New carpet—best brands?

[KristinTech]

After we re-do our little guest bathroom this year, we need to install new carpet in the bedrooms and upstairs hallway (and stairs!). This is a first for me. What brands are best? Are there color trends? Beige? Gray? I need to start my research now.

 

[Missy]

Lots to research. Here are a few links I hope prove helpful for you. Good luck @KristinTech!

10 Best Carpets Makers in 2021 [Reviews & Buying Guide] – AweFox

A well-designed carpet will turn your living room into a completely admirable space. It is chiefly in a carpet shop that you will find fifty shades of grey. But why

awefox.com

2021 Best Types of Carpet | How to Buy Carpet For Your Home - HomeAdvisor

HomeAdvisor's Best Carpet Guide gives tips on how to choose carpets by type, material fibers (nylon), thickness (low pile, plush), durability, softness and more. Learn what to look for when buying carpet to find the best carpet for pets, stairs, bedrooms, high-traffic areas, living rooms and...

www.homeadvisor.com

Carpet Ultimate Guide – Prices, Installation and Best Brands 2025

Buying a carpet for any room in your home is going to be a significant investment. Finding the right flooring for your home isn't merely a matter of choosing a color or pile that appeals to you. You're also going to need to think about brands, pricing and whether or ... Read More

www.flooringclarity.com

 

[FancyDiamond]

I think installation Is just as important as the carpet quality. The types of carpets you can get depends very much on what the contractor/installer has available. The contractor usually carries a few reputable lines of carpets which also have various quality levels.

The order we went about was to find and screen a few trustworthy and experienced, qualified carpet contractors from angiesList. After we narrowed down to a few local candidates, we called them to visit our home for an estimate. We also visited a few local carpet stores for an understanding of carpet choices. The salespersons/contractors usually bring some samples for illustration of quality and color choices. You can request 4-5 larger pieces of color samples for consideration.

Before deciding on the carpet manufacturer and color choice, we looked up online detailed information.

We ended with nylon fibers carpet from Shaw Industries’ Platinum Texture, EA573 (above average luxury). Color was “Putty” #00125 (light grey-beige, but more cold white and light grey, to match our white foyer tiles). To help the carpet last longer and have cushiony feel, we chose 7/16”, 8-lb padding (”Ruby” by Shaw). Most people use 3/8” or 5/16” padding.

For the stairs, the installer took some carpet pieces back to the shop to bind the open ends (not the end towards the wall).

We have tiles in kitchen, baths, and foyer, and hardwood floor everywhere else except bedrooms and stairs. We debated about going with hardwood floor for stairs and bedrooms. We chose carpet for cushiony comfort, warmth, and safety in the case of stairs. Glad that we stayed with carpet in these areas. Our feet thank us, especially at night, in cold morning, and when pounding on our knees getting downstairs.

 

[elizat]

This is not the opinion you asked for, but throwing it out for you to consider.

In our household, we despise carpet. With a passion. We have cats and dogs and a 13 year old 50% of the time, so carpet is a no go.

When we were house hunting again this time, which we did this year, we mentally did a tally of how much carpet we'd have to remove and what it would cost to put in hard floors. We passed on certain houses because they had carpeted bedrooms, carpeted steps, etc. and adding 15k for flooring made no sense.

My thought is that unless you are staying in the house until the end of the useful life of the carpet ends, reconsider it. I know our realtor said that in our region, carpet is pretty much universally hated unless it was brand new/never used. Your region may vary.

I cannot live in a house with carpet. I also have bad OCD. I have to be able to see the freshly lined marks of the vacuum or I vacuum all day. I had carpet in law school and every time I walked on the carpet, I would vacuum over my footprints.

However- I clearly have strong opinions on carpet- ymmv.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

I'll be an outlier and recommend wool carpet. $$$$$$ and required someone who knows how to install it. But beautiful outcome and long wearing. I even had an area rug made out of the remnants!

Manufacturer: Karastan

cheers--Sharon

 

[Akuamoon]

Hi, I sold carpet for 15 years. Find a salesperson whom you feel comfortable with and will help you learn about the product you are buying. All major brands sell basically the same thing, only have different marketing names. Research the fibers, that is important. 100% Polyester is for low traffic areas (guest rooms, dens,etc). Look at the twist of the tuft. The more “twists” the stronger (more resistant) to crushing or “bloom. If your salesperson doesn’t have time to help you know what you’re buying or insists on knowing your budget, keep looking for someone else. They may not be trained yet or only interested in their commission. Also, your pad is important. A denser pad may not feel squishy and soft, but it will help absorb the impact of footfalls. This in turn helps your carpet last longer.
Hope that helps!

 

[OdetteOdile]

HI:

I'll be an outlier and recommend wool carpet. $$$$$$ and required someone who knows how to install it. But beautiful outcome and long wearing. I even had an area rug made out of the remnants!

Manufacturer: Karastan

cheers--Sharon

I agree with Canuk-gal - I recommend wool carpet. I love a cozy feeling underfoot. We do not have installed carpet, but all of our area rugs are wool.

 

[dk168]

Use good underlay too as it will prolong the life of the carpet.

When I was sourcing carpets for my homes, I opted for the most hard-wearing ones, and they were made of wool.

Back in 2008 when I moved to my house, greys were far and between amongst a sea of neutrals as in beige and brown.

Luckily I was able to find a hard-wearing grey carpet for the stairs and the two bedrooms upstairs, to go with the white walls and ceilings (I like white, grey and black, shiny white metals and glass).

Greys appear to be on trend right now, however, who knows how much longer it would last!

DK

 

[Polabowla]

Just make sure it's installed well. One room had carpet from the previous owners that was so lumpy & did not lay flat!
We finally removed it recently.

 

[ringbling17]

We just redid all the carpet on the second floor of our house in February, right before we moved in. We went with Mohawk SmartStrand Silk Reserve carpet. It's not the thickest they had but it was definitely the softest feel. They cut out a large piece for us to test out and we tested it out for a few weeks before making our selection. We even brought it to a Ryan Homes model home where I had seen a carpet color I really liked (It was Shaw) and I stuck it on the floor to see if it was similar enough.
We went with a color called knubby wool (if I remember correctly). It is like a grayish beige. We also chose medium 8 lb. carpet padding. I didn't pick the brand of padding but when I look at pictures I took while they were installing, they also used a Mohawk padding called All Pet SmartCushion.

I did get estimates for wood floors for the upstairs hallway and my bedroom. I had someone come and install wood floors downstairs in the study (the entire first floor is wood except the study had carpet), so I figured why not, but ultimately decided to go with carpet. Even though I prefer the look of wood floors, I'm too OCD. I had all wood floors in two of my previous homes and I was basically mopping upstairs and downstairs every day. I hate seeing footprints, spills and scratches on wood floors. I have a dog, four cats, a rabbit and a turtle and I know seeing all the eventual scratches would drive me crazy. Also for me carpet is just warmer and cozier in the winter. I love to just walk barefoot on our new carpet and its so easy to clean when the cats throw up on it (use club soda).

If you are interested in Mohawk, I definitely recommend going on their website. You can find local dealers and they have a $500 coupon that can be used. We did this.

 

[ringbling17]

Just make sure it's installed well. One room had carpet from the previous owners that was so lumpy & did not lay flat!
We finally removed it recently.

So I had this happen in my previous house and it turns out it is usually from moisture or wetness. I actually saw this happen in one area of my family room in the old house (where the carpet was brand new so I know it wasn't like that before). I realized my dog must have peed in this area and soaked it with detergent and water to clean before steam cleaning it and sure enough the area started to ripple and buckle.
When we decided to put our house for sale our agent pointed it out and told us there are companies that come out and stretch your carpet for you. We had them do it before listing our house. I think it was something like $150 and basically they will stretch out any areas that don't lay right.

 

[monarch64]

Absolutely agree re wool. My parents have had beautiful wool carpeting in their home for 40+ years now in high traffic areas and it looks amazing to this day. I'll probably never stay in the same place for more than 10 years so I have wool area rugs, also amazing.

 

[Polabowla]

So I had this happen in my previous house and it turns out it is usually from moisture or wetness. I actually saw this happen in one area of my family room in the old house (where the carpet was brand new so I know it wasn't like that before). I realized my dog must have peed in this area and soaked it with detergent and water to clean before steam cleaning it and sure enough the area started to ripple and buckle.
When we decided to put our house for sale our agent pointed it out and told us there are companies that come out and stretch your carpet for you. We had them do it before listing our house. I think it was something like $150 and basically they will stretch out any areas that don't lay right.

It was in a bedroom so idk how they got it so wet that it was lumpy all over. They certainly never cleaned it- the stains.... omg. We had to get rid of it, it was not able to be salvaged.

 

[winnietucker]

Absolutely agree re wool. My parents have had beautiful wool carpeting in their home for 40+ years now in high traffic areas and it looks amazing to this day. I'll probably never stay in the same place for more than 10 years so I have wool area rugs, also amazing.

Is that with heavy use and pets?

Our carpet is already fraying/ coming out in some areas and we’ll need to replace it. My husband loves carpet but my dog likes to drop down on his shoulder and use his back legs to push himself around on the carpet. My other dog like to roll into his back and wiggle his way around on the carpet. Seems like we prob just can’t have nice things with them but if wool is the answer, I’m interested!

 

[ringbling17]

It was in a bedroom so idk how they got it so wet that it was lumpy all over. They certainly never cleaned it- the stains.... omg. We had to get rid of it, it was not able to be salvaged.

Yes, it definitely sounds like your carpet needed to be removed!
Yuck! We don’t wear our outdoor shoes inside and we don’t even wear our indoor slippers upstairs.

 

[monarch64]

Is that with heavy use and pets?

Our carpet is already fraying/ coming out in some areas and we’ll need to replace it. My husband loves carpet but my dog likes to drop down on his shoulder and use his back legs to push himself around on the carpet. My other dog liked to roll into his back and wiggle his way around on the carpet. Seems like we prob just can’t have nice things with them but if wool is the answer, I’m interested!

Yes, high traffic plus pets! When I was growing up my Australian Shepard, Muffin, always wanted to sleep at the end of the hallway that led to all of our bedrooms. She could see the foyer door, both side entries, and garage entryways from that vantage point, which happened to be on wool carpeting. My mother would usually lay a towel or small area rug on top of the carpet for her and she'd be compliant and stay there. My bro and I were also running around nonstop--I have stitches in one knee from tripping and falling on the metal piece that covered the seam between the tile and carpet one time. I'm ecstatic that it has survived all this time--never knew it was possible but natural fibers do tend to last a long time. We still have holidays in one of the living areas that's carpeted with wool. I'll try to post a pic. The style may not be to anyone's taste, but it's a really great example of how well wool stands up over time.

 

[winnietucker]

Yes, high traffic plus pets! When I was growing up my Australian Shepard, Muffin, always wanted to sleep at the end of the hallway that led to all of our bedrooms. She could see the foyer door, both side entries, and garage entryways from that vantage point, which happened to be on wool carpeting. My mother would usually lay a towel or small area rug on top of the carpet for her and she'd be compliant and stay there. My bro and I were also running around nonstop--I have stitches in one knee from tripping and falling on the metal piece that covered the seam between the tile and carpet one time. I'm ecstatic that it has survived all this time--never knew it was possible but natural fibers do tend to last a long time. We still have holidays in one of the living areas that's carpeted with wool. I'll try to post a pic. The style may not be to anyone's taste, but it's a really great example of how well wool stands up over time.

Good to know! I’ll keep that in mind when we re-do our floors.