Courtesy of STAINMASTER® carpet

Carpet dealers usually carry samples of many carpet lines from multiple mills and manufacturers in their showrooms. You'll see a range of quality when you begin your carpet search. Your best bet is to educate yourself and research your options before you head to the store. Then, you're sure to get a quality carpet that provides comfort, durability and beauty far into the future.

Below is a helpful guide to understanding what to expect when visiting a carpet dealer.

Room Use

Be prepared for your dealer to ask some of the following questions:

• How is the room going to be used?
  
• Is there light or heavy room traffic in the room?
  
• Is the room the center of activity for family or entertaining?
  
• Is there direct access from outside?

What You Should Know:

By asking these questions, the dealer is trying to gauge which grade and style of carpet would work best for your home.

Try to give a detailed picture of your expectations for the carpet. Is it important that the carpet stand up to pets, running children and bustling activity? Or are you mainly concerned about how it will look and feel in a formal living room that doesn't get a lot of use?

Color and Style

Typically, a dealer might ask:

• How much use will the room get? (This is a consideration because a heavily used room may not be the best place to install white or very light-colored carpet.)
  
• Are kids going to be playing down on the floor? Or is it a formal room that doesn't get much use? (Again, lighter colors my create more maintenance but another factor the dealer is trying to consider is whether you should choose carpet made with BCF fiber like STAINMASTER® so that children playing on the floor will not find themselves covered in loose fibers shed from staple products.)
  
• Is it a small room or a large room? (Smaller rooms can be made to feel larger by selecting a lighter colored carpet while larger rooms can be made to feel cozier by using a mid-to-darker colored carpet.)
  
• What are the lighting conditions in the room? (Rooms with plenty of natural light will show the true color of the carpet while rooms on the north side of a house may need a lighter shade of carpet to keep them from feeling darker than they are.)

What You Should Know:

You should always remember to bring swatches of fabric from drapes and furniture, wallpaper samples, and paint chips with you when you are selecting carpet. That way you can consider a range of colors that will match your existing décor. Remember that color can also affect your mood. Warmer colors often make you feel energized while cooler tones provide a sense of calm.

When considering color, remember the lighting in the carpet store is not the same as the lighting conditions in your home. Ask the dealer if they have a lighting box in which to view the carpet, or ask if you can take a sample of the carpet home.