Q.
Does weight have any bearing on the quality of the carpet?
How is this gauged?
A.
Face weight does have bearing on the quality of carpet but
not with every type of carpet. Let me explain. face weight is the amount of
fiber that is used to make the carpet. I am sure that you have seen thin
carpets and thick carpets, the thicker the nap (fibers) the higher the face
weight. Just because a carpet is thicker doesn't mean it will last longer or
wear better. the key is in the fiber itself. Nylon is the toughest, longest
lasting, most durable, resilient, easiest cleaning fiber of all. A thin carpet
made of nylon is just as good as a thick carpet made of Polyester, because the
nylon fiber is far more durable. On the other hand, Polyester is a fiber that
is not as resilient, not as easy to clean and not as durable fiber as nylon.
The carpet manufacturers have to make polyester carpets of high face weight in
order to try to make it last longer, and be more durable. It generally doesn't
work out well.
My suggestion to you is to buy a carpet
made of nylon, of the best quality you can afford in order to get the best
bang for your buck. Stay away from polyester carpets at all costs! They just
don't last.
As far as how they gauge the face weight
of carpets, you need to know that there is a lot of confusion about how each
manufacturer determines their actual face-weight. Unfortunately I cannot give
you the formula because they all use different methods. Some use just the
weight of the fibers, others use the weight of the backing and the fibers.
When I look at a carpet I want to see tightly twisted tufts, closely packed
together like a dense forest, and difficult to see the backing when I spread
the tufts apart with my fingers. The height of the carpet you select is
personal preference and budget.
Q.
I would like to know about the P.E.T. carpet made by Mohawk.
What are your opinions on this new fiber? I have a very active
home (4 inside dogs, 2 kids, traffic, traffic, traffic) and I am considering
purchasing this carpet for my living room and hallway. What do you
think?
A.
Thank you for your question! This is one of my favorite
questions to answer, as this is not a new fiber at all! P.E.T. (Polyethylene
terephthalate) is polyester produced from recycled soft drink bottles, and has
been available for years. Here is my take on this fiber:
While polyester is a very soft synthetic fiber, and it is available in
wonderful colors, polyester fibers will mat down quickly and is very hard to
clean. It sounds to me like you really need a carpet that cleans easy.
The main problem is that it will easily crush. That means in areas where there
is heavy traffic, like down the hallway, polyester carpet will mat down
quickly and never come back to its original appearance. In your case, with
kids and pets I bet within six months you would be very unhappy with your
polyester carpeting. not to mention that it is hard to clean!
Do not listen to the advice of carpet sales people who recommend polyester, no
matter what they say!
Because polyester is so cheap to make, carpet manufacturers have tried for
years to make a good carpet out of polyester, with limited success. every year
they come up with some new technique that they claim will make polyester more
durable. It hasn't happened yet.
What I do recommend is for you to buy Nylon!
Nylon carpet is more expensive than polyester, but it will tolerate an
incredible amount of abuse. It cleans easily and won't mat down like
polyester. Buy a continuous filament 100% nylon carpet and you will be much
happier in the long run!
Q.
I have several animals and want to buy carpet for my home. I
am looking at a tight loop Berber carpet that is 90% olefin and 10% nylon. It
is Mohawk rough house brand and is supposed to be stain resistant and kid
resistant. I have several animals but no kids and live alone. The installer is
providing a 6 lb pad. I am also installing the carpet over concrete. Is this a
good choice? If not, what is an affordable choice? Also is there some kind of
padding to put over concrete to keep the cold out? I have no basement but my
home is built on a concrete slab. Thanks for your help!
A.
Well, there are several things we need to discuss regarding
your carpet needs. First, pets and Berbers are a no-no. Why, Because
their nails, running, and scratching will snag your Berber in a hurry. It is
expensive and sometimes impossible to repair. Second, Berbers require a 1/4
inch thickness, 6 to 8 pound padding. Any thicker than 1/4 inch and you risk
voiding the warranty and stretching out your carpet prematurely. You claim
your installer is providing a 6 pound pad but you don't say how thick it is.
Carpet manufacturers create carpets to endure specific consumer requirements.
Carpets designed for the traffic created by children is different from the
traffic created by pets. Comparing kids to pets is not a valid comparison and
you should not relate the two on a similar basis. Don't choose a carpet that
claims to be kid proof and assume that it will hold up equally as good for
your pets. You will not be able to substantiate a valid claim if need be.
In your case, and I only know a little bit about you and your pets, I suggest
you go with a Nylon, commercial grade, dense, cut-pile carpet with anti-stain
treatment, and use a 1/4 inch, 8 pound, moisture-barrier rebond-type padding.
No, it is not a soft luxurious carpet, but it will last you a whole lot longer
and will be quick and easy to clean. Pet accidents will tend to bead-up on top
of the carpet instead of immediately soaking into the carpet, giving you more
time to clean up the mess before it becomes soaked-in and undetectable. Also,
this type of carpet will endure heavy traffic and still look like new again
after it has been cleaned. I always recommend using Chem-dry, and not using a
steam cleaner service. You should order my downloadable ebook
before you buy carpet to be sure you get the whole job done right and not be
taken advantaged of. E-mail me if you have more questions I can help you with.
Q.
Alan,
Thanks so much for your wonderful site, I was definitely comfortable with
choosing nylon after reading what your comments were regarding nylon. One
decision down! However, now I not can not decide between a Lisse (which I am
told is a frieze) with scotch guard from the Horizon line by Mohawk. Or a 100%
nylon cut pile carpet by Gulistan. I am told both have a 50oz fiber count. And
are scotch guarded. This carpet will go in 3 bedrooms, A master & 2
children's rooms. We have 3 kids and a toddler. The Lisse is the one I like
best however, it worries me because I can easily run my fingers through and
see the base of the carpet. I thought that was a no no. Yet, I am told the
twist on this one is much tighter than the cut pile, even though the cut pile
is very tight and short. Our rooms are very small and there is no room to
periodically change the walk patterns. I want durability and easy care, and a
nice classic look. We will probably be in this home for at least an other 10
years. We also need to put new base boards in the rooms. There were none in
the room to start with. Do we do this on top of the old carpet? Pull the old
carpet back and attach base boards as close to the floor as possible? or Wait
and put them in after the new carpet is installed? Any advice you can give
would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!
A.
While I love a frieze, it sounds to me like this plush style
would be the best way for you to go. A shorter, tighter nap is what will hold
up to your traffic scenario. As far as baseboards, they may be installed prior
to installing the carpet if they are left up off the floor just far enough to
be able to tuck the carpet underneath it (usually about 1/2 inch will do), or
you may wait and install the moulding after the new carpet is in.
Q.
Alan,
We are in the process of purchasing a new home from Engle Homes. A typical
builder with cheap cheap carpet as "their" standard. We opted to
have no carpet installed by Engle and purchase our own better carpet. Will
installers typically come out to measure first before quoting or can you give
them a ballpark sq. footage? What about stairs?, Is that extra cost? How do
you determine a good installer versus a poor installer?
A.
Installers charge by the yard and usually include a "per stair"
charge as well. You would be wise to have prospective installers come by and
measure up your new home, thereby knowing exactly where you stand, where the
seams will go, and get a chance to take a closer look at the installer before
hiring him.
Alan's
Preferred Carpet Dealer Directory
at
AbcCarpets.com
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