How Expensive Should Your New Carpet Be?

There is no doubt that investing in a brand new carpet is an exciting time. It can totally change the look and feel of your home, and it’s a pretty big purchase too. That’s why it makes total sense to ensure you choose the right one. Price has a big bearing on this decision, so we’re going to explore this aspect of your purchase in more detail.

Start with your budget

This is very important because you have to consider how much you can afford to spend on your new carpet. You should look at this point in conjunction with the rest of the points made below though. There is a very good reason for this.

For example let’s say you want to re-carpet your hallway. You only have the budget for a cheap carpet. So what do you do – lay something that isn’t going to last long, or save a bit longer and get a much more hardwearing carpet? You can see how the price has a big influence on your available budget and whether you are in a position to buy yet or not.

Think about the area your carpet will be laid in

Some areas of the home automatically get more traffic than others. Entrances are the most common area of this type, but frequently used communal areas for relaxing and entertaining will also see a lot of action.

So think about where your carpet will be laid and how that room or space is used. Do you use it a lot? Will people be coming into your home through that area with shoes on? Will it only ever be used occasionally or perhaps in a space that only you go into, such as your bedroom for example?

All of these questions will help steer you toward the right carpet for the right situation.

What kind of carpet are you thinking of investing in?

There are plenty of different types of carpet you can buy. Deep pile carpets are lovely to walk on, but would be better suited to the bedroom than the front hallway. Similarly hard wearing carpets with a shorter pile aren’t quite so luxurious but they might be better at the entranceways to your home.

Consider the design and coloring as well, because this will be a carpet you will have to have in your home for a few years to come – at the very least.

Which one will be right for you?

As you can see you will gather together various pieces of information about your home and where the carpet will go down that will help you find the right carpet for your needs. Don’t take this decision lightly – you have to think about how it will look and feel in the room you are fitting it in. Budget is an important factor but getting the cheapest possible carpet can backfire on you.

By focusing on the points made above you can make the right choice for your budget – and for your home.

Carpet or Hardwood Flooring: Which is Better for You?

Carpet is a wonderful choice to have in any home. It feels great underfoot, it can be very warm and it softens noises as well. Hardwood flooring is also a good choice in many homes, providing you with an opportunity to give a rich and classic look to your rooms.

But which one would you choose? Which one would be ideal for your own situation? It can be a tricky choice to make, so let’s explore the topic in more depth.

Is money a key point to consider?

It depends on the type of carpet of course, but in general you will find that hardwood flooring is more expensive than most types of carpeting. This will be a key factor if you have a strict budget to stick to. However if you are willing and able to save up for what you really want, hardwood flooring might be within reach.

Think about the potential for noise

There is no doubt that carpet muffles noise in a way that hardwood floors do not. Will it cause any problems if you have hardwood floors installed in your home? If you have thin walls you might find them noisier than you would like.

Hardwood can be more hard wearing

Carpets will eventually go bald and wear down in places if they are used right up to the very end of their lives. Hardwood floors never have this problem. It would take years for any of it to wear down to any extent, and even then it can look quite quirky and attractive. A slightly battered hardwood floor is often said to have character! Carpet certainly doesn’t in the same situation.

Carpet is softer underfoot

If you want true comfort there is nothing to beat the feeling of a good quality deep pile carpet underneath your feet. You may make your choice depending on which room your flooring is going into. Most people would prefer carpet in their bedroom, but hardwood flooring might be a good choice for a dining room. It all depends on taste.

Consider the character of your property

This is an area that some people tend to forget about. But your property is a very important aspect that will help steer you towards whether to get carpeting or hardwood floors.

For instance if you live in a thoroughly modern apartment, you might be better off with carpets. But if you live in a period property that has a real history to it, hardwood floors will really look the part. If you’re not sure about the history of your property it might be worth finding out a little more about it and the time when it was first built. This kind of information might help you make the all important decision on which type of flooring to go for.

As you can see there are a variety of factors that will help you figure out whether to go for hardwood or carpet. Which will you opt for?

How to Choose Flooring That Will Stand the Test of Time

A change in flooring can completely transform your home. It doesn’t matter whether you live in an apartment, a big sprawling house or anything in between – choosing the right flooring is very important, especially if you want it to last for a long time.

So how do you make that choice? Here are some tips on how to get it right every time.

What room is the flooring going into?

This is one of the most important things to bear in mind because different rooms have different uses. For example the hallway is going to be subjected to a lot more foot traffic than the spare bedroom. As such you need to choose a flooring type that will be able to withstand everything that is thrown at it.

This might mean choosing a hardwood floor that will put up with all kinds of knocks and scrapes. Alternatively you might go for a tough carpet such as a sisal blend, or one that has stain guard on it to prevent any staining that might occur if something is dropped.

What décor do you want to match it with?

Of course whatever flooring you choose it should go nicely with your existing décor. Alternatively if you are stripping out a whole room, you should make sure you are aware of the color scheme you are going to use there. You can then select the most appropriate flooring for the scheme you have chosen.

You can still choose pretty much any type of flooring in this situation. But if you are going for a rustic look and feel you might get a better result choosing from either laminate flooring or real wood. Alternatively if you want a cozy and soft feel underfoot, a carpet is hard to beat.

Think about the cost of the flooring

Most people will have some kind of budget in mind when it comes to flooring. There are budget versions of most flooring types available on the market, and carpets are often available as off-cuts that are suitable for smaller rooms as well.

However you have to balance the cost with where you are going to put the flooring. For example a heavily trafficked area such as the hallway is going to be better served with more expensive laminate flooring rather than a budget version. Similarly you can get away with a cheap off-cut of carpet in a spare bedroom that isn’t used very often. But the main bedroom will require something a little more expensive and longer lasting.

Which flooring is right for you?

You can see that you have to choose the most appropriate flooring for each individual room in your home. Quality is often the watchword, and although you might spend more money than you wanted to initially, you will be rewarded with flooring that will definitely last a lot longer than you thought it might.

So which type is going to be right for you? Go through the above pointers and you’ll have your answer.

Do-It-Yourself Carpet Installation

If you want to install a brand new carpet in your home you have two options to get the job done. You can either hire a professional to do it or you can opt for DIY carpet installation. Many people choose the first option, but it is possible to get the carpet laid by yourself if you have basic DIY skills and you know how to do it.

But before you begin, check out the following tips and advice to make sure you get a professional finish you will be proud of.

Are you capable of doing the job?

This might seem to be a strange question to start with. But it is worth asking yourself if you are capable of it, because it isn’t the easiest DIY job to tackle. It will be very demanding on your knees, and you need a strong back to get it done properly as well. If you suffer from bad knees you would be well advised to get the professionals in. If you cannot easily tackle it on your own you will end up rushing the job to get it finished, and then you’ll be dissatisfied with the results.

Find out what the step by step procedure is for laying carpet

You may think that taking up an old carpet and putting down a new one sounds pretty simple. It does, doesn’t it? But there are lots of smaller jobs en route to the finished result that you need to get right.

For instance you should check the floor for squeaky boards before laying the new carpet. Screw the boards down so they don’t squeak any more. This is the one chance you’ll get to get it right.

Another example is the correct laying of the tack strip. If you lay this right next to the edges of the room the carpet won’t be installed properly. Instead you need to position the strip a finger width away from the edges. This allows you to tuck the edges of the carpet down and into position later on.

Can you get help from another able DIY person to help you install your new carpet?

This is the best idea, especially if you have a large room to lay carpet into. Simply bringing the carpet in on your own isn’t often an option because of the weight. You will also need to maneuver it through doorways and round corners – and upstairs if you are working on an upper floor. It is also a lot easier to lay a carpet if you have a helper to assist along the way.

Make sure you have all the right equipment

Never try to lay a carpet unless you have the right equipment to do the job. You’ll need knee pads and a range of other items such as a knee kicker and a seam roller too, which can be rented if need be.

So you can see that DIY carpet installation is not necessarily a fast job or an easy one. But if you approach it in the right way and you know what you’re getting into, it’s not impossible either.

PET Carpet – A Recycled Material Made Carpet

Even though many people are unaware of it, today there are many carpets made from recycled materials. One of these kinds of carpet is PET carpet. When referring to PET carpet, the P stands for poly, E is for ethylene, and T is for terephthalate, which in plain English, means a kind of material that is similar to plastic which many companies use for other purposes, like water bottles, and different materials made from thin clear plastic. PET actually comes in a wide variety of colors. PET carpet sounds strange to many people, but is actually made often with recycled material. Although people may disregard this idea, this kind of carpet can be incredibly beautiful, as well as stain fighting, which many homeowners see as just as big of a reason to buy it as it being eco-friendly.

There are many other materials that can be recycled to make eco-friendly carpet. Some of these materials are shocking to people, although all of them are much better for the environment than chemically manufactured carpet! Some of these materials include hair, foam, lint, fabric, rubber, recycled materials, and textiles.

Many people have seen recycled carpet like PET but were unaware of it because it goes by a number of different names. Some of these names are Permalon or Resistron. Obviously these names are intended to lead the consumer to thinking how they resist stains. Most other carpets are layered with chemical treatments to cause them to be tough to wear and tear or to be stain resistant. Carpets made of recycled materials on the other hand, are usually much tougher and stand up to stains and wear and tear better than regular carpets. This is without any chemical treatments or coatings. This often causes these recycled carpets to stay bright in color for a number of years longer than regular carpet made of yarn.

You can find carpets made of recycled products other than PET, some of them are made of nylon or polyester. As we have discussed so far, recycled carpets are great for the environment, stand up well to wear and tear, and hold their color better than yarn carpet. As if this were not enough of a value to buy recycled carpets, often regular carpets are made from products that are harmful to the environment. Many carpets have polyvinyl or petroleum in them. Polyvinyl specifically can be very harmful for people with breathing problems and medical conditions. It also can be harmful to children or pets. Staying away from commercially produced carpets should be avoided in people with children, pets or people with medical conditions.

If you want to be completely eco-conscious, check before buying your carpet that not only the main material of the carpet is made of recycled materials, but also that the backing of the carpet itself is also made of recycled materials. You can also recycle your own carpet after you are done with it which is another great and valuable way to take care of the environment. Being conscious of the environment is not just a fad, it is a very important way of life, and buying things like carpet are easy ways to attractively decorate your home while saving the planet at the same time. If you are interested in getting more information about carpets made from recycled materials, utilize the internet to become educated and to find retailers to help you along the way.

The Basics of Carpet Care

When trying to figure out the basics of carpet care, it is important to consult the experts to determine what is best for your carpet. While everyone thinks they have the best tips or tricks to care for their carpet, you want to make sure you are making the right decision to ensure you are not doing permanent damage to this very important part of your home! Here we will discuss several techniques to best care for your carpet, from the experts and experienced homeowners who know what works.

First, if you have come to the conclusion that you need to clean your carpets, you have to decide if you want to do the work yourself, or if you want to hire someone. If you have the luxury and finances to be able to hire a carpet cleaning company, your worries are much fewer than those for individuals who want to do it themselves. If you can afford to have them professionally cleaned, make sure to do your research. Do not hire the cheapest company out there, or who you find in the yellow pages. Make sure to do your homework and get referrals from friends, family, or business organizations.

If you have instead decided to clean your carpets yourself, the first step you need to take is to rent a steam cleaner, which will get deep inside your carpet to get out the dust, dirt, and stains. If you know you will need to clean your carpets regularly, consider investing in your own steam cleaner (but if you do so, make sure to check product recommendations to make sure you are getting a quality machine).

It is recommended that people deep clean their carpets approximately twice a year, although it also can depend on how many people live in your home and how much traffic the carpet gets. For some people who live alone and have no children, who keep their home clean and have no pets, you may be able to go up to two years without deep cleaning. It all depends on the level of dirt and dust in your home and if you have any stains you need to eradicate.

Besides deep cleaning, it is also important that homeowners understand how to take care of their carpets from day-to-day to make sure that when they are ready for an in-depth cleaning once or twice a year, it is not hard work. Besides steam cleaning, every homeowner should have a great vacuum which picks up the daily or weekly dirt and grime that often gets left behind by a poor vacuum. Besides having a strong vacuum, you need to vacuum regularly, as over 75% of dirt on most carpets is dry dirt or dust.

If you are able to clean up stains and spills as soon as possible, this is the best way to keep your carpet in its best condition. As soon as a spill gets past the initial level of carpet, it gets into the padding, which causes smells and permanent stains to set in. The longer a stain sits, the more difficult it will be to get out. Especially if you are talking about pet stains, or hard to get out stains like coffee or red wine. You can use water to clean stains, as just basic water will take out most spills. If water will not work, you can look in your local stores or online to find products that are designed specifically to help with certain kinds of spills.

It is important to keep your home clean, and one of the ways your home most reflects on you is through the condition of your carpet. Carpet care can be tough, so do your research and make sure you are taking care of your carpets regularly so you do not disregard them to the point where they must be replaced.

5 Eco-Friendly Carpets That Won't Break the Bank

If you want the warm, welcoming feeling of a carpet underfoot in your home, there are plenty of diverse and attractive Calgary carpets you can choose from. But if you want to do your bit for the environment you could look at eco-friendly alternatives instead.
Let's check out five of the best and most versatile selections.


Wool
Wool is a very luxurious substance and it looks stunning when chosen as a carpet for your home. It is incredibly hard-wearing and repels stains beautifully as well. Quite often you don't just have to think about the part of the carpet you can see - you have to consider the backing too.
Most wool carpets have a 100% natural and sustainable backing attached to them. Be sure you check for this before you make your purchase. Wool may be a little more expensive than some of the other eco-friendly options but it lasts so long that you will appreciate its good looks for a long time to come. You will also appreciate the range of natural tones you have to choose from.


Recycled carpet tiles
Carpet tiles are more suited to heavy traffic areas such as offices. They are available in a range of colors and they are also easier to lay if you want to save the cost of hiring a professional to do it and tackle the job yourself instead.
Sometimes these will be recycled from other products and on some occasions they will be made from 100% wool.


Sisal carpets
Sisal is a naturally occurring fiber that works beautifully well for a range of Calgary carpets. One of its key benefits - other than its stunning appearance - is that it is amazingly hard-wearing. This makes it ideal for those areas of your home that see the most traffic. Think hallways for example. Stairs are also heavily trafficked and look amazing with a natural sisal carpet laid by a professional.


Jute carpets
Jute is very similar to sisal in that it is a naturally occurring fiber. It comes from vegetables and its main difference to sisal is that it is slightly softer underfoot. This makes it the perfect choice for less well trafficked areas. Many people choose it as their eco-friendly carpet of choice for their bedroom.
It is available in a variety of shades and it is also woven into different patterns such as herringbone and squares.


Carpets made from... plastic bottles?
Yes it doesn't sound too likely does it? But you'd be surprised at the number of everyday products that are made from 100% recycled plastic bottles, and carpets are one of them. Billions of bottles have been recycled in the last decade. You may already have walked on a few carpets that were once around in a very different form!


Which one is right for you?
As always, your carpet buying decision should be focused on which room you want the carpet for, what style you are looking for and what kind of budget you have available. Many eco-friendly Calgary carpets are very reasonable in price and they will fit into whatever room needs re-carpeting. It's good to know that you can be eco-friendly and have a stunning carpet in your home, no matter where you want it to be.
If you're already decided on what eco-friendly carpet you should venture to, then visit Carpets for Less in Calgary. They carry all major brands of carpet as well as hardwood, laminate, cork, bamboo, tile, linoleum and more.

Carpets for Less in Calgary

Carpeting will not only make your floor look great but it will be an investment that will serve you well for years to come.

At Carpets For Less we carry a very large collection of carpets that will suit all your carpeting desires. Calgary carpets made by the best designers and suppliers sold at very competitive and favorable prices that will fit your pocketbook. We have carpeting consultants who are experts in helping our customers find the perfect carpet.

Our customer care team will attend to you and answer all your queries. Feel free to book one of our experts to come to your home to take the necessary measurements for a no-obligation quote.

The carpets available at Carpets For Less come in many colors that will match your interior house colors such as the curtains and furniture for just the right look. There are also affordable carpets available but this does not mean that they are of poor quality. Because our warehouse if full of in-stock carpet, we can offer you great products at cheap prices.

Our carpets are long lasting - you will be amazed at how well they wear. Depending on the foot traffic of the area you are carpeting, our knowledgeable sales team will be able point you in the direction of a carpet that will fit your specific situation. All it takes is to make a visit to our showroom to find just the right carpet.

Stain resistance varies from carpet to carpet. If you may have small children or pets in your home we can recommend a more resilient carpet to meet your needs.

We offer carpets of all types including fiber, wool, polyester, acrylic or polypropylene.

Not only furnishing your home, our carpets also regulate the temperatures of your home or office. They offer more heat insulation by absorbing heat energy. They also make the floor softer which results in a cozier, more comfortable room. The soft material also absorbs noise and sound reflections thus it even improves acoustics in your room.

For more information about Calgary’s Carpets For Less and all carpeting queries, please visit:www.carpetsforless.ca

Picking the Right Carpet for Your Flooring Needs

There is a lot more to picking out a carpet than you might realize but Calgary carpet retailers are here to help. From the fiber to the cut, style and color there are an enormous variety different carpets to choose from for most every conceivable purpose. Carpeting is manufactured for indoor or outdoor use, there are even carpet squares that are affixed a lot like vinyl flooring tiles. New materials and techniques have sped up the process and made the carpets of today more durable to stand up to the wear and tear of the modern world. Carpet that is correctly chosen and installed will last around 20 years with proper care.  

 

Different Types Of Fibers

Nearly every carpet today is made with synthetic fibers, nylon and olefin (polypropylene) being the two major fibers that a large majority of the carpets today are composed of. Olefin in particular makes an excellent choice for indoors or out. Natural fibers, such as wool, are more costly and not nearly as easy to maintain as synthetics. Acrylic and polyester are also synthetics that are commonly used. Synthetics are often blended for added durability and ease of maintenance. A new trend in the carpeting industry is leaning towards Eco friendliness and much carpeting is manufactured from recycled materials.

The types of carpet that your Calgary carpet distributor can offer you is immense. Probably the most popular type is the “cut pile”, if you cut the looped strands of yarn that make up the carpet (the “pile”) it creates a tufted strand that can be cut to any length depending on the customers desires. As with any type of carpet durability is determined by the type of fiber used and how it is constructed. For example, if the tufts of yarn are given a couple extra twists then it's durability is increased.  

 

Many Different Types And Styles

“Loop pile” carpeting is another type that is becoming increasingly popular in the Calgary carpet community. The loops that are affected in a cut pile carpet remain untouched to provide a level loop appearance. It is east to maintain but needs to be vacuumed often to prevent soil from working it's way inside the loops. Patterned loop carpets are created when the loops are of varying height to give the appearance of a design, usually geometric in nature. While loop carpeting tends to be more durable than cut pile it is not as soft and luxurious.

Berber carpeting has made a comeback in recent years and is available major Calgary carpet outlets. Originating from Morocco, their compact loop construction makes them very durable for high traffic areas but again, not as comfortable as cut piles but it works very well in office and school settings where no one is likely to be running around barefoot anyway or very high traffic areas of the house. Hand woven Berber can still be found but is very expensive and has been largely replaced by carpets created by mechanical means. Berber is stain resistant and relatively inexpensive when you consider the use that you will get out of them.

 

Loop And Cut Pile

Loop and cut pile carpet techniques are also combined to give a textured appearance throughout the carpet. The loops appear lighter in color than the cut pile tufts and can create some very interesting patterns. These carpets normally come in solid colors and provide above average performance. It also creates an informal and cozy look.  Because of the unique patterns that they display, this type of carpet tends to hide dirt a bit better than others although that shouldn't be a concern for those who care for their carpets properly.

One other type of carpet that holds a small niche in the Calgary carpet market is the plush or velvet type. These carpets are made by twisting the tufts of carpet in the same direction just slightly. Their luxurious appearance makes them perfect for formal areas or up the risers of a sweeping staircase. They are harder to care for than other carpets nor do they provide the durability of other carpeting options as they do not hold up well under heavy traffic. They tend to show every footprint and vacuum trail although these marks are easily brushed out.

 

Don't Forget The Pad

Whichever carpet type and style you pick they all require an underlying pad that, when properly chosen, helps to reduce wear and tear and makes the carpet more comfortable. Be certain to put as much thought and research into the choice of the pad as you did for the carpet. Different carpets perform at their best with the proper choice of pad. Rebound carpet pads are the most popular but others are made of foam while others still are waffle shaped to increase shock absorption.

The advent of synthetic materials has made carpet care much easier. Not only in durability but in ease of cleaning. Substances such as olefin and nylon are more soil and stain resistant than natural fibers and make them much easier to care for on your own without having to call in a professional, although any carpet should be cleaned at least every six months as part of any carpet maintenance regimen. Vacuum all carpets regularly. Consult your local Calgary carpet professional if you have any questions about the proper way to care for the carpets in your home.

 

As much as choosing the proper carpeting for your needs is important, it is also important to choose the correct Calgary carpet distributor. Find one that is a warehouse of carpets, as well as all floor coverings, that employs knowledgeable personnel and carries the supplies, hardware and amenities that you need from reputable companies in the industry. You normally pay less at established distributors due to their high volume of sales. Many provide installation services and free estimation, carpet can be installed by the do it yourselfer but depending on the size of the job can be quite the undertaking. Whatever type of carpet you buy or hire someone to install it or lay it yourself, a one stop shop for all your flooring needs is essential.