Measuring
Your
Carpet Needs Yourself.
Perhaps
all you care about right now is how
to measure your home for carpet yourself. Many people try to measure for
themselves and do it wrong. Many homeowners
think that measuring their own carpet needs will help save money.
This is not always true. Sometimes measuring your own carpet needs can cost you
hundreds more than necessary. There are dozens of smart ways to save
big money on new carpet, getting accurate measuring is just one way.
How
to measure for carpet in four simple steps.
How to
measure for carpet
This
is the question everyone wants to know. Logically, you may be
thinking that if you can determine exactly how much carpet
you need to buy, then you can get a basic idea about how much you need to
spend on new carpet right? Unless you are only doing one or two
rooms, then you should have a professional measure your home.
If
you want to know how to measure for carpet yourself, you are going to
need more than just a tape measure and a calculator to be successful. You
need to know the how's and why's of carpet installation. I installed carpet for
over 20 years, and it takes years of
practice to become accurate at measuring carpet. If you measure wrong you
stand to lose hundreds or worse.
Even
if you measure every room in your home perfectly, it doesn't mean that you
have accurately measured you home for carpet! There are a number critical factors that must be taken into consideration when measuring for
carpet:
-
The
direction of the nap (All connecting rooms need to lay down the same
direction)
-
Some carpets have a
pattern match
that must be figured. (what is the pattern repeat?)
-
Seams
should be located in out of the way areas when possible.
-
Limiting
waste You don't want to buy more carpet than you need.
Basic
Carpet Prices
Have you checked
carpet prices lately? The cost for new carpet has doubled in the past 10
years. Why pay more than you need to! Let me show you over 60 smart and easy ways to
save money on carpet. If you really want to save hundreds, or even thousands
on your next carpet purchase, read on.
Basic
Carpet Longevity
Many
factor come into play when trying to figure out how long a carpet might
last. Here are some of the key reasons that affect how long a carpet will
last:
-
The
fiber type and style, tuft twist, density rating,
pile height.
-
How
much foot traffic in the home, number of children, pets, teens.
-
How
well it is maintained, regular vacuuming, periodic cleaning.
-
How
well it is installed (properly stretched)
-
What
padding is used, type, thickness and density.
Depending
on all these factors here is a basic guideline for how long you might
expect a carpet to last:
(cost
per square yard)
Cost
of Carpet Cost of Pad Cost of
Labor Total Cost How
long it might last
$15
$3
$4
$22.00
3 to 7 years
$20
$3
$4
$27.00
6 to 10 years
$25
$4
$5
$34.00
8 to 12 years
$30
$4
$5
$39.00
10 to 14 years
$35
$5
$5
$45.00
12 to 16 years
$40
$6
$6
$52.00
15 to 20 years
Padding
and labor charges typically increase with the quality of the carpet. You
must be sure that the padding is capable to last as long as the carpet. It
is more difficult to install heavier carpets and labor prices will
increase accordingly. Berber carpets are more expensive to install.
Installing carpet stairs is an additional charge.
Buy
Carpet Smart! Get the most bang for your buck! Let me show you Everything
you need to know about buying carpet wisely.