How to Choose Carpet
© Alan Fletcher -
Carpet Expert and Consumer Advocate
Consumers who are in need of new carpet
are often misinformed, mislead, overcharged or sold the wrong flooring materials
for their needs or lifestyle. The problem is, there are just too many flooring
salespeople that are willing to tell you just about anything in order to
persuade you to buy from them. Why? It's due to the fact that most carpet
salespeople are not paid by the hour or on salary, they are paid on sales
commissions. For them, no sale means no pay, and the need to make money can
easily cause many salespeople to sacrifice integrity. That means they may
tell you what you want to hear even if it is not true, just to make a sale.
It's a sad fact that many consumers buy carpet
that they know little or nothing about. They may be able to recall how much they
paid for their new carpet, but they often have no idea what type of fiber the
carpet is made of, or what grade of padding was selected.
Very few consumers have adequate knowledge about
the carpet they purchased to know whether or not it will endure their needs and
lifestyle or longevity expectations. It doesn't take long for most homeowners to
discover that the carpet they selected will not last as long as anticipated. In
fact, most homeowners expect new carpet to last for at least ten years but often
find it fails to retain a "like-new appearance" for more than three
years.
Why does this happen? Carpet is not made as well
as it was in the 60's and 70's. A medium grade carpet would last 20-30 years
before it would wear out. Today, carpet manufacturers sell at least 10 different
grades of carpet to accommodate every type of carpet need. There are low end
carpets designed for apartments, medium grade for those who want a carpet to
last for 5 years, and high end for those who want it to last 20 years and are
willing to pay for it. Selecting the right grade of carpet is not an easy task
if you don't have adequate information.
So... what grade of carpet will tolerate your
needs and lifestyle? That's where it get more difficult. You see, unless you
know what amount of wear the carpet is designed to accommodate, how can you make
a wise choice?
Is your salesperson working for you or
against you?
Unless the carpet salesperson asks you a lot of
questions about your home,
about your family and pets, and about your short and
long-term flooring goals in an honest attempt to help you select the right
product to serve your needs and lifestyle, you can assume that they are
interested in nothing more than their next paycheck. In that case they will
likely applaud any selection you might make regardless of it being a wise
selection or not.
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