Carpets can be a valuable accessory for your rooms as long as you know how to choose them. Here are tips on choosing a carpet for your living room.
Carpets serve a very specific purpose, or do they?
Well, not only can you step on them in comfort, but you can also enhance the general outlook of your entire room environment. However, not every carpet will work.
In this article, we will take a look at the process behind choosing a carpet for your living room.
Keep reading to discover seven tips for finding the best carpet for you.
1. Durability
The living room by its nature is a room with lots of foot traffic, therefore a carpet should be durable. To ensure that the carpet can stand up to the tear and wear of your regular family life - you must look for a high-quality material that supports a comprehensive wear/tear warranty.
When looking for the best carpet, test the quality by bending it backward. If the backing shows, the low-density carpet will crush faster. The durability of a carpet is measured in density rating, tuft twist, and face weight. Look for at least a 40-ounce face weight, a tuft twist of six or more, and a density of 2000 or higher.
In addition to that, keep in mind the difference between staple fibers and a bulked continuous filament. The former shed easily, and requires a lot of vacuuming.
Get a free in-home estimate for your carpet costs.
2. Material
The type of fiber that you select for your living room carpet will affect not only how it will look, but how durable it will be.
Here are some examples:
Polyester
Polyester is resistant to stains and feels cushy when stepped on. It's harder to clean, sheds, and doesn't last as long.
Triextra.
Triextra is derived from corn sugar. It has impeccable stain resistance and is resilient. It is a newer material, and not yet widely used.
Nylon
The most resistant type of fiber is nylon. However, it has to be treated with a stain-resistant spray regularly.
Olefin
Resists staining, mildew, and fading. Not expensive, but as not as durable as nylon. Nonetheless, it still makes a pretty good option for living rooms.
3. Pile & Style
The method in which the carpet is constructed will determine how it will look in your living room.
Pile
Uncut piles are looped. Cut piles are plush. Some other options consist of patterned loops, which have many variable-heightened loops.
Style
A cut pile has a style, and it can be smooth, twisted, textured, or shagged. Smooth is formal. Twist and shag are casual. A loop pile can have a level loop, which improves the density of a patterned loop.
Keep in mind, there are plenty of other styles/cuts, which have not been mentioned here.
4. Cleaning
As the living room is most heavily used by the family, spills and stains are bound to happen. Having a carpet that is easily cleaned is a priority. As it will make your living room relaxed, and not filled with angst over keeping the carpet clean.
Consider a carpet with a lifetime warranty.
5. Softness
If your family spends a lot of time on the floor, the softness of the carpet will make a world of difference. Most carpet manufactures have soft carpets, which are constructed with finer fibers.
Softness is achieved via a cushion placed beneath the carpet. An underpad can strike a balance between durability and softness, making it a great option for those who want the best of both worlds. Memory foam carpets can offer that, so you should take a look at those as well.
6. Color
Carpet color is entirely subjective. Even though there is some relevance between color and aesthetics, it will be determined by you which is best for you. However, you can take into consideration the use of the room, the light explores in the room, the color of pets, etc.
All of these things will somehow vary your color selection for provisioning the best possible tint for your environment. Bold colors are fun, but get outdated. Neutral colors - never go out of style. Warm colors - create an ambiance and comfort.
7. Culture
Some of the best carpets are cultural in nature with specific patterns, forms, and colors befitting of a certain region, a certain art. Carpets can be hung up on walls, and tell stories. If you're interested in art carpets, you can check those out as well.
Choosing A Carpet - The Simple Way
Now that you have discovered the seven tips for choosing a carpet, you are well on your way to finding the best possible carpet for your living room. A carpet that will be enjoyed not only by, your family and friends - but by the house itself.
Carpets serve a specific purpose, and that purpose should be determined by you. Carpets can accommodate all desires and needs. Whether you need enhanced durability or softness, whether you need neutral colors or art installations - all of this is prevalent within the world of carpets.
If you're interested in learning more about carpets, check out some of the rest of our blogs.
And if you would like to buy a carpet, take a look at the types of carpets that we provide.