The
Questions below were Answered at an earlier date for a specific individual and
not intended as a blanket response for all consumers in a similar situation.
If you want comprehensive Carpet Buying Information that applies specifically
to your unique situation please order and download my Carpet
Buying Guide ebook and then email me your specific carpet questions via
the special email address provided to you with your ebook download
instructions.
Q. I am looking for a good quality carpet that can withstand kids, cats,
dogs and traffic. I have a somewhat formal living room that you land in upon entering my house. To get to any other part of the house at that point, one needs to walk through that living room. My biggest problem is the traffic
marks from the front door, across the living room and down the hallway to the bedrooms. This gets dirty fast. Any help would be appreciated.
Answer:
You have a common dilemma, too much traffic
that few carpets can tolerate. You have several carpet options that could work
well for you that I discuss in my Carpet Buying Guide but you need to decide how
long you want your new carpet to last, and learn what grade of carpet you need
to select that is capable to withstand your high level of foot traffic.
I have read that the new PET fiber is even more stain resistant than
nylon. Your web site indicated PET is the worst. Why is this?
Answer:.
Whether or not PET polyester is more stain resistant than Nylon is not the issue, it
is that P.E.T. Polyester carpets mat down quickly and have poor resiliency. That
means that your new PET polyester carpet will not retain a new appearance very long.
Even after a good cleaning it will still be matted down and ugly.
Q. Does this price range sound reasonable?
I
am installing a DriCore subfloor system in the 1,200 SF basement of my newly
constructed home. The basement will serve as a family room & play area for
my family which includes 2 children under the age of 5 and a declawed (front
& back) cat. I have been looking for a good quality frieze carpet to put
over the Subfloor.
Answer:
Since you have two young children, and
children spill a lot, you may want to consider a lesser grade of carpet and plan
to re-carpet in 5 to 10 years. Many people do this because in a few years the
children will not be as hard on the carpets and spills and stains will not be
such an issue. No carpet warranty covers all types of stains. Either way you go,
a nylon frieze is a good choice for you.
How much does carpet cost?
Nylon Carpet Test?
Is there a simple test to see if a carpet if Nylon or Polyester?
Answer:
All fibers used to make carpet have different melting points, and there are
burn tests that can be performed to determine what fiber it is. I don't advise
consumers to perform these tests, but they can be found on the internet by
doing a simple web search. What
Grade of Carpet Should I Select?
Stinky Carpet?
I’ve just installed Mohawk wall-to-wall carpet throughout my home. I do not
have the paperwork with me as I write this, but I remember it is a new type of
carpet that resists pet problems more than any other type, and the pad is the
standard type. The problem is a very strong odor has developed within 2 days
of the install. The odor resembles mildew...as if someone left wet towels
piled up. Every room smells and it seems to be getting stronger every day. Now
5 days later, we have moved to a motel while the carpet people contact a rep
from Mohawk and determine what the problem may be. They say they have never
experienced this. Any ideas?
Answer:
One of my most important rule for consumers for making a major purchase, (car,
appliance, carpet) is to never buy a product that has just been released to
the public. I always wait until all the bugs have been ironed out and make
sure that the product has stood the test of time. In this case, it sounds like
you have purchased Mohawk's newly released Odor Eaters Carpet. Now, while I do
not know what the smell is, I would be willing to make an educated guess that
it has something to do with a reaction between the processing chemicals, and
the type of padding you have used. I am very interested in knowing what the
carpet rep has to say.
Learn about Carpet
Styles
I got your ebook and it and this website have been very helpful. Based on your
book, I even developed my on 45-question worksheet for each and every carpet
company I talk to. It’s been a real education. As more anecdotal evidence of
why it’s absolutely necessary to get two bids, I called one guy who was listed
under carpet layers in the phone book. He said they also like to sell carpet and
came out to the house to measure. He then tried the lump sum pricing, which I
asked him to break down. He did so reluctantly, giving me the carpet price and
the pad price, and saying everything else was installation. It worked out that
installation was about $17 a sq. yard. Yikes. I went to another company and
without having him to the house asked about installation - $3.50/sq. yard +
$1.50 for removal, a bit more for stairs and $2/ft for transition metal (of
which we have maybe 20 feet), working out to about $5.50 sq. ft. I called a
carpet installation company and their pricing was similar to the second company.
Amazing.
Another anecdote - you don't recommend Berber for pets. We bought a remnant for
our dog to sleep on. Within a day he'd put a run in it. Not surprisingly, we
decided against doing Berber.
Anyway, now to the question. In your book and on your site, you strongly
recommend a power stretcher. All three companies say they'll use if it needed,
but, as a general rule won't for residential work unless there's a 50-foot room.
For a smaller room, it doesn't provide as much flexibility in angling (one
company showed us a picture and trade article). Any response for these guys?
All right - second question. Any experience with Mohawk's Forever Fresh
line or Beaulieu's Magic Fresh? I understand they are both good for pets smells
and that Beaulieu's carpet (by Hollytex) has a 5 year limited warranty where
they will replace the carpet (labor excluded) for any stain or smell. I do
understand that I have to use a double-sided moisture resistant pad to not void
these warranties. Any thoughts?
Answer:
Thank you for such a nice e-mail. It really makes me feel good to know that I
am making a difference with my book and website. Now, to your first question: "In your book and on your site, you strongly recommend a power stretcher.
All three companies say they'll use if it needed, but, as a general rule won't
for residential work unless there's a 50-foot room. For a smaller room, it doesn't provide as much
flexibility in angling (one company showed us a picture and trade article). Any
response for these guys?"
Yes! I have a word for these guys. Thanks, but no thanks! No
responsible, qualified installer would ever say that a power stretcher should
only be used in a 50-foot room. Its one thing to say that a small closet can be
"kicked in" but every consumer should know the facts: unless you want
your carpet to develop wrinkles within 1 to 3 years, insist that a power
stretcher is used in every room of your home. "If these installers won't
use a power stretcher then hire someone who will. All about Carpet
Comparison
Every year I see and hear about all the great new innovations that
the carpet manufacturers come up with. As the next year rolls around, some of
those great new innovations from the previous year are gone. I have a rule:
never buy an untried and untested product. This goes for cars, appliances,
electronics, and carpet. I usually wait at least three years to make sure that
all the bugs are worked out and that there are no unknown problems. This rule
applies to Mohawk's Forever Fresh and the new Odor Eating products too. I
just received a letter from an attorney yesterday who has been forced to move
into a motel because their newly installed Odor Eating Carpet has developed a
horrible smell. These new products only cost you more money than you
really need to spend.
It's
hard to find a reputable carpet dealer these days! I have built a special list
of hand-picked carpet retailers who are locally owned, give free estimates,
offer fair prices, have knowledgeable staff, provide honest measuring and hire
qualified installers. See
who I recommend near you!
Support
Our Troops! If
you are in the US Military you qualify for a
FREE copy of my ebook. Just send a request through your
military email address and I will email you a free download with
my personal thanks & gratitude for your service and
sacrifice! Email: Alan@AbcCarpets.com
Take
my free Carpet
Foot Traffic Test to help determine the grade of carpet to
meet your needs and goals. Alan's Recommended Carpet Dealers | Where to Buy Carpet
Visit
my Carpet Care
Page to make your carpet last longer.
How to select the right carpet and pad, avoid
costly mistakes and save the most money by Consumer advocate. How Much Does Carpet Cost?
Should I choose Stainmaster® carpet or Martha Stewart®
carpet?
Carpet
dealer directory. Buy Carpet Lowe's, Home Depot, Empire Today or Costco?About Carpet Stain Warranties
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how to Measure carpet, polyester
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Smartstrand carpet, Best carpets, Carpet buying guide, Carpet
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