Carpet Buying Guide
How to Choose Carpet
Choosing carpet for your home is a big decision that can impact the design and feel of the space. In a market with countless options, you have to consider colour, fibre composition, style and more. How will the room be used and how much traffic will it get? Will there be outdoor access and regular exposure to dirt and debris? This carpet buying guide will help you navigate all the pertinent questions that arise when figuring out how to choose a carpet that’s best for your needs.
Shop by Room
Every room in your home serves a purpose. The carpet in each room should have unique properties and functions. Your carpet will be a lasting element of the design in the room. It’s important to take factors such as style, colour and patterns into consideration for each space you carpet. From comfort to its insulating qualities, there are numerous benefits to installing carpet. Considering colour, construction and room traffic are just a few reasons it’s important to take your carpet selection room by room.
Living Room
Types of carpet such as Berber and textured plush are ideal for high-traffic living spaces as they easily hide footprints and vacuum tracks.
Bedroom
Comfort is a big deciding factor for bedroom carpeting. Especially where heavy furniture — such as beds and dressers — can make ruining imprints in your carpeting, consider a less-dense plush option.
Dining Room
Low pile carpeting in your dining areas will look neat and elegant. As spills are bound to happen in this room, opt for a pattern or design to help mask potential stains.
Basement
For basement carpeting, breathable materials that don’t retain moisture are the best choice, so carpets of synthetic fibre are ideal for an underground setting.
Stairs
Short, cut pile in a synthetic plush style is a good option for stairs as it is resilient to heavy traffic and is safe due to its stability.
Hallway
Does your hallway lead to the outdoors? If so, carpets with shorter fibres that are easier to clean and constructed with durable material are the best options.
Finding the Right Carpet Constructions
Whether it’s look or comfort, determine what you would like to prioritize in a carpet for each given space. Gaining an understanding of the many fibres and their textures will allow you to make the best decision. If you are looking for comfort, plush is among the softest of carpet styles and works for an entire home. Use a textured plush to add a decorative touch and a bit of dimension to any room. Saxony carpets bring elegance to a space — making them a popular option for carpets in busy areas, such as in living or dining rooms.
Shop by Construction
Shop by Colour
Beige
Grey
Blue
Brown
Red
DIY Carpet
Feeling creative? Floorigami is a new modular DIY flooring system that gives you the ability to mix and match carpet surfaces to create the perfect rug for your decor. The geometric combinations are endless. Carpet sections come in squares or planks — with a self-adhesive back — and require minimal tools to install. The pieces can be placed as an area rug or a full wall-to-wall installation. Stained sections can even be removed and replaced.
Pet-Friendly
If you think that carpeted rooms must be off-limits for pets, think again! Thanks to a variety of pet-friendly carpet options available today, you can let your pets roam across your plush floors. The best carpet for dogs, cats or whatever pets you have will be durable, resistant to damage and easy to clean. With that in mind, here’s a look at examples of some of the pet-friendly carpet options available today, all designed to make living with and cleaning up after your pets easier.
Pile Thickness & Height
Thickness/Density
A carpet’s density refers to how close a carpet’s fibres are condensed and is a critical part of determining a carpet’s durability. Heavy-traffic homes or rooms benefit from carpets with higher density, as they can better withstand the force and wear better over time.
Thick
– Tightly packed fibers resist soil and spills.
– Gives a sleeker, modern look
– Feels comfortable and Denser carpet is more durable.
Medium
– Looser fibers look more casual.
– Resists damage better than thin carpet.
– Good for moderate-traffic areas.
Thin
– Can provide a cleaner, sleeker look.
– Most affordable option.
– Good for low-traffic areas.
Height/Pile
Carpets with short pile will ultimately wear more evenly than carpets with high pile, which makes them great for hallways, entryways or a high-traffic family room. However, carpets with higher pile feel softer than a shorter pile.
High – 1″ or Higher
– Longer fibers can feel looser yet comfortable.
– Tall pile gives a more casual look.
– Crushes more easily than short pile carpets.
– Low-traffic areas, like bedrooms or family rooms.
Medium – Less than 1″
– Medium height feels slightly plush.
– Holds up to traffic better than tall pile.
– Good for bedrooms and living rooms.
– Medium-to high-traffic areas, will work for most rooms.
Low – Less than 0.5″
– Short height is sleeker, feels modern.
– Versatile; can look formal or casual.
– Best for high-traffic areas Good for living rooms, halls, dens.
– High-traffic areas, like dining rooms and hallways.
Carpet Underpad
The underpad for your carpet is important in providing a support structure and comfort to your rug. Different carpet pile thicknesses, materials and heights require a different underpad height to be most effective. For short pile carpets, using a thinner underpad will provide a firmer foundation than a thicker one. The density — or weight — of the underpad will be a large factor in how long your carpet lasts. Generally, 6- to 8-pound (per cubic foot) pads will give your carpet longevity and won’t differ much in cost.
Why Choose Carpet?
Softness, comfort, texture, colour … there are countless reasons to love carpet. Consider the following scenarios:
Stepping out of bed each morning — that welcoming touch of warmth is a perfect start to your day
Stretching on the floor to play a game with your kids and feeling the softness cushioning every move
The first steps of a newborn and the cushion that awaits the inevitable fall
The beauty of a pattern, texture or colour providing a foundation for all of your day’s activities
Carpet is an integral and valuable part of most of our homes. Although we love the beauty of other floors such as hardwood, laminate, tile and resilient luxury vinyl flooring, we also know and love all the great benefits of carpet.
Here are just a few:
Soft, luxurious comfort: There is nothing quite like carpet for a soft place to play, sit and work.
Warmth: You’ll feel the warmth with every step — especially that first step out of bed each morning. You’ll also feel the general, inviting, intangible warmth that a room with carpet provides.
Beautiful, stunning design: Carpet could be an incredible design element to the room. Whether you choose a striking colour, pattern or texture, it can serve as the foundation of a room’s entire design.
Unlimited colours: Colour is an important aspect of self-expression and design. Your options are limitless to create the look that is uniquely you.
Helps you breathe easier: Multiple scientific studies conclude that carpet fibres trap and immobilize potential allergy-causing particulates from being in the air stream.
Softens slips and falls: Regardless of age — from the young to the elderly — there are great benefits to having slip-resistant carpet in your home to minimize slips and cushion falls, if they occur.
Reduces noise: Carpet combined with carpet cushioning serves as a tremendous noise-reducer in your home.
A durable solution: With today’s technology, carpets are a durable and sound investment for even the busiest of homes.
Incredible value: You can get all the great benefits at a price that can meet any budget.
Go ahead and fall head over heels for your carpet. We know you’ll love the soft, comfortable landing.
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