| We've all done it. Every time we invest in new carpet, | | | | effectively with routine dry vacuuming of high traffic |
| we take an internal oath and solemnly swear we will | | | | areas such as halls, stairs, entry ways and traffic |
| take care of this brand new carpet, and rightfully so. It | | | | paths in front of furniture. This single process alone can |
| doesn't take a mathematical genius to know that for | | | | greatly extend the performance and life use of the |
| most folks, the third largest investment after the | | | | carpet. Remember the hospitality industry |
| purchase of our home and cars is the home's interior. | | | | housekeepers? |
| So we read the manufacturer's warranty and notice | | | | The second most fatal mistake a carpet purchaser |
| that it says to vacuum often. Daily might be the | | | | can make is ignoring the quality of the carpet pad. |
| frequency in the high traffic areas. But who has time | | | | Padding for the subfloor is like the spine of the carpet. |
| any more to spend maintaining carpets on a daily | | | | It provides support to aid in preventing indentations left |
| basis? The only time you see people vacuum that | | | | by heavy furniture legs after re-arranging a room. |
| frequently is in the hotel and motel industry. | | | | It also has the job of holding water like a sponge |
| Rarely does one actually see the carpets being | | | | whenever a copious amount water floods the room |
| replaced at the hotel and motel industry unless there is | | | | such as a broken water pipe. It provides the comfort |
| a major remodeling project happening with new color | | | | under our footing so our feet and backs don't ache. |
| schemes to match. So it would serve one well to learn | | | | This is the one place you don't have to worry about |
| from the hospitality business. | | | | the color matching as the carpet will cover all the pad. |
| How do we usually buy carpet? In most cases it | | | | Pad is also measured in ounces and pounds. Once |
| comes with the home already installed. It will either be | | | | again, the higher the number, the more dense the pad. |
| a newly built or a previously owned re-sale home. If a | | | | The density can range in feeling. By using a pinch test |
| new home was built, if you are in the beginning stages | | | | between the top and bottom of the pad you can |
| of construction, you have a choice to upgrade to the | | | | compare densities. There is foam all the way up to |
| better carpet and padding offered. Or you can choose | | | | feeling like a large pencil eraser. The higher the better. |
| the cheapest carpet known to mankind commonly | | | | Try to stay away from rubber based products like a |
| referred to as 'builder's grade' materials which also | | | | waffle print as they have been known to dry rot |
| includes the cheapest, thinnest carpet pad also known | | | | where hot water pipes run through the concrete |
| as 'FHA grade' 2 lb. rebond. | | | | subflooring. They also don't provide any absorption for |
| Sure the carpet is fuzzy and comes in a light color and | | | | collecting water spills. In fact in a typical flood scenario, |
| the padding might as well be called foam because it | | | | the water just continues to migrate further by |
| easily crushes to the sub-floor when any weight is | | | | saturating a greater area of carpet space. |
| applied on the carpet's surface. After all, carpet is just | | | | It would also be wise to choose the right carpet for |
| carpet and pad is just pad, right? WRONG. Once | | | | the right application. If you were born during Baby |
| again the old adage "You get what you pay for" still | | | | Boomer era, you would have ran into carpets that |
| rings true. | | | | were made from polyester. Those fibers were dyed |
| DuPont, one of the top four major fiber producers, | | | | first before they were extruded as fiber. They never |
| conducted a study years ago about the behaviors of | | | | faded from the sun or bleach spills and lasted forever |
| the consumer as related to the way they make a | | | | but were harder to clean. |
| purchase decision when it comes to picking carpet. I | | | | Nylon came around and was softer to the hand and |
| suppose human behavior still has not evolved that | | | | cleaned up better but spills could permanently stain the |
| much since. Please note that the following results are | | | | fibers and due to costs, generally come in lighter colors. |
| not a misprint. | | | | Almost all darker colors will be more expensive to |
| They rank from number one to number five in order: | | | | produce due to more dye in the process. More dyes |
| 1. Color | | | | prevented stains due to the lack of dye sites available. |
| 2. Color | | | | Fourth Generation carpets removed the nuisance of |
| 3. Color | | | | static electricity when walking across a room and |
| 4. Texture | | | | touching anything conductive to release a jolting shock. |
| 5. Price | | | | Fifth Generation carpets involved the incorporation of |
| While not disclosed, the first three might have been | | | | stain resist carpets. The key to this technology was to |
| trying to color match the hard surface flooring like tile, | | | | create a transparent dye. Normally after dyeing half of |
| hardwood flooring or stone. The second might be for | | | | the carpet's dye sites in a light color the remaining dye |
| the paint in a given room and the last color match to | | | | sites would be open for stains once installed. The |
| compliment the home's other furnishings such as | | | | solution was solved by re-dyeing the remaining dye |
| window treatments, and furniture. | | | | sites with a transparent dye. Dye sites are like skin |
| Texture refers to the 'feel' also known as the hand of | | | | pores on your arm. |
| the carpet referring to how it feels when you touch | | | | Benefit: |
| the carpet by hand. It would also take into account the | | | | If all dye sites on a fiber are filled, then no stains could |
| weight of carpet measured in ounces. For example, a | | | | penetrate immediately. This would give the end user |
| carpet weighing 32 oz. per square inch has more | | | | time to remove the stain later even if it dried on in |
| carpet fibers then say a 16 ounce carpet. A good way | | | | many cases. |
| to test this principle is to go to carpet a retailer and ask | | | | The last point to consider is the primary backing of |
| to see two different swatches. | | | | carpets. For a number of years, India exported to the |
| For example with all things being equal, such as the | | | | United States jute which is what ropes are made of. |
| same Carpet Fiber Producer manufactured by DuPont, | | | | An unfortunate deadly industrial accident involving |
| same carpet fibers milled at Shaw Industries, same | | | | chemicals at Union Carbide's battery plant, cause |
| color dye lot, etcetera, you can perform this simple | | | | strained relations between both countries and jute |
| comparison test side by side. | | | | stopped being exported. |
| Simply form your fingers like a claw and push directly | | | | Jute backed carpets also occurred when they |
| straight down from top to the bottom of the fibers | | | | became wet from flooding. The natural fiber made of |
| using your fingertips only. You should notice an | | | | plant (organically)based material released a tannin dye |
| immediate difference in carpet density. It will also | | | | similar to coffee and bled into the carpet's surface; |
| reflect in the price per square yard. The difference is | | | | thereby causing it to permanently discolor the carpet |
| the number of stitches per square inch. On a much | | | | and ruin it. |
| more dense carpet, it will be difficult to see down to | | | | It was also a food source for mold and mildew and if |
| the primary backing where the carpet is stitched in. | | | | not treated quickly, it would dry rot causing the primary |
| Here's the benefit: | | | | and secondary backing to delaminate and destroy the |
| If there are more carpet pile fibers, then each carpet | | | | carpet. |
| fiber actually supports one another side by side on all | | | | Since the mid 1980's polypropylene backing has |
| four corners of the fiber forming a nap. The less pile | | | | become the norm. It's a tough as fishing line and can |
| there is opens up the potential damage for gritty soil to | | | | hold up to most abuse end users give it. It's also |
| 'cut' the fibers at the base of the pile where the | | | | cheaper to produce. In fact, 70 percent of all carpets |
| primary backing is. This cutting effect comes with | | | | involved in a clear water food damage loss can be |
| every step, pivot and turn on the carpet nap's surface. | | | | dried, cleaned and re-engaged with no evidence of a |
| This also causes thinning, pitting and marring of fibers | | | | pre-loss condition. |
| making carpets dull in appearance even after | | | | Good luck on your next carpet purchase as you now |
| restorative cleaning. | | | | possess more knowledge than most of the carpet |
| It is also worth mentioning that 60 percent of the soil | | | | cleaners and retailers in the industry. And don't forget |
| that falls into the carpet can be removed safely and | | | | to vacuum! |