Carpets are wonderful. They look good, they feel good. The only people that wouldn’t want carpeting are those with magnificent wooden or tiled flooring. And even they can get small rugs. So what about carpets make them so great and how do you go about choosing the right carpet for yourself? Let’s get into this long discussion.

Things to consider

We’re going to break things down in the article to make it simpler to understand. You’d think you can just go to the market and pick up the prettiest thing, but you need to know a couple of things before choosing the right carpet. There are all sorts of carpet designs, sizes and budgets attached to each. You have to think about which room you want the carpet in, remind yourself that you have very messy pets, think about whether it needs to be pretty or functional, and only then comes choosing the right carpet accordingly.

Aspects of Carpets

Weave

So these are the most basic types of carpet cut – the final finishing of the carpet that you can see and feel directly. This will affect the design, feel and durability greatly, not to mention the price tag.

Cut Pile – This is the most common type of carpet you find in houses. This is where the thread piles are woven into the base and cut off the top to create the even surface. They are generally highly durable and easy to clean.

Style – single color to multi-color layouts available

Size – no restrictions

Rooms – all rooms; best as rugs in living and dining rooms

Budget – very affordable

Loop Pile – This is a popular type for businesses and offices. Both ends of the thread pile are woven into the base to create little loops. Excellent for high traffic areas.

Style – single color to multi-color layouts available. Loops create a natural pattern that can be highlighted to further appearance.

Size – best for large surfaces

Rooms – best at house entry, offices, large shops and frequented event venues

Budget – slightly more expensive that cut piles

Patterned Loop – A more advanced version of the loop pile. It involves weaving the loops into the base at varying heights. This creates much more depth for more extravagant designs.

Style – excellent for stylized carpeting

Size – best for medium sized carpets, highly expensive otherwise

Rooms – great for medium traffic areas like bedrooms and even occasional event venues

Budget – fairly expensive but depends on amount of multi-level loops

Cut Loop Mix – This type creates the most beautifully textured carpets. It is a mix of one or both loop styles with the cut style. It creates the possibility of lots of texture, colors and designs. Good for decorative or low traffic areas.

Style – only your creativity and budget are limitations

Size – preferably small or medium sized

Rooms – very low traffic areas or even inaccessible parts

Budget – highly expensive based on amount of cross-matching loops and cut piles

Fiber

It is important to know what your threads are made of. Yes the information above may have been new to you, but you already understand that different material will look and feel different. Like the type of thread pile you use, the fiber will affect the appearance, feel, durability and expense. But it’s not as complicated as the above.

Most types of fiber are now synthetic in nature, excluding wool carpets. Wool carpets use wool from sheep and are great for coloring, but lack the ability to produce durable patterned weaves. The other synthetic material like nylon, polyester, polypropylene and triexta are great for a variety of things. They each have their own strengths and weaknesses, but knowing there are different types is enough to make a great carpet. You can just give the carpet maker your basic needs (appearance, texture, purpose and budget) and they can better make a decision for you. Before the deal is done, they should show you the variety of materials they have and give you a recommendation.

Cushion

This is the most unknown and underrated aspect of a carpet for the average person. The cushion of your carpet determines how the ground responds to movement. That means it controls if your footfalls feel heavy and whether you feel a bounce with each step. These are things that affect mobility and acoustics more than design, though it may have a slight impact on it.

The cushion is very important when choosing the right carpet as it will affect the thickness of the carpet, its shock absorption, carpet durability, insulation and acoustics. These are all important features that are important depending on where the carpet is being installed. You want a thicker carpet in a house with children prone to falling over while you may want ‘sound-proofing’ carpets in an audio studio. Do remember to mention the purpose of the carpet and ask about cushions to get the best for you.

When I first walked on a carpet, all I could think was ‘this feels really nice’. I had no idea there was so much that could affect look and feel. But at least I learnt over time what would make my perfect carpet. And now you too know what to look out for. So, are you as in love with the feel of carpets as we are here? Do let us know how your carpet shopping goes. May you find the perfect balance of comfort and beauty.