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Alan's Carpet Buying Guide
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Written
by Alan Fletcher
Get
my Special Collection of
Carpet Buying
Q & A
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Here is a small sample of the QUESTIONS
You'll
get ALL the ANSWERS to.
- Is it better to steam clean it or Chem-dry it? Is there a
better way?
- Is 7/16", 6-pound padding a
good pad for my home?
- Would you recommend Stainmaster
carpet?
- So, now that I have this PET carpet and it is doing exactly what it says on your informative site, what
can I legally do now?
- I would like to install Mohawk
Berber carpet in our basement (an olefin/nylon blend). The house has been
waterproofed, but when we get a very severe storm, some minor seepage can
still happen, usually leaking from the foundation onto the floor. I have
chosen a 65 oz. Mohawk Berber, but the salesman worries that it is so thick
that it will not dry out should seepage occur. The next lesser weight down
is 52 oz.; am I better off with that?
- DuPont claims to have developed a
new fiber that is as resilient as Nylon but has the cleaning properties of
polyester. It is known as Sorona or Smartstrand. It is not the same as PET
polyester. Mohawk manufactures the carpet. Do you have any experience with
this new carpet fiber?
- Do you know anything about Empire
Today carpeting? They come to your home, no showroom. I’m not sure about
quality of carpet or installation.
- The carpet I chose is the Carpet-One gold series 100% Nylon
Zwerlon with a 15-year wear warranty, 7 year stain resistance warranty and 5
years texture retention. From this info, can you tell me if this is a
quality carpet? I need one that will wear and resist traffic patterns.
- Is Gulistan a high quality product?
- Does the brand of carpet pad make
any difference? One business recommended their pad, which was Mohawk, 6-lb.
1/2 inch. Said they used to use Carpenters, but like the better quality of
Mohawk.
Would the cheaper price be a good deal if I purchase the Flexible Foam
rebond pad?
- I know you have addressed the
P.E.T. question multiple times, and are very much in favor of Nylon. We have
found a Nylon/P.E.T. blend carpet from Beaulieu that is very nice (at least
on the sample!). This is for a very large family room in our basement that
will be used for entertaining. Our two children are older (teens), and none
of us wear our shoes in the house… ever! The face weight is 70 oz, twist
is 5.65 and density is 2897 – this stuff feels great to the touch. Do you
have the same (or similar) reservations for the 80% P.E.T. / 20% BCF Nylon
blend carpets? Given our situation, if we have found a carpet with the
coloring and "feel" we like – would we be OK with the blend –
which is priced comparably to some of the mid-tier nylons we’ve looked at?
- I had a salesman out tonight who
said even though his carpet is polyester, it is an excellent wearing carpet.
My question is, have you heard of Empire Today Carpets? I want to know if
you know if polyester can out perform a nylon Stainmaster carpet.
- What is the best time of the year
to get the "best deals" on carpet?
- I've read your ebook--it's packed
with information, and I am appalled at how ignorant I've been about buying
carpet. Thank you for imparting the wisdom you've gained in your 3+ decades
in the business. Before buying your book I wrote to you about choosing
carpeting to cover the concrete floor in the playroom area of our basement.
(Based on your response, I decided against Berber--thanks for saving me from
a bad decision.) We have waterproofed our 1920s home, but once in a great
while water still finds its way inside. Either through the foundation wall
if there's an extremely severe storm, which happened in October and caused
water problems for many homes and businesses here in the Chicago area, or up
from the drainage hole leading out to the street. Our street has lots of old
trees whose roots tend to clog up the drainage tiles we're working on
solving this. I've decided, a bit hesitantly, to go ahead with carpeting but
to have it bound all around, on the theory that if it gets wet, it can be
easily pulled back and allowed to dry and the affected padding replaced
reasonably easily as well. I've done some shopping and have some questions
for you before I proceed: 1) I am considering two Mohawk carpets. One is a
nylon frieze; the other, a more economical polyester. Your book warns
against any carpeting with polyester and/or new fibers; sure enough, the
local (and long-established) carpet store did show me a "new"
polyester made by Mohawk. Its called Horizon and it's made of Smartstrand
3GT Polyester with DuPont Sorona Polymer." It's supposedly highly
resistant to wear and stains and comes with a dizzying array of warranties.
Should I continue to consider this option, or should I ignore it and go with
a nylon frieze? 2) The local carpet store recommends a felt pad, but a
shop-at-home service I consulted recommends eight-pound rebond. The carpet
store offered felt for two reasons: one, they get a deal on it so it's
supposedly cheaper for me, and second, they've found that although this
padding retains water when wet, it tends to keep the water away from the
carpeting itself. Who is right? I'm worried that if the felt pad gets even
the least bit wet, it will need to be replaced; might rebond pad withstand
at least some moisture better, or would it mildew just as easily?
-
I read your book this morning and went
on a mission to search for carpet today. Boy, what a task that is! Your book
is incredibly helpful though and allowed me to narrow my search immensely. I
went to about 6 different places and ended up back at the first place I
went. It is an owner operated store in business for 25 years and they had
one particular carpet that seems reasonably priced, although it is more than
I intended to spend so I wanted your opinion before I make the purchase. It
is a Shaw style: Windswept Magic (Q0382), Color: Light House, 100% DuPont
Tactesse Continuous Filament Nylon, Frieze (just love that style),
Face-weight: 49oz, 7/yr Stainmaster Xtralife, 5/yr Texture, 10/yr Abrasive,
Lifetime Anti-Static. The only thing I don't know for sure is the twist but
I told them I was looking for a 5 or better and it seems to be at least a 5
from what I can see. Using your charts & forms I calculated (rough
estimate) 10 yards for the stairs with risers & 45 yards for the
basement and their pricing was $1970.62 total. I was given a total price for
the job so I had them break it down for me: Carpet:$23.47 yd. (on sale) Pad:
$4.09sy 1/2" 6lb rebond. Installation: $4.50 yd. Stair Steps: $6.00 per
step (13 steps), Stringers: $45.00, Metal Door Strips: $1.50ft (9ft). I'd
just like your opinion to make sure I'm not paying too much for the carpet
or anything else.
- Home Depot is selling a "home
depot brand" carpet that is named Traffic Master. It has a nylon fiber
that is solution dyed. The claim is that the color is completely through the
fiber. Do you know anything about this carpet or the claims for solution
dyed?
- Thank you for writing such a
helpful book! My husband and I are beginning our carpet buying adventure and
with your help, it is not so overwhelming! Some info on our situation: Our
current carpet is in bad shape...it is old, stained, wrinkled, and several
seams are coming apart. We have pets and are parents of a 10-month-old, who
is the main reason why we need to get new carpet ASAP. We can not keep
putting off this major decision any longer because, wouldn’t you know it,
she notices every separating seam and pulls at them even more…occasionally
detaching several carpet fibers to snack on if we would let her. We’ve
concluded we want to by carpet to last 10 years: Material: textured nylon (A
sales lady told us that frieze holds dirt longer than other carpets if not
vacuumed regularly. Is that correct?) Face-weight approx. 40 oz, pad- 7/16
in., 8 lb. I wish I could spend more time researching and shopping around
for the best possible choice but as a starting point, we have 2 types: (1.)
Mohawk: Elk Grove and (2.) Shaw: Essential Silver or Essential Gold. I like
the feel of Essential Gold more than the Silver but since we have pets and
will possibly have more children, I don’t know if it will be better to get
the Silver. (I don’t know the type of nylon or the face weight of the
Mohawk, but it was in the middle price range.) What are your thoughts about
our decisions so far? Is there a benefit of choosing one over the other?
Could we go with thinner, 6-lb. pad? I also would like your opinion on the
backing of the carpet. The Shaw carpet has a "SoftBac Platinum"
backing which is supposed to prevent wrinkling. Do you have any experience
with this? The salesman said it does not scratch the walls during
installation. Even though it feels soft, I thought it could possibly hold
moisture and possibly start to mold or mildew over time. Does the carpet
backing cause any major problems like that?
- Is there a carpet that people that
have allergies can use in the house. I have dogs and I try to keep the fur
up. We put laminate in our living room, but I really would like to go back
to carpet.
- I just purchased your book the
other day and am thankful I did. However, my wife and I went to a couple of
retailers yesterday and are now in awe of the prices for Frieze carpets.
Either your price estimates are years out of date or the info from your book
will probably save us over $600 for a 32 square yard family room carpet. I
was expecting to pay ~ $40/square yards for a top-quality nylon Frieze
carpet, 8 pound pad, and carpet removal and installation. As you mentioned
in your book, many retailers use the square foot method (we went to 3 and
they all use square foot measurements). The best price we found for carpets
we liked is $6.25/sq ft to $7.60/sq ft. This includes delivery, pad,
install, and lift/removal of existing carpet. Transition bars are included
with the $7.60 carpet and we need 14 feet. The carpets we looked at (I have
samples in my hands now) are; Queen Carpet (Shaw), Style: San Giovanni (S)
Q0801, 100% Anso Caress Continuous Filament Nylon, R2X stain and soil
resistance, SoftBac Platinum backing, and 10 year Texturegard warranty. Cost
~$7.00/sq ft. That’s $63.00/sq yd!! Masland Carpets and Rugs (Belize),
9380-613 Native, 100% DuPont Continuous Filament Tactesse nylon, Stainmaster
Xtralife carpet, Textured cut pile. $7.60/sq ft or a whopping $68.40/sq yd.
Anyway, you get the idea. We really like the carpets above, but can you
clarify if the prices above are exorbitant or normal for the brand and
style? Your book states we really shouldn’t pay more than ~$40/ sq. yd for
a very good quality nylon carpet. Are the carpets above top-of-the-line or
are your quotes a few years old? You highly recommend finding a carpet
installer, but we’re new to the area and don’t know enough people to ask
for references and the yellow pages only had one name. Do you have any other
ideas on how to find a good installer? Again, your book is great!! I never
knew the carpet industry was so complex and I’ve learned much. I just wasn’t
prepared for the price quotes from yesterday. Thanks for your time and any
feedback you can provide is greatly appreciated.
- I just purchased your ebook on
buying carpets. Very valuable information. Thank you for sharing all that
you know. I have a friend in the carpet business in another state. He
suggested I contact Carpets Direct in Michigan where I guess you can get
carpet wholesale. What do you think of going this route?
- I need new carpet and I have pets.
If they have an accident, would plush be easier to clean than frieze? You
recommend not buying a special pet pad, if there is a bad accident should I
have new carpet and pad pieced in?
- Your ebook is great…lots of
awesome advice. I am looking to complete a very large job of a set of
stairs, a long upstairs hall and 5 large bedrooms. I also have 5 kids, age
1-10. You have convinced me to order from a small family owned company with
an installation guarantee. I am also looking at nylon only carpet, and will
try to steer away from the type with Tactesse for added softness. My
questions, would a tightly packed, somewhat curly frieze (Mohawk) with
regular nylon (no Tactesse) do well on the steps? I realized I should steer
clear of the Berber, but everyone tells me I should get frieze. This is very
nice carpet, but I am wondering if I should go to something shorter? Also,
many products have a "platinum soft back". The Mohawk I am looking
at does not. Is the soft back all that important? Also, any suggestions on
pad density and thickness? I think I am confused because I am trying to
carpet both stairs as well as bedrooms with the same thing, so I need
something that will do well with heavy stair traffic.
-
What is the best buy when buying
carpet. The square foot, the linear foot, the square yard?
- I have a question about carpet dry
cleaning versus hot water extraction cleaning. Most carpet manufacturers
recommend the hot water extraction method but your emails seem to indicate
potential over-saturation problems. Does the dry cleaning method really
clean as well?
- (from question 20) Alan – thanks
for the quick reply. I spoke with a certified Master Installer that I found
on and he
was extremely courteous and helpful. He referred us to Prosource carpets and we have an appointment for 6pm Thursday. Are you familiar with either
CFI Installers or Prosource Floors? Anyway, the Master Installer and the
Prosource floor representative were more knowledgeable and courteous than
the retailers my wife and I visited this past Saturday. Go ahead and say it…I
told you so, "to find an installer and work with them". Your ebook
and advice are extremely helpful in this process. I’ll keep you informed
on our progress. Alan – every once in a while I get lucky and things fall
into place. Well, ordering and reading your ebook was one of those
fortunate times. Although the installer I found and his recommended store
had a better price than the big retailers, $50/sq yd versus $65/sq yd, I
still felt that the carpet we wanted could be had a better price…all
because you said it could. Well, I tried one more store, a reputable family
owned local retailer (I found them through a little luck and perseverance).
Are you ready for this? I found exactly what we wanted…Masland Belize
frieze with 8 pound ½ inch rebond pad, pull and removal of old carpet,
fully installed and warranted for $43/sq yd!! If they had to move the
furniture it would have been $1.00 per yard more (which I still feel is a
fair price), but we’re going to move it ourselves. For 36 square yards of
Masland Belize Frieze, 8 lb. rebond pad, removal of existing carpet,
installed and warranted; Big name carpet retailers (3 total) quoted prices
of $63 - $65/sq yd ($2340). Certified carpet installer, using his
recommended store quoted at $50/sq yd ($1800). Local family owned flooring
store (since 1942) quoted at $43/sq yd ($1548). Reading your e-book and
following your advice saved us $800 from start to finish, (that’s a pretty
good return for approximately 10 hours of research on line and at stores).
As a matter of fact I would love to have a job making $80/hour!! As a side
note, the only store that didn’t sell their carpet by the square foot was
the family owned store. They still used the square yard technique and it
made me wonder if perhaps there is a correlation between the measurement
technique and price, AKA "rip-off potential". It’s one of those
things that made me go…Hmm. On a final note…the fact you provided your
email contact information, quickly answered the emails I sent you, and
provided personalized advice is a rare and unparalleled service that I
greatly appreciated. It’s not common to find customer service as good as
yours. If you like please feel free to share the email above as a
testimonial on your web page. Just sign it as "Steve from
Pennsylvania". I hope your business prospers and thanks for your help.
-
Thank you for providing such a
fantastic website! I only wish I had stumbled across it before we carpeted
our house two years ago! We are now ready to carpet our walkout basement and
are considering commercial carpet. We have a Tuftex frieze upstairs, which I
love, but I want something more suitable for knee hockey, ping pong, lots of
people, etc. I have gotten different stories from every salesperson I have
talked to (I have gone to 6 locations, with an almost $2000 difference in
price for what seems like the same carpet). I checked your website for
commercial carpet advice, but I didn't find any. Here are my questions: 1)
First of all, do you recommend commercial carpet for a residential use? 2)
Should a pad be used (I was told 3/8" rebond at one store) or no pad
(this is not our preference, but one salesman said the warrantee would be
void with a pad). One store said to use 7/16" pad to help make the
carpet more comfortable (I don't think this could be correct). 3) If we
don't use commercial, would frieze be the best choice? 4) The carpet we
chose is Philadelphia "Dateline" 100% nylon 28-oz. sq. yd. This is
less than the weight you recommended, so I wondered if it is as durable. 5)
Have you heard any reports of Costco's carpet service? I have a rep coming
this week for a free quote (my final quote!). I look forward to hearing back
from you, and thank you in advance for your expert advice.
- Has anything changed with Polyester
carpet recently? I spent a significant amount of time with a carpet
salesman, then the manager Saturday and Sunday this weekend. Both would not
back off what they called the facts of Polyester carpet being more durable,
more stain resistant, more crush-proof than nylon. Everything about it was
better to them...I'm stuck!
- We recently purchased carpet from
Home Depot for our retirement home to which we'll be moving next summer.
This is what the sample reads: SHAW Style: Sunridge II 250HD Fiber: 100% Nylon That's
all the info I have. It's VERY dense and we chose it because the carpeting
that was installed in the manufactured home was obviously extremely cheap.
We didn't research - just picked what looked and felt like the best. We've
spent weekends totaling about 3 weeks of full time living there and suddenly
there are little "fuzzies" all over the traffic areas. They won't
vacuum, but can easily be hand picked (which of course is not an option). My
husband thinks if this keeps up the carpet will be bald in no time. I'm
hoping it's like just needing to wash a new blanket to get rid of the lint.
What do you think? It looks terrible now and we're wishing we'd gotten tile
and room rugs. Thanks. I just hope we haven't thrown away a lot of
$$$.
- What do you think is the best
vacuum to buy?
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Buying Questions & Answers.
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absolutely invaluable in helping you save more time and more
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