For many people, buying a new carpet is more complicated than they anticipated. Upon arriving at a retail establishment and looking over the wide range, designs, and types of carpeting available, they begin to feel overwhelmed. Fortunately, there are a few steps you can take in advance to take a lot of the apprehension out of the job and allow you to buy carpet that is ideal for your purposes. Here is what you need to do.
Before you ever set foot in a store to buy carpet, it is important to identify where the carpet will be installed. Are you in need of indoor carpet for the living room or another room of the house? Do you need outdoor carpet for the covered patio? Knowing whether the carpet will be used inside or outside automatically excludes any type of carpeting unsuited for that purpose and reduces your options considerably. You save time by focusing in on carpet selections that could serve your purposes easily.
Once you determine where the carpet will go, your next step is to consider the amount of traffic that the carpet will endure over time. Obviously, you will need something that is much more durable for the hallway than for a spare bedroom that is used once or twice a year. For rooms like dens, living rooms and bedrooms that are in use every day, you want to focus your attention on carpeting that will last for a long time and can be cleaned with relative ease. If there is a lot of activity in the space, you may even consider industrial grade carpeting as a viable option. Keep in mind that high traffic areas may also require using a color scheme for the carpeting that will no show dirt with a great deal of ease.
Your next step in the process to buy carpet involves determining the length of the nap of the carpeting. To some degree, this step is informed by your personal tastes. You can choose from longer styles such as shag carpeting or go with a shorter plush weave that is soft to the touch but has a tailored rather than a casual look. There is also the option of going with a sculptured or marbled look and texture as well. In the end, you want to buy carpet that is right for the area in terms of durability and is also pleasing to the eye.
Along with identifying what is right in terms of color, texture, and weave for the space, it is also necessary to consider cost when you buy carpet. The idea is to get the best carpet possible while still remaining within your budget. This means going into the retail outlet with a firm grasp of not only what type of carpeting is right for the space, but also a firm price range you can afford. Cost combined with function and style will often narrow your options for new carpeting to no more than a dozen viable options, making the task of choosing one option much easier.
As with many tasks, it is a good idea to take your time and think through the process before you buy carpet. After all, carpeting is something that most people live with for several years. You want your final selection to be something that will still be enjoyable a few years down the road. Don’t rush the process and systematically identify everything you need in the new carpet. Doing do will make all the difference in how satisfied you are with the final result.
