Is that really what it was called?

[trulycrabby]

Get the best quality you can afford, buy the extra thick mats for underneath the carpets, and as MrsMommy suggested, go darker than you think you want. Also carefully measure the areas you need carpeted, and double check the math at the carpet store. I was sleep deprived with a young baby when I purchased our carpet, did not check the math, and the salesperson doubled the square footage so we bought twice as much carpet as Intended. I was ecstatic, actually, because I wanted to carpet all the bedrooms and DH only wanted to do two. We had enough for all the bedrooms. :o

[Violet Crown]

Oh, and I have never heard of 3 year carpet.  Is that really what it was called?

The floor guys and contractors in the wake of The Great Plumbing Disaster talked about "three-year floors" (wood or carpet) to refer to the warranty. It did make it sound like they meant "this won't last longer than three years," and ever since dh and I have used it as a sort of joke. Three-year carpets, three-year cars, three-year marriages ... I assumed it was a thing, but maybe it was just our local guys who used that phrase.

 

Thanks for all the tips. I will measure carefully, look for something darker than I planned, not shampoo it.

[Pawz4me]

^{I believe not shampooing carpet would be a huge mistake.}

 

^{I have my own carpet cleaner and clean mine regularly (at least twice a year).  Before I did that I had Stanley Steamer do it.  Our carpet has always held up very well.  Check the FAQs of any reputable carpet maker and you'll find that they all recommend regular cleaning.  I'm kind of mind boggled at the idea that cleaning is bad.} 

[Violet Crown]

This is just crying out for a poll, isn't it? If only I knew how.

[Chris in VA]

Our three-year carpet is fifteen years old, and boy does it look it. We have a cat and of course children who are none of them believers in carpet care, nor do I plan to take up futile nagging at this point. We aren't trying to sell the house any time soon.

 

I've never carpet-shopped before. Any hints? Suggestions? Warnings? Things you wished someone had told you? There is no advice too obvious or straightforward for me; I am at Zero.

 

The kind made of wood. :D

 

With decorative rugs.

 

 

Like Bolt said. :001_smile:

 

Ah--read further (I usually read all posts before posting and every time I don't, it bites me in the butt...)and see you def want carpet.

 

I would probably investigate blowing some insulation into the subfloor area.

 

And I have had dark red/burgundy carpet--it shows every stinkin' piece of lint, so I agree with medium shade, speckled if possible. But I do hate berber.

 

[mom2samlibby]

We have a nice berber in our bedrooms. Still looks fairly new and it's been 11 years. It's a lt. beige with some flecks. I would recommend getting the best pad that you can.

 

We are doing plush in our new house. It's very soft. I'm hoping it won't mat down to much.

 

The new soft strand or silk strands carpets are really nice. Carpet has changed a lot in the last few years.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

It's been awhile since I bought carpet, but here's what I remember.

 

Some fibers are better for durability (nylon I believe), some are easier to clean (olefin?).  Better carpets will have a thicker pile, and be springier, and softer -- comfy to walk and sit/lie on.  Cheaper ones will feel fall flat and, even when new, and feel like you're standing on hard ground.  

 

Berber is hard to clean because it's difficult to get the soiled or stained water/juice/whatever out of the loops.  Plus, if any of the loops get pulled, you could end up with a long pull all the way across the room.  It's also impossible to get a hidden seam on a berber carpet.

 

Definitely get the stain guard protection.

 

Get the best carpet and the best pad you can afford.