DIY Network

Flooring: Soft Surface Options From "Blueprint for Home Building" episode DBHB-203

Figure A

In the first two segments host Jeff Wilson covered the design aspects and hard surface flooring options for your new home. In this segment he'll discuss what you need to know about soft surface options.

What You Need to Know About Carpeting

• The basic advantage of carpet, obviously, is that it warms the room. This is why carpeting is in the majority of bedrooms.

• It's easier to design certain areas or the home (figure A) with carpeting due to the color spectrum from which you can match fabrics.

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• When it comes to carpet there are a number of options in the material that's used:
  1. Wool (figure B) has proven to be the most durable, yet also the most expensive. Carpet, in fact, started with wool, and it's still extremely popular -- and the latest trends have the price coming down as well. The main advantages of wool are that it won't catch on fire and its longevity.

  2. Nylon (figure C) is another great carpet choice. It offers a mid-range lifespan for a mid-range price. Nylons are perfect in terms of value and colorfastness. They have a tendency to show an abundance of colors, and you can dye them several different shades. It also have impressive resilience to stains, and its durability factor is high.

  3. Polyester (figure D) is the least expensive carpet choice, which is preferable when budget is a main consideration. Polyester is on the lower end of the spectrum, and one major disadvantage is that it tends to shed a bit more than nylon and it has a tendency to not clean as well long-term.

Figure B

Figure C

Figure D

Figure E

A new feature carpets have today is a stain-repellent coating that allows liquids to bead up (figure E) on the surface instead of getting absorbed. This makes cleaning much easier.

Tip: No matter what kind of material you choose, to ensure the life of the carpet it needs to be installed over a carpet pad. This is vital for longevity. If you have any budgetary issues, it's more efficient to sink money into your padding than into the carpeting.

Another use for carpet is in the creation of custom-made area rugs, which go hand-in-hand with hardwood floors. You can customize the color and design of area rugs, and the best way to do this is to take swatches of your upholstery, wall paint samples and a sample of your flooring when you visit a flooring showroom.

How Does Carpet Compare in Price to Other Flooring Options?

Regardless of how expensive the carpet is, it's still the most reasonably priced option you can choose to put in your home. Wood, tile and all other options would cost approximately double -- if not triple -- the price.

Discover the most popular flooring choice for the do-it-yourselfer in the final segment of this episode.

GUESTS :

Joe Meringolo
Site Supervisor
6106 Drexel Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Phone: 323-833-9442
E-mail: joemeringolo@yahoo.com

Al Sain
Homeowner
7117 Fairway Dr.
Butler, PA 16001
Phone: 724-865-3056
E-mail: alsain@zbzoom.net

Greg Felikian President
Felikian's Carpet One
188 N. Rosemead Blvd.
Phone: 626-795-2821
E-mail: FGELIK@aol.com

Rob Tarver
National Accounts and Marketing Manager
Wilsonart
3301 Center St.
Temple, TX 76503
Phone: 254-207-3235
E-mail: tarverr@wilsonart.com

Jody Siegler
Interior Designer
E-mail: jodycs@yahoo.com

Don Shafe
Vice President
Virginia Hardwood Company
7117 Fairway Dr.
Butler, PA 16001
E-mail: dshafe@virginiahardwood.com