5 Important Factors to Consider to Choose the Right Carpet

 Guest Blogger #695, Entry #1637, September 24, 2012

Choosing carpeting for your home is a big deal, or at least it should be. This is a decision that takes careful consideration. The wrong choice could disrupt the whole color scheme of your home or throw off your interior sense of space by introducing the wrong textures. In order to avoid getting caught between a rock and a hard place when you lay down soft, lush carpeting in your home, consider these 5 factors in your choice.

Ensure you choose flooring that fits your lifestyle

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1. Go Neutral

Many people fall into the trap of matching carpets to furniture. While this may seem like the perfect arrangement at the time, several years down the line when you want to freshen up your spaces you may find yourself at a loss. Consider the staying power of all of your furniture. Some fixtures will hang around forever, while others are relatively disposable. Your carpets are going to be with you for a long time, so choose neutral tones that can work with multiple color schemes. You’ll be glad to have made this choice when it comes time to buy a new sofa .

2. Avoid Trendy

How many times have you walked into a home that was nicely furnished, well designed, and completely ruined by shag carpeting that was all the rage when it was installed? Trends come and go almost a frequently as the wind, so deciding what kind of carpeting to buy based on popularity is a poor choice. After the current trend, the next one, and the five or six that follow wear off and become obscure relics, your carpets will still be going strong. Don’t let your home become dated. Ditch the trendy carpets and go for a tried and true classic look.

3. Don’t Skimp on Padding

This may seem insignificant, but you’ll realize how important it really is if you don’t install your carpeting with adequate padding. Your house needs a foundation to sit upon, and your carpets need padding. Buying cheap padding or skipping it altogether leads to premature wear on your carpets. Padding reduces the pressure that normal foot traffic puts on your carpeting and keeps it from rubbing directly against your hard floors. It also has the added benefits of insulating your home and sound proofing–a bonus to your privacy and your peace and quiet.

Choose carpeting that is eco-friendly

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4. Go Low Maintenance

You may not realize this right off the bat, but laying down carpet in your home is going to present a whole new aspect of home maintenance. Some carpets require special procedures or equipment for cleaning, so make sure you have the means to maintain your particular carpet before committing to a purchase. If you have pets and children in the house, this will be especially important.

5. Be Eco Friendly

Another thing that many people fail to realize about carpeting is how toxic it can be. That “new carpet smell” that can seem so satisfying is caused by volatile organic compounds such as formaldehyde that degrade indoor air quality and lead to health problems over time. Choose natural fibers and look for carpets colored with non-toxic dyes in order to be sure that you’re installing carpets that are both environmentally friendly and healthy for you and your family.

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