You can put a lot of things on your floor. Your dog, your cat, your best friend's engagement ring. From Chinese takeout to that ginormous sofa with lots of space for all your best buds, the floor is yours. You know what most people put on their floors? Carpeting! If you really want to impress, carpeting is the way to go.
Carpeting is a great option for your flooring because:
- It covers the floor,
- It's warm enough to sleep after that three a.m. bash at Dave's house and you don't want to climb upstairs,
- It will make you look like an adult.
Upscale Carpeting
If you're going to do carpeting, you want to do it right. You don't want to settle for just any old look-what-the-cat-dragged-in carpet. You want something that says you're okay with the finer things in life. You want carpeting so cool it's practically air conditioning. You also want carpeting that makes you feel glad when you go somewhere else and they don't have such wonderful flooring. Before you head out to your local home decor store, there are a few things you should know first.
Expensive Is About Materials
In general, expensive carpeting is about materials. The really, really, REALLY good carpeting option are made from natural materials such as silk and wool. No linoleum or spandex here. This the real deal. This the good stuff that you want. Unlike other materials, wool and silk also have other advantages. You can walk all over them for years. They'll not only look good. They'll look even better. Great rugs, expensive carpeting, look even better after years of use. They acquire age and patina. As long as you're not say spilling beer on them every week, expensive carpets will look better ten years from now.
Rugs With a Reputation
Some carpeting companies have developed a fabulous reputation. There's a reason for it. They offer wonderful carpeting.
If you want carpets that may even make your mother-in-law swoon with envy, you have to look for really great brands. Great brands are an indication of quality. They meet standards and exceed them.
Top carpeting brands include Karastan, Shaw, DuPont, and American Berber. These are the places to go if you want carpeting that will cover the floor and make your neighbors secretly envy you. In order to get the right carpeting for your home, you'll want to take a few things into consideration before you start. You want to where to put the carpeting. The basement that floods just a little when it rains? Probably not a good idea. The driveway where you keep your motorcycle? Also probably not a good idea. Your best bets are the places that people see like the living room and dining room. You also want to measure the room properly so you know how much it's going to cost.
Let Professionals Do It
Maybe the most important thing you need to know is let professionals do the carpet installation for you. Just because you did the oil change does not mean you're an expert carpet layer. Leave the expensive carpet installation for the real pros.