CARPET PRODUCT AND MAINTENANCE INFORMATION
AVAILABLE PRODUCTS
There are six basic styles of carpet: textured, saxony or plush, frieze, cable, looped, and cut & loop. Each style has its own characteristics and performance capabilities. You should carefully consider each style's features, qualities, and conditions when making your decision.
This is a very popular cut-pile carpet that has alternating twists of yarn to create a two-tone appearance. The textured surface of this carpet does a great job of hiding footprints and vacuum marks. This carpet creates a more casual atmosphere in the room. Textured carpets are great for all areas of the home and are ideal for today's active family.
For a more formal, traditional, and elegant look, consider the beautiful saxony. This style has a smooth, soft, velvet plush look and a luxurious feel. Each yarn has uniform twists and finishes, making this carpet a good choice for a master bedroom, dining room, or a formal living room. This style is not practical for high-traffic areas or rooms with active kids. Also be aware that this style does show footprints and vacuum marks.
For an active area, a frieze carpet may be the way to go. This is a cut-pile style that has a very high twist level, meaning each strand of yarn is twisted so tightly that it actually curls over at the end. This creates a textured surface with a knobby appearance. Frieze carpet is highly durable and has very good wearability-it is great in high-traffic areas and can go anywhere in your home. Freize carpet also hides footprints and is available in various pile heights that create a variety of different looks.
Cable-style carpet is constructed of thicker, typically longer yarn. This style is very comfortable underfoot and beautiful in a bedroom or living room. However, keep in mind that this style is better suited for rooms without a lot of activity. It can get matted and crushed with heavy foot traffic, so it is not recommended for stairs, hallways, and other busy areas in your home.
A looped-style carpet is often referred to as a Berber. Berbers are really big bulky yarns that are either produced in a level-loop or multilevel-loop carpet construction. Some Berbers are made out of olefin fiber, some are made with nylon, and some are a blend of both. Looped carpets are very durable (as a result of not cutting the yarn tips), and you can see each individual loop. Looped carpets are ideal for casual, active family rooms and come in solid colors, Berber fleck, and patterns with varying levels of loops. This carpet hides traffic patterns well, but be advised that this style may make seams more apparent and its backing more visible on stairs. Still, this is a great all-purpose carpet, a long-lasting performer and very popular in homes across the country.
Cut & loop carpet uses a combination of cut and looped yarns to create pattern effects by the variation in surface textures. Like looped styles, these carpets are low profile and thus perform well; however, sometimes their seams are visible. Cut & loop carpets are very fashionable today, often used in casual and traditional rooms and available in many patterns, including fun geometrics and formal botanicals. Their distinctive carved appearance and multiple colors do a good job of hiding stains and standing up to traffic.
CARPET CHARACTERISTICS
Today's carpet styles, colors, and textures blend well with any home decor and with a variety of other flooring products. From traditional to country and from casual to formal, you can always find a carpet that will complement any interior setting and give you years of beauty and performance.
The Advantages of Carpet
Vacuum
The most important step in caring for your carpet is vacuuming it thoroughly and frequently, particularly in high-traffic areas. Frequent vacuuming removes particles from the surface before problems occur. For rooms with light traffic, vacuum the carpet traffic lanes twice weekly and the entire area once weekly. In areas with heavy traffic, vacuum the carpet traffic lanes daily and the entire area twice weekly.
Deep Cleaning
If carpet is cleaned before it becomes too unsightly, the cleaning chore will be easier and more successful. Carpet in a typical household should be deep-cleaned every twelve to eighteen months, depending on the number of residents and amount of activity. Choosing the proper cleaning system is important. Some systems may leave residues that accelerate resoiling and defeat the whole purpose of cleaning. Research indicates that the hot-water extraction system provides the best capability for cleaning. This system is commonly referred to as "steam cleaning." The process consists of applying a cleaning agent into the carpet pile and using water in the extractor to recover the used solution and soil. Professional carpet cleaners are a great choice for your floor. Their cleaning equipment has more extraction power than the rental units available to individuals, and the carpet should dry more quickly. True professionals also understand the equipment, know the proper cleaning agents for the situation at hand, and recognize the differences in fibers and carpet construction.
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. Consult information on your stain protection for further details, and see the list below on stain-protection warranties for your specific brand of carpet.
Stain-Protection Warranties:
Wear-Dated Carpet Fiber
www.weardated.com
Anso
www.anso.com
Stainmaster (DuPont)
www.stainmaster.com
3M Stain Release Concentrate
www.3m.com
Stain Shield
www.stainshield.com
Stain Safety
www.shawfloors.com
R2X Carpet Stain and Soil Remover
www.shawfloors.com
WARRANTY
Guy's Floor Service offers a one-year warranty on the installation of your carpet. For specific product warranties, consult the manufacturer (and see the stain-protection warranties in the section above).
