Answers to my Carpet Quiz
©Alan J. Fletcher
1. Do you know which padding to use for your home? Which padding is the best
deal?
- Rebond
Best bang for your buck! Most commonly used.
- Foam
Not usually a good choice, not very dense.
- Rubber,
Too expensive! Mainly used in commercial settings.
- Synthetic
fiber
Best for Berber styles on concrete
- Recycled
fabrics
Best for Berber styles on wood floors
2. Here are some common features padding may have for an extra charge. Do you
know what benefits they provide? Which of these features do you think are worth
paying extra for?
- Moisture
barrier
Does not solve the pet accident issue
- Odor
eating
This will not eliminate urine odors
- Anti-microbial
If you have a moisture problem, fix it.
- None of the
above
These special features are not required, make little difference, if any, and
are expensive.
- I don’t know
3. Do you know what padding Density to choose?
- 4
pound
Not dense enough, warranty void
- 5
pound
Not dense enough, warranty void
- 6 pound
Minimum density req. for most carpets, not for Berber
- 7
pound
Who makes a 7 pound pad? not a common density.
- 8 pound
Nice upgrade for all styles, great on stairs, Req. for all Berber
- 10 pound
- Don’t know
4. Do you know what thickness of pad is required?
- ¼"
Correct for all Berber and commercial grade carpets
- 3/8"
Some
Berbers and commercial grade carpets
- 7/16"
CRI maximum thickness for residential applications
- ½"
Too thick, warranty void
- Don’t know
5. Do you know about carpet fibers? Which fiber is most resilient?
- Nylon
Best for high traffic applications, most resilient.
- Olefin or polypropylene
Used mainly in looped Berbers and commercial carpets
- Polyester or
P.E.T.
Matting and crushing common
- Nylon / polyester blend
Matting and crushing common
- Sorona
A new product, made from corn polymer. Cleans very well
6. There are different ways to make carpet. Would you choose a continuous filament fiber or go with a staple fiber?
- Continuous filament
- Staple fiber
- I don’t know
Continuous filament is the smart way to go. Carpets
made with a staple fiber (short lengths of fiber) are prone to shedding and
fuzzing. That means you would be vacuuming up bag after bag of carpet fibers. It
is not fun, and it makes your carpet look horrible. Shedding and fuzzing can
continue up to one year after installation.
Carpet Care and Maintenance
How you care for your carpet will determine
how long it will last.
7. How many people live in your home?
8. How many days per week do you
vacuum on average?
7 & 8, Rule of thumb, vacuum as many times
per week as you have people living in your home.
9. Do you have a good vacuum with a beater bar?
- Yes
A beater bar is required by most carpet warranties.
- No
- I don't know
10. How often do you have your carpet professionally
cleaned?
- Never
- Every 6 months
- Once a year
- Every other year is required to keep your
warranty in effect
- Every three years
11.
Do you keep all the receipts for the professional
cleanings?
- Yes you must retain
proof, required to keep your warranty in
effect
- No
- I don’t know
12. Do you know what the following carpet definitions / conditions
mean? Which of these conditions are covered by the
manufacturer's warranty?
- Appearance retention
- Crushing
- Fading or color loss
- Footprints or indentations
- Matting
- Shading
- Shedding
- Filtration soiling
- Wrinkles
- Yellowing
NONE of the above
Even though you may or may not know what these
terms mean, in most cases, none of these common carpet problems are covered by the typical
manufacturer’s warranty. Read your carpet warranty to find out what is
covered and for how long.
13. Have you visited the website of "The Carpet and
Rug Institute"? (www.carpet-rug.org)
- Yes
A great place to learn about carpet characteristics like allergies, air
quality, installation procedures and more.
- No
14. Are you familiar with the requirements set forth in
"The Carpet & Rug Institute's Standard 105 for Residential
Installation"?
- Yes
Your carpet must be installed to this standard.
Required to keep your warranty in effect
- No
15. Do you know which manufacturer's warranties apply to
your particular carpet?
- Yes
It is your responsibility to know what your carpet warranty covers.
Get it and read it!
- No
- I don’t know
16. If some of your carpet is found to be defective and
you file a valid claim with the carpet manufacturer, what do you think will
typically happen next?
- They will refund my money 100%.
- They will refund a percentage of my money.
- They will replace all my carpet with another carpet
of my choice.
- They will remove all of the old carpet and install
new carpet of the exact same type and style.
- They will remove the defective carpet areas only and
install new carpet of the same type and style.
- They will issue a pro-rated credit to your
retailer equal to the cost of the carpet material only, for the affected
area only, the credit is good only toward new carpet from the same
manufacturer. They will not pay to remove your old carpet, nor will they pay
to have your replacement carpet installed.
- They will pay to have the carpet repaired
if possible.
Carpet Installation
17. What is the best day to have your new carpet delivered to your home:
- The day it is to be installed
- The day before - 24 hours prior, stored in a heated
area above 65 degrees, warranty requirement
- The week before
- I don’t know
18. What is the best climate to have your carpet installed
- On a warm day with the doors open
- On a cool day with the doors closed
- Any day with the heater on (above 65*F)
before and during installation
- I don’t know
19. What should do you do before the carpet installer begins to install your
new carpet?
- Move all small breakables and valuables into a safe
and secure area
- Make arrangements for kids and pets to be out of the
work areas
- Check to make sure the installer will use a
power-stretcher
- Take photographs or a video of the entire area in
case you need to prove damages in court
- Make sure the installer has brought the right carpet
style, quality and color
- Have the installer roll out the carpet so you can
check the carpet for obvious defects.
- Make sure you have the original carpet sample so you
can compare it with the carpet delivered
All of the above. It pays to have your eyes and ears
open and be aware of what is going on in your home at all times.
20. What do you do after the carpet installer is finished installing your
carpet?
- Call all your friends to come over and see the new carpet!
- Inspect the carpet installation completely. Withhold
final payment until you are completely satisfied.
- Pick up all the carpet scraps and vacuum the carpet well.
- Show the installer where you want all the carpet and pad waste to go.
- Find out how long the carpet seams will look so obvious.
The installer is to remove all scraps, haul them away,
vacuum and finish job completely before you make the final payment. Carpet seams
that look bad today, will look just as bad in a week or two. Don't let the
installer convince you that the carpet seams will look better once the carpet
has had time to settle in. Fix all problems right now, before you make final
payment or withhold until you are completely satisfied.
So how did you do? Did you learn
something? I have made this quiz an informative aspect of my website
because I want you to learn what you need to know about buying carpet. There is
so much
more information you need to know before you spend a dime on carpet. The
important thing right now is that you do your homework before you buy
carpet. If you learned something by taking this short quiz, then it should
be a wake-up call for you. The questions on this quiz are the easy ones. It gets
harder to make the right choices. Carpet scams are everywhere.
Most people really think they know enough to buy carpet
wisely, but few really do. Some people put their trust in the hands of carpet salespeople.
This is a common mistake. I get e-mails all the time from consumers who
took the advice of a salesperson only to get burned.
Carpet is a major purchase! Don't take
chances. If you make just one simple mistake in your carpet purchase, you stand
to lose hundreds of dollars or worse. You must choose a carpet that meets your needs
and lifestyle. Your home must be measured accurately, you must use
the correct pad, you must have your carpet installed correctly,
you must follow your carpet warranty requirements and you need to get a Good
deal for the whole job.
Now, I have done all your homework for you in
my 120-page E-Book. Order it now, download it to your computer, print it out if
you like, and read it! It won't take you very long, maybe a couple of hours. But
you will be well-armed with the knowledge that took me over 30 years to
accumulate. It's the right thing to do.
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YOU Money! Make carpet shopping fun! Avoid the Carpet
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