Four Things You Should Know Before Your Next Carpet Purchase

Carpet is a beautiful floor covering that can feel quite luxurious. Eventually, like any other floor covering, it will wear out and you will need to purchase new carpeting. Unfortunately, many people don't fully understand how to buy and maintain carpets in order to get the maximum life and enjoyment out of them. This can result in carpeting that looks dull and lifeless only a couple of years after installation.

Before you go shopping for your next carpeting, it's important to understand this material as much as possible. The better you understand what you're buying, the more value you'll have. A good carpet can last two decades or more, but this is only true if you know what you're buying and also maintain it properly. Some things to know about the carpet buying process include:

A warranty doesn't make for the most exciting reading, but it is extremely important to read it anyway. Not all carpet warranties are created equal. Some carpet warranties will only offer a replacement if you can prove that the carpet had a manufacturing defect, while others will offer to replace the carpet for almost any reason short of growing to dislike it. Always choose the carpet with the best warranty that you can afford. Trying to save money by buying a cheaper carpet will only cost you more money in the long run.

Carpets can be made out of a number of different materials. While nylon is the most common fiber, both polypropylene and polyester may be more stain-resistant. Natural wool carpets can be found, but they can be prohibitively expensive and will wear more easily. Each type of carpet has a number of strengths and weaknesses. Only you can decide if the strengths outweigh the weaknesses for a particular fiber type.

At first glance, carpet seems to be easier to install than tile or wood flooring. To some degree, this is true. Carpet is, at least, faster to install and only takes a matter of hours instead of several days. However, carpet also has a grain. If you don't properly plan out how to install the carpet, different pieces will have the grain facing in opposite directions. It may not be obvious initially, but the rooms will quickly start to look like a patchwork of different colors due to the light hitting the carpet at different angles. Professionals will know how to install carpet to avoid this problem and have as little waste as possible.