With all the abundance of types of flooring, carpet can be attributed to one of the most controversial materials for this purpose. It should be noted right away that the reputation of carpeting suffers due to an overabundance of cheap and low-quality goods in the trading network, and despite all the poverty of our population, first of all, people try to buy cheap things.
Which carpet to choose: natural or artificial?
Carpets are made from both natural and artificial raw materials. Natural: contains either 100% natural wool or contains 10 to 30% wool in a mixture. It is warm, has excellent elasticity and sound insulation, but its practicality is a big question, judge for yourself: it is very expensive, such a coating does not last long enough and requires constant attention and care, is exposed to various hazards (for example: moth larvae), unsafe for allergy sufferers and difficult are cleared.
Artificial carpet is most often made of polypropylene or polyamide, less often polyester or polyacrylic is used. The durability of the product also depends on the raw materials. If carpet fibers are made of polyamide, then the covering can last a long time, on average 10-15 years. At the same time, it does not lose color, does not crumple and can be easily cleaned even with a vacuum cleaner.
Polyacrylic, polyester and polypropylene coatings are much inferior in quality to polyamide, but they are slightly cheaper.
Types of carpet by manufacturing method
Depending on the manufacturing method, carpets are divided into three types: tufted, needle-punched and woven.
The tufted coating is applied to the base using multiple needles. Carpet fibers pass inside the needles, they are tied to the base with special hooks. The pile of this type of carpet has a multilevel weaving, it can be both long and short pile. A short pile is good for the hallway, and a long pile will create comfort in the bedroom.
Needle-punched carpet is very easy to manufacture and, as a result, is the cheapest. It belongs to the office options, but in the presence of water-repellent impregnation, it will "take root" in the hallway of a residential building.
In any case, for a corridor, hall, stairs between floors, a carpet with a short pile, or a completely lint-free option, but always with a rubber base, is more suitable.
Tips for choosing carpet home
Many parents are unhappy with carpet because of its ability to accumulate dust. There are quite a few complaints about a cheap product for children's rooms, which, even after several weeks of operation, continues to exude an eerie chemical smell. It is difficult to give recommendations here, before choosing a material, read the reviews, arrange a "questioning" of the seller about the chemical composition of the base and pile, think carefully before making a purchase.
Be sure to add 5% to the estimated coverage area for trimming and for allowances, so you don't have to buy missing pieces or pull the fabric tightly.
When choosing a coating, pay special attention to the material from which the substrate is made. It can be felt or made of a more durable material such as sponge rubber. Choosing the “right” substrate can guarantee sufficient thermal and acoustic insulation. Underlays are also sold separately in hardware stores.
The market also offers modular versions of carpet - this is the so-called floor carpet tiles (French - Tecsom, Dutch - Tarkett Sommer, Desso). The main advantage of carpet tiles is the interchangeability of individual elements.
The producing countries of high-quality carpet are Holland, Germany, Belgium and the USA. Domestic manufacturers mainly offer cheap polypropylene carpet.
Video - how to choose a soft flooring:
