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Carpet Buying Guide: How to Buy a Carpet

Parashar Joshi
While buying a new carpet, a lot of things need to be taken into consideration. This section provides tips on what to take into account while buying a carpet.
Carpets are large sections of cloths that are used to cover floors. They are a part of the textile industry. Their top layer is made of 'pile', which is twisted tufts made from wool, polypropylene, nylon, or polyester. This pile is attached to a hard backing which is laid out on the floor.
The term carpet originated from the Italian word carpire, which means to pluck. As carpets are expensive items, there is a lot of scope for a person to be fooled into buying one that is not genuine.
Given here are some guidelines for buying a carpet:
  • Measure the size and the dimensions of the room or the area where you wish to install the carpet. Take into account all the furniture while calculating the area to be carpeted.
  • Do a bit of homework on the different types of carpets available. This will help during the actual choosing and buying process, and also in spotting the fakes.
  • Be wary of any exchange schemes and check for their genuineness before thinking of going in for any of them.
  • Know your spending limit. This will keep you from over-spending.
  • Know your carpet requirements. Carpets used in living rooms are different from those on stairs or in bedroom. Consider factors like fabric, softness, thickness, warmth, durability, color, carpet stain removal, installation cost. Hand woven, machine woven, tufted carpets are different from each other, noticeable on close inspection of fabric and fiber.
  • Find out the carpet's country of make along with other additional manufacturing details if possible. Having some background knowledge about the basics is always a good idea.
  • Check the carpet fully to see how old it is. Modern cleaning methods can make a brand new carpet seem century-old. Run your hand over the fabric to know its texture, smoothness, firmness, fiber density.
  • Always insist for certificate of authenticity. It is an indication of a genuine carpet and may get you a good amount if you sell it later.
  • If you are in doubt of how to install the carpet yourself, have the store install it for you. Make sure you are present at the time of installation to guide the workers where and how to install it.
Thus, buying a carpet can become less difficult if some of these guidelines are followed.