Carpet

[Cyclonepride]

Yup........nylon is the superior fiber, but polyester is way better than it used to be. Invest in a good pad. There are some carpets available wider than 12', but not most. As has been said, you can piece the fill with a frieze pretty easily if needed. I like the Smartstrand too by the way.

 

[bos]

Look at Mohawk's Smartstrand carpet. It is always my first recomendation. It wears great and has a lifetime stain resistance warranty. The stain resistance is built into the fiber and will not wear off after carpet cleaning like Nylon carpets that have the stain resistance applied. Carpet is expensive. I would rather put down a carpet that will last and look good. You can get a good moderate priced Smartstrand carpet that will look good many years later.

We have some of this. So far so good.

 

[CyPride]

no, nylon is the best fiber tested on the market. the way they put the yarn in is why the carpet "fuzzes". A staple yarn is worse than a continous fillament.

Polyester is a good carpet, don't get me wrong. The way they make the carpet has more to do with what you are describing rather than the fiber.

Yes, Nylon is the best choice.

 

[Cyclonepride]

as long as we're on flooring ... do you need a perfectly flat surface to tile?

I have an area of my basement where the floor slopes a few degrees to taper towards a floor drain. Things I've read about ceramic tile say you want it "flat". Does that mean free of imperfections (cracks & gouges) or no slope as well?

Also anyone have that padded laminate flooring installed? that seems cheap and easy, but does it look like crap?

If you have cracks or a relief cut, you want to install some kind of isolation membrane. As far as flatness, you can use a deeper bed of mortar to float over minor imperfections, and as far as the floor drain, it depends if you want to keep that slope or not.

 

[heyguy85]

you're leaving me so much math here ... so all together installed it was how much /ft^2 (minus the stair labor)

Carpet was $2200
Installation was $400 without stairs

 

[swammi]

I thought nylon was the cheap stuff that unravels and fills up your vacuum every time you run it over the floor? Isn't polyester the better material for carpet?

No. I worked at a mill for a year and in the field as a manufaccturer's rep for leading companies for 7 or 8 years. Polyester takes color the best, but nylon outwears it. The most durable is continuous filament nylon, but it is not the most aesthetically pleasing. Spun nylon with a good heat set twist gives you the best combination of wear, beauty and economy. It's a good twist if it looks like a good twist. Take a piece of yarn in the pile between your thumb and fore-finger and 'unwind' it. If it 'snaps' back like it has a good permanent in it, that's a good twist. A frieze usually has the crap twisted out of it and is well set. Don't buy from a sample, examine the roll your carpet is going to come from. I know this is hard to believe, but sample usually have a lot more yarn in their face than the actual rolls that are produced. Also, colors will vary from dye lot to dye lot, so it is best to buy from a shop that has it in stock on a roll. They buy better also and can quote a better price.

 

[isufbcurt]

We bought carpet with the pad built in for my girlfriends house from Menards. We are going to install it ourselves as soon as we get the ceiling painted (this weekend).

 

[swammi]

Also, I personally like dealing with a privately owned store rather than a national or regional chain. In a privately owned store, you're probably going to be dealing with the owner. He's providing food and shelter for his family with this business, so he is committed - the guy at Home Depot has a family, too; but he's involved, not committed.