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In the market for new carpet? Educate yourself and research your options before shopping
Courtesy of STAINMASTER® carpet
Carpet dealers usually carry samples of many carpet lines from multiple mills and manufacturers in their showrooms. You'll see a range of quality when you begin your carpet search. Your best bet is to educate yourself and research your options before you head to the store. Then, you're sure to get a quality carpet that provides comfort, durability and beauty far into the future.
Below is a helpful guide to understanding what to expect when visiting a carpet dealer.
Room UseBe prepared for your dealer to ask some of the following questions:
- How is the room going to be used?
- Is there light or heavy room traffic in the room?
- Is the room the center of activity for family or entertaining?
- Is there direct access from outside?
What You Should Know:By asking these questions, the dealer is trying to gauge which grade and style of carpet would work best for your home.
Try to give a detailed picture of your expectations for the carpet. Is it important that the carpet stand up to pets, running children and bustling activity? Or are you mainly concerned about how it will look and feel in a formal living room that doesn't get a lot of use?
Color and StyleTypically, a dealer might ask:
- How much use will the room get? (This is a consideration because a heavily used room may not be the best place to install white or very light-colored carpet.)
- Are kids going to be playing down on the floor? Or is it a formal room that doesn't get much use? (Again, lighter colors my create more maintenance but another factor the dealer is trying to consider is whether you should choose carpet made with BCF fiber like STAINMASTER® so that children playing on the floor will not find themselves covered in loose fibers shed from staple products.)
- Is it a small room or a large room? (Smaller rooms can be made to feel larger by selecting a lighter colored carpet while larger rooms can be made to feel cozier by using a mid-to-darker colored carpet.)
- What are the lighting conditions in the room? (Rooms with plenty of natural light will show the true color of the carpet while rooms on the north side of a house may need a lighter shade of carpet to keep them from feeling darker than they are.)
What You Should Know:You should always remember to bring swatches of fabric from drapes and furniture, wallpaper samples, and paint chips with you when you are selecting carpet. That way you can consider a range of colors that will match your existing décor. Remember that color can also affect your mood. Warmer colors often make you feel energized while cooler tones provide a sense of calm.
When considering color, remember the lighting in the carpet store is not the same as the lighting conditions in your home. Ask the dealer if they have a lighting box in which to view the carpet, or ask if you can take a sample of the carpet home.
CostTypically, a dealer might ask:
- Are you installing this carpet for the purposes of selling the home or are you re-decorating it for your enjoyment?
- What is the size of the room to be carpeted?
What You Should Know:The dealer is trying to determine what style of carpet you might be interested in. A home seller is going to want to select a neutral toned carpet in a simple style, like a cut pile texture. But a home owner who is re-decorating will want to explore the many varieties available to them. Either way, STAINMASTER® carpet is a good choice.
STAINMASTER® warranties are transferable to the new owner, a great selling tool, while home owners who will be living with their carpet selection will want the long-lasting durability and beauty of a STAINMASTER® carpet. Also, the dealer needs to know the approximate size of the area to be carpeted in order to give an estimate on total cost.
Come prepared with a rough estimate of the size of your room and the layout. Check out our handy Carpet Calculator if you need help measuring. When you're ready to buy, the dealer will send a professional to take the final measurements.
Make sure that all cost estimates include padding, installation, seaming, stairs (if applicable), thresholds, the moving of furniture and the removal of old carpet or other flooring and materials.
Always make sure that you are selecting from the highest grade carpet you can afford. With STAINMASTER® carpet, the higher the grade, the more comprehensive the STAINMASTER® warranty will be. STAINMASTER®, a name you know and trust, only guarantees the finest, first quality carpet. Because of the patented technology that goes into it, and the company that stands behind it, your STAINMASTER® carpet will provide beauty and comfort for years to come.
QualityWhile in the store, it may seem that many carpets look the same. But not all carpets perform the same. It's the technology behind the carpet that makes a difference.
What You Should Know:Only STAINMASTER® carpets offer the exclusive three-part system for lasting beauty:
6,6 Nylon TechnologyWith this patented fiber technology, STAINMASTER® carpets resist crushing, abrasive wear and color fading. The unique molecular structure of 6,6 nylon make it much more resilient than carpet fiber made from polyester, polypropylene and other types of nylon. Plus, this specially designed fiber keeps soil and stains from penetrating.
DuPont Advanced TEFLON® ProtectantThis superior soil resistance technology enables SM carpet fibers to push dirt away, allowing it to be removed more easily with a vacuum cleaner. And the Stain Protection reduces the fibers ability to absorb liquids, greatly limiting its ability to become stained. This unique soil and stain protection lasts much longer than other carpets' protection, which must be re-applied after each cleaning in order to maintain their warranties.
Anti-Static TechnologyThe fibers in every STAINMASTER® carpet contain a special carbon compound that act like thousands of tiny lighting rods, deflecting static shock for the life of the carpet. Most other carpets are sprayed with anti-static protection that can wear off with foot traffic and successive cleanings.
Why is anti-stat protection important? With our homes filled with expensive electronics these days, the last thing you want is to short circuit a computer or audio system simply by walking on your carpet and touching a device. Anti-stat protection offers peace of mind for homeowners where their electronic investments are concerned.
LabelingAt the store, you'll see lots of labels from different mills and manufacturers. You might get confused as to what type of carpet you are looking at.
What You Should Know:Look for the STAINMASTER® label on the back of the dealer's sample. That's the only way to guarantee a carpet that features STAINMASTER®'s comprehensive warranties, anti-static controls, resilient fibers and a carpet surface that actually repels dirt and soil.
Visit www.CarpetCleaningExcellence.com to learn more about maintaining your new carpet.