Carpets are available in all styles and colors, but when shopping for carpeting, you should try to buy the best quality carpet for the money. Even if you are on a tight budget, dont skimp on your carpeting or your carpet pad as quality products will last longer, wear better and even save you money in the long run!

Most modern carpets are made from either nylon, polyester or olefin. The nylon is the strongest and also the most widely used. While nylon will never actually wear down to the treads, it can fade and get scrubby looking. Buying the proper padding for your carpet and having it treated with a stain resistant treatment will help it to last longer.

So how do you tell if a rug is of good quality?

One easy test is to look at the density of the rug. This means the thickness and closeness of the pile or each strand of fiber. The closer the fibers, the better the quality. Stick your finger into the rug or bend it to see if you can feel or see the mesh C the less you can feel or see, the better the rug! Another factor in a quality rug is the twist level or the number of twists in 1 inch length of fiber. The more twists the better.

Where the density of the pile affects how it will wear, the cut of the pile affects in how it looks. A plush cut carpet looks like a field of velvet with very even color and is great for a formal look. A Saxony cut has irregular cuts of pile, and is great for an everyday look. Frieze is a nubby twisted pile, less formal looking but will wear well.

When buying carpet, dont ignore the carpet pad. In addition to going for the best quality carpet you can afford, you should also buy the best quality pad. The padding will cut down on noise and act as a cushion so it is as important as the carpet. Make sure, however that you get the right pad for the type of carpet you are buying as thicker is not always better.