Today’s most popular choices of carpet are tufted loop pile and tufted cut pile.  With a loop pile the yarn is tufted or pulled through the backing of the carpet creating a loop. With cut pile carpet the loop is tufted or pulled through the back and the loop is cut which leaves the cut ends standing erect.

Many people consider cut pile carpet to be more stylish and a looped carpet to be more casual.  Cut piles come in many styles, such as shag, textured, saxony, and velvet.  Loop pile choices include Berber, cable, or sisal.  For high traffic areas, loop pile is an excellent choice.

One of the factors with choosing your carpet is the cost.  For years wool carpet has been considered the hallmark for style. Unfortunately a good quality wool carpet is more expensive than most of us can afford. Manufactures have made it a practice to emulate wool in many of their synthetic products creating a good looking and good performing product an affordable costs.

Synthetic carpet yarns are available in continuous filament and spun yarns. While a spun yarn will look more like wool it will also shed more. Many people find their vacuum bags and canisters filling up with carpet fuzz. This is normally because the carpet is manufactured from a spun yarn and is a normal characteristic and not a defect.

If you are able to afford good quality wool carpeting you’ll find that even though it costs more to purchase and install, it will prove to be far more superior to any other type of carpeting.  While there is some wonderful man made carpet fiber that come close to the durability, rich look, or even the feel of wool they still have a ways to go before they are perfected to the quality of a wool carpet which can both last and look good for 30 years or more.

Acrylic carpeting is very similar in appearance to wool, and sometimes referred to as manmade wool.  It is resistant to moisture, fading, mildew, crushing, and staining, although it isn’t recommended for high traffic areas.

Nylon carpeting is also popular, as it is recommended for high traffic areas.  Nylon is one of the most expensive types of synthetic fibers, although it is still cheaper than wool.

Olefin is a low cost carpet material, often used for indoor or outdoor carpeting.  Olefin is colorfast and strong, very easy to clean.  One of the draw backs to olefin is that it can easily be crushed.

Another consideration you’ll have is the color and patterns of the carpet.  Light carpeting colors help to create a spacious effect, making the room appear to be larger.  Since light color carpet reflects light it will show soil and foot prints easier than your darker colors.

When looking for soil hiding qualities for homes with pets and children your darker colors are usually a better choice. Fortunately there are many choices in dark colors, which is great for those interested in style.  Dark colors are ideal for stains or pets, as they don’t show soiled areas near as much as light colored carpets.

Don’t let the fact that a carpet has been treated for stain resistance make you comfortable in selecting a light colored carpet. If you have children and pets and must have a lighter colored carpet be prepared for the extra care when it comes to stains and spots.