Free Unbiased Flooring Guide For Homeowners
Carpet | Vinyl Plank | Hardwood | Ceramic | Best Dealers
(Information Provided by Consumer Advocate - No Flooring Sales)
What Grade of Carpet Should I Select?
Learn how to choose new carpet wisely, avoid scams, and save money.
What grade of Carpet you select all depends on how long you want your carpet to last AND how much foot traffic you have in your home. There are so many things consumers need to look out for when buying new carpet. Here I will give you a few eye-opening examples and my professional advice on what grade of carpet YOU need to buy.
How long do you want your new carpet to last?
Only you can answer this question. If money is tight or you are on a limited budget you may have to weigh all your options and make some difficult choices. If you have limited funds it is even more important that you choose wisely and get the most value for your money. This means cutting out the unnecessary add-ons and costly upgrades that are not beneficial and won't increase the life-span of your carpet.
Choosing a carpet that is specifically designed to feel softer is an unnecessary upgrade. Soft carpet fibers are more costly because they are soft. But being soft doesn't increase the durability, it may actually decrease the durability of the carpet.
If you have unlimited funds, your main concern should be to choose a well made grade of carpet that will last as long as you expect, to be sure to have it installed with the correct pad and get proper installation. It sounds easy to do, but let me tell you, it's certainly NOT!
I get emails from homeowners all the time where they were duped into buying a carpet that didn't last very long or had major problems due to having a poor installation job.
The materials used to make carpet are just one factor that contributes to a long lasting carpet. The fiber you choose is the main key, then the tuft twist, the fiber face-weight and the pile density. You need access to all these carpet specifications in order to know for sure that the grade of carpet you are buying will stand up to your level of foot traffic in your home.
Before you begin shopping for carpet, take my free Carpet Foot Traffic Test to see what grade of carpet you need for your home. When you're done come back to this page and continue reading this page.
Let me give you an example of: "How to Select the Right Carpet"
Let's imagine that you need to buy:
100 yards of carpet (or 900 square feet)
You have a medium level of foot traffic in your home,
You want your carpet to last for at least 10 years.
Let's say that on a scale of ONE to TEN, that you need to buy a carpet with a Quality Rating of at least FIVE to accomplish your needs and goals.
Quality Rating:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
$1.00 1.50 2.00 2.50 3.00 3.50 4.00 4.50 5.00 $5.50
= Carpet Price Per Square Foot
According to the above chart, a Quality Rating of 1 will cost $1.00 per square foot and a rating of 10 will cost $5.50 per square foot. This is not too far off from the actual reality of carpet pricing today.
In this example selecting a carpet with a quality rating of 5 will cost $3.00 per square foot and if you need 900 square feet to do your home...
The total cost of the carpet would be $2700.00 ($3.00 X 900 sf = $2700)
This amount does NOT include the cost of padding or installation.
-
If you want your new carpet to look good & wear well for 10 years.
-
If you have MEDIUM level of foot traffic in your home with No children and no pets.
-
You must select a Quality Rating of at least FIVE or higher or sacrifice longevity.
-
The carpet cost for a 900 sf home will be about $2700 plus pad & install.
Most homeowners don't know how much the whole job is really going to cost until ALL the facts are in.
That includes:
-
The price of the Carpet
-
The price of the Padding
-
The price of the Installation
-
The amount of material you require
-
Fee for Removing of the old carpet, furniture moving, etc.
-
Fee for installing on stairs, floor prep, transitions, etc.
So you see, it can add up real fast. In this example I have gone right down the middle with everything. A carpet that is not too expensive and not too cheap.
-
Most 2 bedroom homes require about 100 yards or 900 square feet.
-
Most homeowners want their carpet to last at least 10 years.
Let me ask you to consider these 5 questions carefully and decide what you would do in each circumstance.
-
If you want your carpet to last 15 years, what grade would you need to buy?
-
What if you can't afford $3700 for carpet, pad and install?
-
How long will your carpet last if you choose a less expensive carpet?
-
What grade of carpet should you choose for heavy foot traffic?
-
What grade of carpet should you choose if you have children or pets?
I can help you overcome all these concerns and more if you are willing to take the time to learn about how to buy carpet wisely. First of all, slow down. Don’t be in a hurry to head out to a carpet dealer and start shopping for carpets. There are a lot of scoundrels out there ready to scam you if you go shopping unprepared.
Just so you know...
-
I never recommend buying carpet or flooring from retailers that you see advertising on television like Home depot, Lowe's and Empire Today.
-
I never recommend buying from home improvement warehouses no matter how low their installation specials go.
-
I never recommend buying from any nationally advertised shop-at-home flooring dealer no matter how much flooring they claim to give away for free.
Consumers can be quite gullible, and saving 60% sounds real good on the surface… but you all know the famous old saying… “If it sounds too good to be true”.
Folks, the last thing you need is to be pressured into buying overpriced or low-quality carpet from high pressure commissioned salespeople who prey on uninformed or unsuspecting homeowners. Buy from a reputable carpet dealer. See my recommended carpet and flooring stores near you
Learn More:
-
Take my free Carpet Foot Traffic Test to see your score!