Carpet Quality Specifications

• Carpet makes a fine surface for toddlers learning to crawl and walk. ULTRA.F/Photodisc/Getty Images

  Carpet is a major investment in homes and businesses. Carpet specifications include durability, resistance to stains, fading and matting. Although no actual industry standards exist to rate carpeting, each manufacturer can place guarantees and warranties on their products that give consumers an idea of the quality of the carpet. As a general rule, higher quality carpets are denser than lower quality carpeting. Carpets whose fibers are thin enough to see or feel the backing from the carpet are lower quality.

Warranties

• Manufacturers provide warranties for stain and soil resistance, wear and matting. These warranties vary in length based on the quality of the carpet. Some of the carpets have warranties as long as 30 years, while others have warranties as low as 10 years. Not all carpeting is sold with a warranty. Some outdoor carpets come with warranties but in harsh climates, the sellers do not extend the warranty because of intense sun or high humidity. Some carpeting carries a pro-rated warranty, which means that the manufacturer subtracts the normal wear and tear from the original purchase price of the carpet when refunding money to the purchaser.

Fiber

• Carpets are made from nylon, polyester, olefin, acrylic, and wool. The carpets made from wool have the highest quality, although carpet made from natural fibers like corn may be as durable as wool. The least durable is made from polyester. The polyester fibers can be made from pop bottles. Polyester carpets have good resistance to soils and stains but tend to mat faster than nylon or wool carpets. Olefin has the lowest resistance to stains of all the carpet fibers.

Styles

• Besides the materials that the carpet is made from, the type of carpet makes a difference in how long it lasts under specific conditions. Plush carpets tend to mat more quickly than Berber carpets that are made with tight loops. Saxony carpets are similar to plush or pile carpets and show every footprint. Frieze carpets are good for areas that have high traffic since the carpet fibers lay down in different directions and do not show footpaths or prints easily. Multilevel loop carpets may hide more dirt but do not show foot traffic. Berber carpets have great resiliency to traffic, but can snag because of the loops. These carpets also show seams more easily than others.