Carpet Overview

1217 S. BLOSSER RD. STE. A SANTA MARIA CA. 93454

Carpet your floor today 

There is no doubt that carpet offers homeowners more warmth, softness and is much quieter than any other floor covering. Todays carpet styles, colors and textures blend well with any home decor and with a variety of other flooring products. From traditional, to country, to formal you can always find a carpet that will enrich any interior setting and give you years of performance.

Listed below are some of the advantages to using carpet in your home:

• Carpet adds warmth and is soft under feet and easier on children's knees.
• Carpet is much quieter than hard surfaces floors.
• Carpet comes in a wide variety of color tones and hues.
• Carpet is easy to decorate with and offers many solid color tones for rooms with patterned wall coverings.
• Carpet can hide many subfloor irregularities that would not be permitted with hard surfaces floors.
• Carpet can go over a variety of substrates and on all grade levels, even concrete slabs in basements.
• Carpet is economical and the installation costs are much less than some of the hard surface products.

Below is a brief overview of the common carpet construction types sold in floor covering stores.

	SAXONY Smooth, soft cut-pile surface Versatile in performance & in appearance Works well with traditional rooms Used a lot in formal areas
	TEXTURED SAXONY Textured surface helps hide footprints Great casual appearance Extremely popular style Ideal for active families, used in any room
	VELVETS Fine, tip sheared surface Elegant style, very formal Not as popular as some of the other styles
	FRIEZE Textured surface, with knobby appearance Extremely durable, and long wearing Great for active rooms Not as popular as some of the other styles
	CUT AND LOOP Distinctive carved appearance Cut and loops give a variety of surface levels Multi-colors helps hide stains, and traffic Can really spice up a room Fits a variety of room settings
	MULTI-LEVEL LOOP Several different levels of loops Creates a unique looking pattern effect Has a casual appearance Very durable, hides traffic well
	LEVEL LOOP Loops are all the same height Usually made with Olefin fiber Casual appearance, but extremely durable Great for active family rooms, or basements

Special Note About Berbers:  Berbers are really big bulky yarns that are either produced in a level loop, or multi-level loop carpet construction. Although many Berbers are made out of olefin fiber, some are made with nylon, or a blend of various carpet fibers.

Carpet Fibers

Nylon: This is the most popular synthetic carpet fiber used today. It offers tremendous value, performance, and ease of maintenance. Nylon provides brilliant colors and hides soil and traffic well.

Olefin: This fiber is also called polypropylene, and is extremely popular in Berbers and level loops. Olefin carpets are static, mold, and mildew resistant. They can be used for indoor or outdoor carpets, including outdoor turf. Their resistance to matting and crushing are VERY POOR.

Polyester: Gives excellent color clarity with a soft feel to the carpet. Lacks the durability of a nylon carpet.

Acrylic: Has a real wool look and appearance. Used mainly in level loops, bath mats, and some velvet carpet styles. Offers good mold and mildew resistance with low static levels.

Wool: Although somewhat expensive wool still offers great bulk, performance, and an elegant look.

Carpet Buying Tips

Many homeowners choose carpeting because it is warm, and soft under foot. When you select a carpet you generally buy it with the expectations that your new carpet will look just like the sample in the store for many years. Having some general knowledge about the different characteristics of carpeting will help you choose the best carpet to meet your expectations.

Below are a few things to help you understand why certain carpets perform better than others.

YARN TWIST - When it comes to carpet "tighter is better" . In general terms, the tighter the twist the longer the carpet will perform before it begins to crush and matt. By taking lots of fine fiber strands (called filaments) and spinning them into a tightly twisted yarn and then locking them all together with heat you get a much more resilient yarn for making carpet.

SHORTER NAP - The height of the carpet's nap is also important to the overall performance of the carpet. The higher the yarn stands above the backing of the carpet the more difficult it is for the manufacturer to make the carpet crush and matt resistant. So the shorter the pile height the more crush resistant and the longer the like-new appearance of your carpet will last.

STITCHES PER INCH - Like most fabric materials, carpet that has more yarn (or stitches) per inch will also be more crush and matt resistant. Some carpets are so dense that it is nearly impossible to push your fingers in between the yarns. Obviously, the carpets where the yarns are so crowded and packed together will have a easier time resisting crushing.

CARPET CUSHION - A good quality carpet cushion will extend the life of any carpet, regardless of the quality of the carpet. Carpet cushion serves a vital purpose which is often over looked. Good quality carpet cushion acts as both a shock absorber and a spring which helps improve a carpet's overall performance. Review the carpet manufacturer's cushion recommendations prior to purchasing a carpet.

CONTINUOUS FILAMENT NYLON (CFN) - If you see on the back of a carpet sample a label that says "CFN" , or "BCF" , that means this carpet is made from continuous filament nylon. Continuous filament nylon starts out as one long continuous strand before made into yarn. The other type is called staple nylon , which means each fine filament starts out as a short strand about 7 inches long before it is spun into yarn and then tufted into carpet. As the short, unsecured pieces of staple nylon come loose from the yarn pile you get pilling on the surface of the carpet. This does not happen with a continuous nylon carpet.

LOOPED CARPETS - From level loops to berbers there is an important factor to look for when buying a crush resistant looped carpet. This is the density of the loop and how much free space is in the middle of the loop. Like all carpets the more filaments that are packed in the yarn and the tighter the loop the better the performance will be.

Carpet Care

Carpet Stain Removal

Treatment of the affected area should begin immediately upon discovery. The more time that elapses before treatment, the more difficult a stain will be to remove.

First scrape the food spill gently with a spoon or dull knife, removing as much as possible.

Always work from outer edge of the stain towards the center to avoid spreading. Blot , do not rub or scrub, as the carpet may fuzz.

When using a mild detergent, use a clear, non-bleach laundry detergent. Do not use cloudy detergents as they can leave a sticky residue. Use only 1/4 teaspoon of detergent to 32 ounces of water. Follow detergent cleaning with clear water rinsing and then blot dry as much as possible.

For any stain removal, use a white cloth or paper towel for cleanup.

Vacuum Regularly

Most dirt, and even dust, takes the form of hard particles. When left in the carpet these gritty, sharp particles abrade the pile of the carpet. Regular vacuuming not only prolongs the life of the carpet, but will enhance its appearance as well. Most soiling in carpet is of the dry, particle type which can be removed with a vacuum cleaner.

Vacuum high traffic lanes daily, medium to high traffic areas twice weekly, and the entire house at least once a week.

Use a vacuum with a rotating brush or beater bar. Change the bags often and check the beater bars for burs and gouges so as not to damage the surface of the carpet. Some thick loop pile carpets will fuzz if a rotating brush vacuum is used. In this case we recommend a suction vacuum only.

Preventative Maintenance

The use of mats or runners at all home entrances and on uncarpeted areas adjacent to carpet will reduce soil and moisture in traffic areas. Clean mats and any other rugs placed over carpet regularly.

The use of furniture coasters to distribute the weight of heavy items is also recommended, especially for furniture with wheels. Take care when moving furniture with wheels by putting a protective barrier between the wheels and the carpet.

To extend the beauty of your carpeting, close drapes or blinds during hours of direct sunlight.

Exercise extreme caution with all bleaches, tile cleaners, mildew removers, oven cleaners, drain openers and plant food. They are strong chemicals that can permanently discolor or dissolve carpet fibers.

Cleaning Recommendations

Even with regular vacuuming, soil particles and oily dirt will cling to the carpet fibers. With foot traffic these particles and oily dirt are driven deep into the carpet. We recommend professional hot water extraction every 18 to 24 months. Periodic cleaning, using the hot water extraction method performed by a professional cleaner, will refresh carpet appearance.

The most used areas, such as entrances, doorways, traffic lanes, and in front of chairs will collect dirt faster than other areas. Clean these areas as they begin to show soil. This will stop dirt from spreading, and will extend the time between professional cleaning.

We carry the manufacturer's maintenance products so you can be sure when shopping with us to get the right floor care product for your new floor. So why not stop in and let our friendly, knowledgeable sales staff help you protect your flooring investment.