Carpet Buying Tips: How to Avoid Carpet Buying Rip Offs

Carpet buying can be quite confusing to those with little knowledge of the carpet business. Today there are so many carpet types, carpet pads, and carpet buying outlets out there that it is hard to make an informed decision. The uninformed consumer can lose money or not get proper carpeting for their needs. Here is a quick primer on how to buy carpet for your budget and your specific needs.

Dalton, Georgia is where most of the carpeting in the United States is manufactured. It is called the carpet capital. There used to be hundreds of small carpet Mills, busily churning out roll after roll of carpeting for hungry consumers. Nowadays, the smaller carpet manufacturers have been bought out by just a few large players. It's sort of a monopoly and with monopoly comes higher prices. Of course, the price of oil has been rising, and that has contributed to higher prices. Not only have carpets gone up, but the crucial padding underneath them also keeps rising.

The main factors involved in carpet quality and price is the carpet density and the amount of twists in the fibers. Heavier carpet lasts longer. Tighter twists means better quality and durability for the carpet. Be careful ordering carpet and make sure the invoice states the carpet weight. Make sure you get the specifications in writing. Do you actually know if the carpet is treated with the specified stain treatments?

In larger cities and towns there are so-called discount carpet outlets. While you may get a good deal, you also may be getting less than perfect carpeting. These places also understate the quality and weight of the carpet. You may be getting mill ends and seconds and not know it.

Nowadays there are big home stores and wholesale outlets that sell carpeting. The value and grade may be suspect. Few of these salespersons know the carpet business. You might be better off going to a small carpet dealer that has been in business for a long time. You'll get a more knowledgeable person, and maybe a better deal. One trick that these large stores use is to have their carpet names and styles labeled differently. This makes it almost impossible to compare weight, style, and price. The large stores do not want you to compare prices and styles elsewhere.

Another problem with the larger stores is proper carpet measurement. You should find out how to measure carpet yourself. Just to keep them honest, learn a little bit about how to measure a carpet. A mistake by a shifty salesman could result in extra cost to you. One other plus with the smaller carpet stores is that they have access to the local carpet installers. Again, you may get a better deal.

Be careful about ordering carpet by shopping on the Internet. The carpet may not be the color or the weight that you agreed on. If it is the wrong color or shade or weight what can you do? You are probably stuck with a huge problem. It will cost you hundreds of dollars to ship the carpet back to the seller. This seller may be less than honorable. Buying carpet without seeing samples or knowing anything about the dealer could be an unpleasant experience.

Buying carpet does not have to be an unpleasant process. If you know a little bit about carpet weight, carpet fibers, and twist, you'll be ahead of the game. Make sure that you get a decent carpet pad. Decent padding can make your carpet last much longer. Shop around and ask a few questions and view samples. You can find more information on the Internet about measuring carpet, density, twist, and padding. Be smart and investigate.