Carpet Shopping - Need Advice

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We are replacing the upstairs carpet in our new house. The upstairs requires 1,086 sq ft of carpet. The actual stairway has 14 stairs (11 small, 3 large) and the master bedroom is also 12.5' wide (most rolls are 12').

Both of us prefer a nylon-based, dense (and soft) textured carpet. Durability is critical because I want this to last at least 10 years, but I recognize that soft and durable tend to work against each other. Keep in mind that we do not plan to have pets and shoes are not worn in the carpeted areas.

We looked at Fabrica, but the s/o felt the material was a bit too rough. Currently, we are considering:

1) Karastan Live Artfully - $7.29/sq-ft installed, including taxes and fees. Uses a Karastan BCF Nylon with Scotchgard. Uses a hard backing.

2) Shaw/Anderson Tuftex - $7.69/sq-ft installed, including te es and fees. Uses a Stainmaster Luxerell BCF Nylon, presumably a 6.6? Also uses a soft backing.

Note: both quotes were with an 8lb waterproof pad with a memory foam.

The Shaw/Anderson feels a bit rougher than the Karastan but I am willing to consider this option if there is a significant durability advantage. I am also open to all other options, price is not really the concern is - value/durability are.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

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Michael, have you considered vinyl planks? Perhaps a few rugs?
I believe Costco has a deal where you get 15% return in a Costco cash card.
So easy to keep clean; lasts a looooong time.
Good luck.

Costco Shaw
 
Originally Posted by JeffKeryk
Michael, have you considered vinyl planks? Perhaps a few rugs?
I believe Costco has a deal where you get 15% return in a Costco cash card.
So easy to keep clean; lasts a looooong time.
Good luck.

Costco Shaw

Thanks for the suggestion but we already have "hard" flooring on the bottom floor. We want carpet for the upstairs.
 
I can't actually answer your specific questions but have been told by someone I trust that it is wise to "invest" (my term) in better padding for the longevity of the carpet. Basically also spend time considering the actual padding as it should not be an afterthought and will impact the life and feel of the carpet once installed. I guess I'm saying don;t sheap out on padding or pick what they may throw in without checking.
 
Originally Posted by The Critic
Durability is critical because I want this to last at least 10 years, but I recognize that soft and durable tend to work against each other. Keep in mind that we do not plan to have pets and shoes are not worn in the carpeted areas.


Will probably come down to how it's cared for versus which brand you go with. Vacuuming often and cleaning it properly should help it last 10 years easy in addition to what you already mentioned.
 
Spent about a decade in carpet research and development. Here are some "rules" to follow:

1. Choose nylon over polyester. The latter is softer but mats QUICKLY.
2. There are two fundamental types of construction, loop pile and cut pile. Cut pile is essentially made by cutting open the loops on loop pile. Loop pile is not as soft but will wear like iron.I have loop pile all through my house. It is now ten years old and looks like new!
3. The more weight of nylon per square yard/foot, the better the carpet. At $7-8 sq ft/installed, you are likely in the higher end of carpeting. Your pictures show a very dense amount of nylon tufts and that is the sign of a high quality construction.
4. PAD, PAD, PAD!!!! The better the pad, the better the feel underfoot and the longer the carpet will last. Don't cheap out on this.
5. Scotch Guard, etc helps in the beginning but it is a surface treatment and slowly flakes off and is vacuumed away over time. Frequent vacuuming is what is needed. If you don't have children or pets and remove your shoes, there is no reason to pay for this.
6. Buy from a reputable maker, not a no-name supplier. Karastan is always one of the best!
 
Have you considered Frieze? Seems to check all your boxes for durability and softness. And no it does not look like shag of the 70's.
lol.gif
 
We have the densest Tuftex in our media room and finished basement. I love it. Granted it doesn't get as much traffic as a bedroom or hallway that is used multiple times a day but it looks brand new and I imagine we will get tons of life out of it. I've heard great things about Karastan as well.
 
Choosing a high quality carpet is good investment.

My advice is to buy an additional strip that fits exactly on your stairs. Tell them you want to buy the extra now, and cut now it to fit the stairs. Roll it up and keep it safe. This is because the staircase will have concentrated traffic on it, while all the upstairs rooms will have very light traffic patterns. This way, in 5-6 years when your bedrooms are still looking fresh and new, and the staircase is worn down, you get the installers to come back out and replace the staircase carpet only. You will have the exact "dye lot" for a perfect match. Even if you buy more of the exact same brand and color later, the dye lots change some over time, so you cannot get a perfect match. The cost is minimal and pays off!
 
Originally Posted by JeffKeryk
Michael, have you considered vinyl planks? Perhaps a few rugs?
I believe Costco has a deal where you get 15% return in a Costco cash card.
So easy to keep clean; lasts a looooong time.
Good luck.

Costco Shaw
Remove enough old carpet and you will never want it in your house. Gross!
 
Our home has hardwood throughout, and we wanted carpet in the bedrooms upstairs. We went with a large loo, dense Berber with a really good pad. It's easy to clean, and looks good even in high traffic areas.

It's not that super dense nap like the original images, but I think this kind might give up its dirt better...
 
Originally Posted by Boomer
Spent about a decade in carpet research and development. Here are some "rules" to follow:

1. Choose nylon over polyester. The latter is softer but mats QUICKLY.
2. There are two fundamental types of construction, loop pile and cut pile. Cut pile is essentially made by cutting open the loops on loop pile. Loop pile is not as soft but will wear like iron.I have loop pile all through my house. It is now ten years old and looks like new!
3. The more weight of nylon per square yard/foot, the better the carpet. At $7-8 sq ft/installed, you are likely in the higher end of carpeting. Your pictures show a very dense amount of nylon tufts and that is the sign of a high quality construction.
4. PAD, PAD, PAD!!!! The better the pad, the better the feel underfoot and the longer the carpet will last. Don't cheap out on this.
5. Scotch Guard, etc helps in the beginning but it is a surface treatment and slowly flakes off and is vacuumed away over time. Frequent vacuuming is what is needed. If you don't have children or pets and remove your shoes, there is no reason to pay for this.
6. Buy from a reputable maker, not a no-name supplier. Karastan is always one of the best!


The issue here is that Nylon carpet is extremely expensive-comparable to other kinds of flooring, Don't know how long you have been out of the business-but carpet manufacturers have changed the "weave" to make polyester more resistant to smashing. The price difference between nylon and polyester carpet is astonishing.

I agree with one of the above comments-put down hard flooring-and then some carpet strips
 
I would add, also, not to get too light of a color. You'll be chasing stains all the time.
 
Close, but what you really want is many colors. Try for a carpet with multiple colors and the coarsest texture. That's what lasts.

I meet many folks who spent a bunch on their carpet and are very unhappy with it....
 
Thank you for the advice, and especially Boomer.

We will probably go with the Tuftex. Upon closer examination, the soft backing on the Tuftex appears to be better reinforced and the material is a bit denser than the Karastan.
 
Tuftex is an excellent choice and priced accordingly.

Karastan is junk now, no longer a good name IMO.

Gauge is one of the most important specs on any carpet. The closer the needles are, the denser the finished product.

We see carpets all the time that are very young yet texturally destroyed. Carpets are not what they were.

Note that homes with hard flooring have a much higher particulate count in the air over properly maintained carpet. Sweden virtually outlawed carpeting and yet watched their allergies and particulates go nuts.
 
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Originally Posted by SteveSRT8
Tuftex is an excellent choice and priced accordingly.

Karastan is junk now, no longer a good name IMO.

Gauge is one of the most important specs on any carpet. The closer the needles are, the denser the finished product.

We see carpets all the time that are very young yet texturally destroyed. Carpets are not what they were.

Note that homes with hard flooring have a much higher particulate count in the air over properly maintained carpet. Sweden virtually outlawed carpeting and yet watched their allergies and particulates go nuts.

We went with the Tuftex Second Chance. I asked my rep for a copy of the specs, see below. Let me know what your thoughts are.

Also, can you elaborate more on your experience with Karastan? I was told that they are still one of the best options in the mid-price segment. Is this no longer true?

specs.jpg
 
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