Keeping Your Carpet Looking Fresh and New #expertadvice

Easy Carpet Care and Maintenance: Vacuuming!  

The most important step in caring for your carpet is vacuuming.  Vacuum throughly and frequently, particularly in high traffic areas.  Bear in mind that walking on soiled carpet permits the soil particles to work their way below the surface of the pile where they are far more difficult to remove and can damage the fibers.  Frequent vacuuming removes these particles from the surface before this happens.    

For rooms with light traffic, vacuum the traffic lanes twice weekly and the entire area once weekly.  Those areas with heavier traffic require that the traffic lanes be vacuumed daily and the entire area twice weekly.  Up to three passes of the machine will suffice for light soiling, but up to five or seven passes are necessary for heavily soiled areas.  Change the vacuuming direction occasionally to help stand the pile upright and reduce matting.

What is Berber Carpet?

Berber carpet is named for a tribe of people that are located in North Africa. These tribal peoples make their cloaks with the same multi-leveled loops. They use heathered, flecked yarns to create unique loops from large loops to tighter loops that help to give the yarn interest and definition. Used in carpeting, these Berber loops serve many other purposes rather than just visual interest.

Berber carpet is one of the most popular carpeting choices available. People choose Berber carpet for many different reasons including its beauty, comfort, and ease of care. It is important to remember, however, that there are many different kinds of Berber carpet so you will want to make sure that you research your choices so that you make a decision that you will be happy and satisfied with for many years. What exactly is Berber carpet, you may ask?

The loops in carpet Berber make the carpeting more comfortable under your feet. They give cushion to your feet or to the rest of your body when you sit or stand on it. This is excellent for areas of the home that are used frequently. Another great benefit of the loops in Berber carpet is that in most cases, depending upon the fibers that you choose, they do not get crushed down when walked on. Berber carpet loops can also work to insulate the room that it is in, both in temperature and sound. That makes it a great choice for a child's room, playroom, family room, or anywhere else in your home.

[excerpt from The Flooring Lady]

How Can I Get Rid of Spots on my Wood Floor? #expertadvice

Question:
What can I do about white, hazy spots on my wood floor? I can really only see them in natural light.  Please help!

Answer:
Believe it or not, the easiest you thing can try first to remove the hazy stains would be toothpaste!  First, take a soft damp cloth and a little bit of toothpaste and rub in a circular motion to attempt to buff away the stain.  Then wipe away any toothpaste residue with a clean damp cloth. If this doesn't work, try mineral spirits using the finest grade of steel wool pad. Apply in the same manner, then wipe clean. If this works, just apply a hardwood floor wax or finish to complete.

[Photo by ASurroca]

Choosing the Perfect Floor Rug pt. 8

Shopping for a new rug can be daunting.  With so many sizes, looks, designs, and textures, the process can be overwhelming. 

Here at Carpet Wagon we want to help you choose the perfect rug for your home.  Below are some key terms to know when you go rug shopping. 

Call Carpet Wagon at 1(800) 57-WAGON today to schedule a free consultation at home or visit our showrooms to see all the great rug products we have for you.

Key terms and phrases about rugs:

Washing: A chemical solution used after weaving to soften a rug’s colors and increase its luster.  Sometimes referred to as herbal wash.

Weft: Yarns that are woven horizontally through the warps and form the face of the rug.

Wilton Loom: Automated looms popular for producing area rug designs.  The wilton loom is capable of making intricate designs in a variety of weights and colorations at a fraction of the time it takes to weave handmade rugs.

Wool: Noted for luxury and softness, wool has a high build and is available in many colors.  It’s natural ability to repel water and resistance to breaking and compressing makes it a popular fiber choice in rug production.

Worsted: Before wool is spun into yarn, it is combed then worsted so that only longer pieces of fiber are left for final spinning.  This process yields a high quality wool yarn.

[Photo by ccarlstead]

How Do I Choose The Right Laminate Flooring For Me? #expertadvice

Question:
I need to purchase some laminate flooring for two rooms in my home. I have no idea what is considered a good product. I am looking at three different brands; Home Legends, Pergo and Traffic Master. Can you give me any advice?

Answer:
Great question!  All of those brands have their good, better and best products. Without product choice specifics, it's hard to give you definitive answers between the three. Pergo is known for having the largest selection of laminate flooring. Pay attention to the AC rating. Laminate floors are rated AC-1 to AC-5. AC-1 products were designed for LIGHT use in the home and would be a good choice for bedrooms where traffic is very light.  AC-1and AC-2 products and would be more affordable as well.  However, if you're looking for a longer lasting laminate in a higher traffic area, you should note that the higher the rating, the greater the durability, which means longevity and a better investment.

Call Carpet Wagon at 1 (877) 57-WAGON to schedule a free at home consultation and estimate for your new laminate floor!

[Photo by Djenan]

 

Choosing the Perfect Floor Rug pt. 7

Shopping for a new rug can be daunting.  With so many sizes, looks, designs, and textures, the process can be overwhelming.  Here at Carpet Wagon we want to help you choose the perfect rug for your home. 

Below are some key terms to know when you go rug shopping.  

Call Carpet Wagon at 1(800) 57-WAGON today to schedule a free consultation at home or visit our showrooms to see all the great rug products we have for you.

Key terms and phrases about rugs:
Side-woven/Cross-woven: A machine-made, wilton construction in which the rug is woven side to side rather than top to bottom.  This process allows for a wide range of colors to be used, even up to 92 by Sphinx, and an added benefit is the ability for fringe to be “incorporated” in the rug.

Traditional: Modern-day representations of time honored European and Asian designs reminiscent of Oriental or Persian motifs.

Tribal: Characterized by style elements common to a specific culture of ethnic group, these designs utilize earth tones such as yellow, gold, red, and brown.  Tribal designs combine these elements in a very exacting and structured designs offering their own interpretations.



Twist level: The number of revolutions an individual yarn is spun around itself determines the twist level.  A high twist level, or greater number or revolutions, allows the tuft to twist back upon itself and provides enhanced performance characteristics.

Warp: The parallel yarn strands that run vertically on a loom, and are often cotton, wool, or silk.  Warp threads that extend beyond the face of the rug form the fringe.

[Photo by ccarlstead]