If you worry about stains in your carpeting, choose a product that is stain resistant. For durability, the best type of carpet to pick is nylon. If you want a carpet that generates less electricity, choose acrylic or olefin. For fade resistance solution dyed carpets are the best choice to resisting the sun. If you have someone at home with impaired movement, try using low-pile carpets. Whatever style you decide on, match the performance of the carpet with the space requisites.

Now that you have your carpet, you must take care of it if you want it to last. Carpets easily accumulate dirt. Hence, there is a need for frequent vacuuming. Use a vacuum that has stable beater bars and with good suction. To effectively remove dirt from the carpet you are vacuuming, make sure to replace vacuum bags and filters regularly.

If you have a carpet of lighter shade, you may need to clean it more often. If there is a stain in your carpet, clean it immediately. You can use a spoon or a dull knife to gently scrape off food spills. If the spill is liquid, dab it with white cloth towels or white paper. They absorb the spill quickly. Remember not to scrub or scrape, just dab the liquid spill. If you do scrub it, it would have a fuzzy effect on your carpeting. There is also a technique in blotting or dabbing. When you try blotting the moisture, start from the outer edge toward the center to avoid spreading the spill. Later, you may wash the stain using water and the appropriate cleaning items. Again, use white towels over the wet spots to absorb the remaining wetness. You can use a heavy object to weigh down the white towels and make it absorb the moisture faster.

To summarize, what you need to clean spills are the following: white paper towels or white cloths and a detergent solution that is a mixture of a mild liquid soap and water. You may add a non-bleach dish-washing detergent. You will also need a vinegar solution, with one part white vinegar to one part water and an ammonia solution, which is composed of one tablespoon ammonia to one cup of water. Please do not use this solution on wool or wool-blend carpets. You will also need a non-oily nail polish remover, chewing gum remover and spot remover. Now, you should be ready to stop any accidental spills from completely destroying your carpet.

Will the area under consideration be subject to heavy traffic? Is a sound barrier required (as in a condo)? How easy will it be to clean? Will the area be subjected to moisture as in a kitchen or basement? Does anyone in the home have allergy or asthma issues (carpeting is not the best choice)? Does the floor need to be slip resistant? What is the warranty period, cost, and durability of the material? Is the new floor suitable for the type of subfloor?

Check out the type of glues and sealers used as they can off gas chemicals that can affect some one who is sensitive. There are now materials available that have less off gassing of these harmful chemicals. Ask questions! Research is paramount here!

The main categories of flooring available are:

1 – resilient flooring, which is sheet or tile flooring. Common types are cushion, vinyl, linoleum, rubber and cork.
This flooring product is fairly inexpensive, is easy to maintain, comfortable to stand on, and easy to install. Sheet flooring is installed using adhesives. Try to get adhesives that have the lowest amount of VOC’s as possible. The negatives about tile flooring are the tiles can curl, minor scratches, holes or tears are quite visible, needing to be replaced before it gets worse.

2 – carpeting is not a good choice for bathrooms, kitchens or basements (moisture areas). It is great for bedrooms because it is warm, soft on the feet and is good for absorbing sound. People with allergies should not have carpeting in their bedrooms because they spend eight hours of their day in this room. Carpets can trap dirt, dust mites, mold and bacteria. The harder the floor surface, the better for allergy sufferers. There are also carpets on the market today that off gas less harmful compounds, than in the past. A shorter pile (eg. Berber), is more durable and harbors less pollutants. Cost depends on the quality of carpet and underpad. It is important to get a very good quality underpad, as this will increase the longevity of the carpet.

3 – wood flooring comes in many widths, colors, thicknesses and grades. Some hardwoods are birch, maple, beech, and oak. Softer woods include pine, fir and hemlock. They come in strip flooring, plank, parquet, and laminates. Most new hardwood today is pre-finished and has UV-cured polyurethane layers to protect the finish. Pre-finished flooring prevents off gassing of chemicals into the atmosphere versus unfinished flooring that can have strong chemical smells lurking in the home for months, after they are stained and varnished. Laminates are usually cheaper than real wood, but wear very well. They are a good alternative to hardwood. Hardwood will increase the value of the home. It is easy to care for, looks beautiful and lasts a long time.

4 – ceramic tiles come in many sizes. They can be glazed or unglazed. Glazed tiles are more slippery when wet and are not recommended for bathrooms. Ceramics are very cold and hard and can be less comfortable to stand on for long periods. Ceramics wear very well and are easy to clean. White or very light colored ceramics are not practical, as they always look dirty. They can crack easily if a hard object is dropped on them and can be noisy for anyone living below. This type of floor is an excellent choice for people with allergies. Water based sealers and grout are better as they have fewer emissions. Ceramics tiles can last a very long time resulting in cost savings.

Most people have a mixture of the above flooring types in their homes. It is worth putting a little extra money into good quality flooring as this can help prevent problems down the road.

Carpet is available in several different textures, constructions, colors, and designs – which will open the doors to virtually any interior design that you
can imagine.  The combination of texture and color will complement the look of both formal and casual environments, while helping to bring continuity to the overall room designs.

The most important thing to consider when you shop for carpet is the amount of traffic that will be on the carpet that is going to be installed as well as the area you hope to use it in.  The construction and the texture are both key aspects when you select a carpet for a specified area and use.

Nylon, polyester, and olefin are the most widely used fibers with carpet manufacturing, with each one displaying qualities that make themselves great with specific applications and uses. Even though nylon is more  expensive than some of the other synthetic fibers, it is also the softest and most resilient, which makes it great for any room in your home, including those with greater traffic.

Polyester fabric is less resilient than nylon, although it more cost efficient and offers a high level of resistance to stains, which makes it a great choice for areas such as bedrooms or dining rooms that are not subjet to a lot of traffic.

The fiber olefin is solution dyed, which results in a highly resistant stain carpet that can be cleaned easily using a water and beach solution -
without any loss to the color.

Unlike the other types of fibers, olefin is fade, mildew, and mold resistant, which results in a carpet that performs well indoors and outdoors. Keep in mind however, that olefin isn’t very resilient and as a result, it should only be considered with berber construction.

You can get carpets in either plush or berber construction.  The berber type of carpets are well constructed with a continuous level loop, while plush carpets are constructed of loops that have been sheared, which results in the strands standing upright.

Berber construction carpets don’t crush or mat due to their high level loops.  They are however harder underfoot, uncomfortable to sit on or lay
down on, and they can easily become damaged by pets with long nails.  Berber carpets are well suited for high traffic areas, which include walk
ways, living rooms, and entrance areas.  They aren’t popular with bedrooms, as their hard texture makes them a less than attractive option.

The plush type carpets are much softer to walk or lay on and they offer better sound and thermal insulation.  They tend to crush and mat though
when they are subjected to high levels of foot traffic.

The use of nylon fiber paired with a tight low pile construction will help to limit the amount of pile matting and crushing, due to the high resilient nature of the nylon fiber and the added support that is gained from tight construction.

The warranties for carpet ranges from 5 – 30 years, with the general rule being that you don’t cover the stairs.  Most carpet warranties will require
the installation of new carpet padding as well at the time of installation in order for the warranty to become valid.