Choosing the carpet for your new home, or replacing the old, worn-out carpet can be great fun for the whole family. But, before spending a lot of money on this serious investment, you need to do a bit of homework. Choosing the wrong carpet can be a costly mistake, so choose carefully.

Are you a fashionable?

Like other elements of interior decoration, carpets are susceptible to fashion dictates. If you are sensitive to what fashion demands, you will be changing your carpets more often, so it is not a good idea to spend a lot of money.

Who lives with you?

Carpets can be luxurious pieces of art on your floor, or they can be just covering the ugly old wood floor, so before deciding which of the two you need, look at who lives with you and what they do on your carpet. If you have babies who crawl and sleep on your floor, you have to make sure that the carpet is comfortable, so they do not irritate soft baby skin, easy to clean – there will  be throw-ups and spill-ups for sure,  and non-allergenic. Kids with asthma can be highly sensitive to allergens trapped in the carpet.

Are you in your home for the duration?

If you are planning to stay in your home for a long time, you would be justified in covering your rooms with fitted carpets, installed by professionals, nicely stretched and stain-treated. Make an arrangement with your local carpet cleaner to come regularly and protect your investment. Of course, different rooms will have different needs, so do not install light colored or expensive carpets where there is a lot of traffic. Keep your best carpets for the rooms where they can show their beauty the best and where they will have a chance to last longer.

What kinds of carpets exist?

The basic choice is between natural and man-made carpets. Natural – wool, cotton and silk – carpets are more expensive, but more beautiful and often more durable than the synthetic ones. There is a huge range of man-made carpets, and the new trend is to mix synthetics and wool, and combine beauty and resilience.

Fitted, rug or carpet tiles?

Fitted carpets were all the rage for a while, and then the fashion changed and now it is in to show the good wood floor. That does not mean that you should throw away your lovely fitted carpet if it is still in good shape and has no significant stains. You can always put a small run over it. Rugs are perfect solution if you have beautiful wood floors that are part of your home’s style and architecture. You might be able to afford a real piece of art, or an antique rug, if you are only looking for a small piece to put under the coffee table. Carpet tiles are a fantastic invention for high-traffic areas, especially in the places where spills and messes are to be expected (kids’ rooms, for example). They are rubber-backed, so are great solutions for areas with un-insulated floors like basements. You can have great fun with them, by combining colors, putting them in different patterns. You can even let kids play with them. While you are at it, teach them to replace damaged tiles, once they get really dirty or damaged.

The best piece of advice before embarking on an adventure of buying a carpet is not to skimp on price. This is one saving that will come back to haunt you. Cheap carpets do not last, look bad quickly, get stained fast and will not give credit to your lovely home. Save on other things, like the new car.

Whatever carpet you choose, don’t forget that you will have to clean it; otherwise it will affect your health. Look for a good, reliable and reputable carpet cleaner in your area and make a service arrangement with them. Try to find a cleaner that uses environmentally friendly materials. For those living in Calgary, visit Oxy-Genie home page @ Area Rug Cleaning Calgary