Carpet

Offers the broadest color and style combinations as well as visual and actual textures. Soft and warm underfoot, carpet can go over most any surface. Styles and grades for every pocketbook

In selecting your color, take the time to look at  samples in your home, both by daylight and lamplight in the evening. The color you choose will look different under different lighting conditions.

Light colored carpets will show more soil and require more maintenance than dark colors. Darker colors of carpeting are more effective in high traffic areas. Multi-colors and patterned carpets are especially effective in hiding soil.

The performance and quality of a carpet is directly related to the amount and quality of fiber that goes into the pile. The better the fiber and the denser it is packed, the better the carpet will perform. Thin, less dense carpet will lose its surface appearance faster. It is best to buy the highest quality you can afford. 

We offer a great selection of carpets from Shaw and Mohawk

 

What about stain removal?

Shaw's R2X Stain and Soil Remover is the only carpet cleaning product with the endorsement consumers have trusted for more than 100 years: the Good Housekeeping Seal. Because of our patented process, it's even easier to use than most spot cleaners.

Fiber is carpet's basic ingredient.

The four basic fibers used in carpets today all have their individual strengths. Even more importantly, they all make excellent carpets. Your ultimate choice will be determined by the characteristics that are most important to you.

Although some carpets are made of blends, most are made entirely of one of the following four fibers:

Nylon

Nylon is the most widely used carpet fiber, preferred primarily for its strength. Nylon is incredibly durable and resilient. Because of its resistance to matting and wear, you will never see a visibly worn carpet path in even the busiest spots of your home. Nylon carpet fiber is soft yet strong, shows color brilliantly, and cleans well. Though not inherently stain resistant, most nylons are treated with a stain-resist carpet treatment for protection against household spills and stains.

Polypropylene (also called Olefin)

The use of polypropylene in carpet has grown dramatically over the past ten years due to the popularity of Berber style loop carpets. Polypropylene is extremely resistant to stains, fading, and moisture. Polypropylene, a value-oriented fiber, is also notably colorfast because it is solution dyed, which means the color is added during production and not dyed later. The color is such an inherent part of the fiber that you can even clean polypropylene with bleach.

Polyester

Appreciated for its versatility, polyesters popularity continues to grow. Polyester offers exceptional softness, making it ideal for thick, cut pile styles. Polyester is also naturally and permanently stain resistant and fade resistant. It has excellent color clarity, color retention, strength, and abrasion resistance. Carpets made from this fiber are easily cleaned and they resist water soluble stains.

Wool

The preeminent natural fiber, wool yields a soft, warm, comfortable feel. Although wool does not possess natural resistance to moisture or abrasion, it ages well and is easy to clean. Because it is the most expensive carpet fiber, wool is generally used only in luxury carpets and area rugs.

Shaw Ratings from 1 to 5

On the label of every Shaw residential carpet style, you'll find an easy-to-find, easy-to-understand Performance Rating.

Rated from 1 to 5, the scale represents the carpeting's ability to withstand extended wear. A perfect rating of 5 means that after rigorous, industry-standard testing, the carpeting maintained the appearance of brand new carpet.

A rating of 4.0 or above is considered outstanding. These carpets are recommended for heavy traffic locations, including family rooms and children's areas.

A rating of 2.5 to 4.0 is predicted to provide normal durability. These carpets can be used in most home applications if properly maintained and cleaned.

A rating below 2.5 should be considered for light to moderate traffic areas only, such as bedrooms.

It's not practical to associate years with the carpeting durability rating. There are so many variable factors--area of the home, traffic patterns, number of inhabitants, level of proper maintenance, etc.--that what might be only 3 years of acceptable carpeting performance to one could be a lifetime to another.

Types & Styles

The manufacturing of carpet--which can be described as sewing strands of yarn into a backing material--creates thousands of yarn loops.

When the loops are cut, we create a CUT PILE carpet, often known as PLUSH.

When the loops remain uncut, we create a LOOP carpet.

These two options can be combined to create four CONSTRUCTION possibilities:

Cut Pile

When the loops are cut, you create a cut pile carpet.

Loop Pile

When the loops remain uncut, you create a loop pile carpet.

Patterned Loop

When the loops remain uncut and the loops have multiple heights, the result is a patterned loop carpet.

Cut & Loop

When cuts and loops are combined, you can create a wide range of patterns.

The importance of carpet pad

Much attention and energy is devoted to selecting carpet, but pad is a crucial part of your flooring and should not be forgotten. We recommend a 8lb ½" pad from Mohawk.

Pad makes carpet feel better.

Every step you take creates hundreds of pounds of pressure per square inch in your floor covering. Carpet padding, or cushion as it is sometimes called, helps alleviate that pressure. The decrease in pressure helps make your carpet feel richer, thicker, and softer.

It will make your room quieter and warmer.

Carpet cushion can significantly improve a carpet's sound-absorption and improve its thermal insulation properties.

It will help you keep your carpet cleaner

Dirt can grind down carpet fiber the way sandpaper wears down wood, and thus shortens carpet life. A quality cushion makes cleaning more efficient because it raises carpet off the subfloor and provides an air space underneath, allowing the carpet to breathe. When you vacuum, that space allows more air to come up through the carpet, carrying more dirt along with it. The result is more effective cleaning every time.

And most importantly, it will make your carpet last longer.

A quality carpet cushion helps decrease pile crushing, the acute compression of fibers in a high-traffic area, particularly in hallways. The pad allows the carpet to maintain its pile height and stay looking new for much longer. Industry studies have shown that quality cushion can actually increase the useful life of carpet as much as 50%.

Vacuum frequently for long-term beauty

1.                  The most important step in caring for your carpet is vacuuming it thoroughly and frequently, particularly in high-traffic areas. Walking on soiled carpet allows the soil particles to work their way below the surface of the pile where they are far more difficult to remove and can damage the carpet fibers. Frequent vacuuming removes these particles from the surface before problems occur. For rooms with light traffic, vacuum the carpet traffic lanes twice weekly and the entire area once weekly. In areas with heavy traffic, vacuum the carpet traffic lanes daily and the entire area twice weekly. Up to three passes of the machine will suffice for light soiling, but five to seven passes are necessary for heavily soiled areas. Change the vacuuming direction occasionally to help stand the pile upright and reduce matting.

Extend the life of your carpet with a quality vacuum

An inexpensive machine may remove surface dirt but will not effectively remove the hidden dirt and particles embedded in the pile. Invest in a good vacuum cleaner to get the dirt you cant see and prolong the beauty and life of your carpet. To ensure that your vacuum will conform to the highest industry standards, make sure that your vacuum cleaner is certified through the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) Vacuum Cleaner Indoor Air Quality Program. Visit www.carpet-rug.org for details and listings.

Select the best vacuum for your type of carpet

Shaw recommends using vacuums with a rotating brush or combination beater/brush bar that agitates the carpet pile and mechanically loosens soil for removal. Carpet with thick loop pile construction, particularly wool and wool-blend styles, may be sensitive to brushing or rubbing of the pile surface and may become fuzzy. For these products, Shaw recommends a suction-only vacuum or a vacuum with an adjustable brush lifted away from the carpet so it does not agitate the pile. Be sure to test a vacuum with a beater/brush bar in an inconspicuous location before regular use, to make sure it doesnt produce excessive fuzzing.