New Carpet Installation: What Fibers And Padding to Choose

The softer side of every home begins with the plush comfort of residential carpeting. There are not so many homes with only one type of flooring. It's known that carpet makes for poor flooring in places like the kitchen and can be less then ideal for high moisture areas (bathrooms or basements). At the same time, between living rooms, bedrooms and other areas of the home, where relaxation and comfort are put to a premium, it's unusual for a home to not have some carpeted flooring.

* Selecting The Carpet Fibers

The biggest decision you'll probably make for your carpet is what type of fiber will work best for your home, your lifestyle and your budget. Often, there's no clear-cut answer, but there are some things to consider and discuss with your carpet contractor.

- Wool fibers: the best carpet fiber on the market. Has a deep and rich color with unmatched durability and long-lasting beauty. A downside is that it's substantially more expensive.

- Nylon fiber: the most popular fiber on the market, as it resembles wool without the high-end cost.

- Other synthetics: some of them are even cheaper than nylon. Polyseter, olefin and acrylic are the most common alternatives. Nearly all carpet fibers fade from prolonged exposure to sunlight, but different synthetics perform differently to other carpet enemies like burns, stains, moisture, abrasion or static.

* Selecting The Carpet Padding

The other major component of your carpeting its padding. Actually, you don't really need the padding, but without it the fibers will pull apart and deteriorate in a relatively short time. Thick pads will give your carpet that soft, plush feel, but keep in mind the padding density is the important measurement for durability. If you choose thick pads with low density, the material will quickly suffer from compression that will eventually destroy the padding. The one you choose is usually a function of the area of the house where the carpet is to be installed as well as the expected foot traffic and weight bearing needs.

* Carpet Installation Contractors

Buying carpet from a chain store can be annoying and stressful as trying to buy a new car. Many salesman with constant promotions often mislead homeowners into making bad decisions for their new carpet. The first priority in having a new carpet installation should be finding a quality carpet professional. Discussing your padding and fiber options, along with quality of different manufacturers, almost always leads to the best possible results. Don't forget to get a good knowledge on how stain-resistant is the carpet material you've chosen and how to properly clean it. This is esential if you want to enjoy your new carpet installation for longer and reduce the frequency of needed carpet repairs.