How to Evaluate Floor Carpets

Decide whether you want a natural fiber or a synthetic fiber in your carpet. The most popular natural fiber is wool; the most popular synthetic fiber is nylon. Wool fiber carpet tends to stain much more easily, but nylon fiber carpets can create large amounts of static electricity, sometimes causing harm to electronic devices. Evaluate your lifestyle to decide what kind of fiber will work best in your home.

Ask you retailer about stock-dyed and solution-dyed floor carpets. Stock-dyed carpets are more likely to fade when placed in a very sunny area. For rooms in your home that get a lot of sunlight, ask your retailer about solution-dyed carpets. These carpets have color throughout the strands of yarn and tend to resist sunlight. However, stock-dyed carpets are generally cheaper and come in a greater variety of colors.

Examine the pile of the carpet. In general, looped-pile carpets are much more durable than are cut-pile carpets. Carpets that have short, tightly looped piles will withstand a lot of traffic.

Decide whether the carpet will be placed in a slightly damp or humid area. Places like basements can benefit from a carpet that has a moisture barrier backing. More specifically, carpet backings that contain polypropylene will better withstand high-moisture areas.