New Year, New Carpets
It’s a new year! That means going through your closets for clothes you don’t wear anymore and tackling renovation projects around the house. We recommend that you have your carpets professionally cleaned with a hot water extractor (sometimes called steam cleaning) once a year, and now’s a perfect time.
Residential carpet should last up to a decade if you care for it well. But eventually, the best cleaners in the world will find a stain that won’t come out or a worn area that’s too thin to ignore anymore. When that happens, it’s time to start looking for a new carpet.
Does Your Carpet Need to be Replaced?
Here are some things to look for when you’re deciding whether you need new carpets in your home.
- Stains that won’t go away. If a professional carpet cleaning service can’t lift that discolored spot, nothing can. Worse, lingering stains can be an indication that something has soaked through to the carpet padding underneath, potentially damaging it.
- Smells that stick around. Eventually, even the most well-maintained carpets will develop an old, musty smell like the one you remember from your childhood attic. Cleaning and deodorizing will help, but it’s not a long-term solution.
- Uneven areas underfoot. Generally, these are caused by damage to the carpet padding — either water, wear, or simply age has caused the carpet padding to collapse, leaving soft spots and indentations in the floor. You can’t fix carpet padding without tearing up the carpet, so these indentations are a good indicator that you need a new carpet (and padding).
Update Your Carpet Style
If you’re getting new carpet, you might as well update your look! Chances are, it’s been at least a decade since you last changed your carpets — if you ever have. Your home might still have the carpet that it came with. You might have bought something basic that you could afford, but you’re able to splurge for a fancier carpet now. Or your lifestyle might have changed — the flooring you want for yourself isn’t the same as what you want for pets and kids.
Remember, you don’t have to install the same carpet in every room. Change up color schemes to match the decor of the room! Install a dense carpet in the office that your office chair can easily roll over, and add a soft plush pile to your bedroom that feels great underfoot.
What’s New in Carpet for 2020
Ready to make the switch? Here are a few trends we’re seeing this new year that will take your floors from drab to fab.
We’ve written before about the pros and cons of natural fiber carpets. In short, they’re very environmentally sustainable, but they’re not as durable and they tend to absorb stains much more easily.
For the best of both worlds, some companies are turning to recycled carpet instead. It makes sense — carpet fibers are simply small strings of plastic, so they can be melted down and turned into brand new carpet with very little waste. Some carpet fibers are even made of other plastic sources like recycled drink bottles! These sustainable carpets are just as soft, durable, and comfortable as the brand new ones, making them a great option for the more eco-minded shopper.
Frieze is the New Shag
Shag carpet has made a bit of a comeback, but it’s not without its drawbacks. The long fibers catch in wheels, it’s slightly unstable under heavy furniture, and it’s difficult to keep clean. Enter frieze carpet — the “modern shag carpet.”
Frieze carpets have long fibers, but they’re not nearly as shaggy as shag. Frieze is more durable and easier to clean, but still lends an air of luxury and opulence to a room. The long strands also conceal seams, making frieze perfect for stairs and other areas with staples and cut edges. We recommend using frieze in the bedroom — foot traffic is light, stains are rare, and the thick fibers will keep it warm and quiet while you sleep.
Shades of Gray and Blue
It’s been common practice for years to install carpets in various colors of tan, taupe, and beige — something that goes with everything, isn’t too garish, and doesn’t show off dirt. Recently, lots of new home buyers have started to become bored with beige, so they’re switching to gray!
Gray carpets come in just as many shades and textures as beige ones, but they’re newer and more exciting. Use light, cool grays in bedrooms, bold slate colors in offices, and warmer tones in living areas or dining rooms where people socialize.
Come Shop at Sloane’s!
No matter what kind of carpet you want in your home, Sloane’s is the place to find it. We’ve used decades of industry connections to source brand-name, top-shelf irregulars from the leading carpet brands across the country. Book an appointment today to come look around! We’ll find the perfect carpet style for your family, your lifestyle, and your home.