Review the Top Rated Carpet Brands - Best & Most Popular Carpet Manufacturers
There is more to purchasing the right carpet for a room than choosing the color and style you like. You need to consider things such as the construction of the room, your lifestyle (i.e. what you plan to do in the room and what damage is likely to occur due to children, pets, etc.), the material, and both the cost and labor of upkeep.
Top Carpet Brands
There are several brands of carpeting to choose from, each with its own specific features and product lines.
- Atlas: With a variety of colors, materials, patterns, and textures, Atlas Carpeting is a brand recognized for their customization options. This award-winning company has options that fit a broad range of budgets, making them a great choice for a wide spectrum of different customers.
- Beaulieu: From their start in 1978, Beaulieu has grown exponentially as a company, becoming the largest carpet-only manufacturer in the world and the third largest flooring manufacturer. They offer a variety of fiber materials such as nylon, polypropylene, and nylon-polypropylene blends in both carpet tile and wall-to-wall options. Beaulieu also has added features available, such as antimicrobial and odor reducing treatments.
- Dupont: Dupont is a company that cares deeply about environmental sustainability, and that concern is reflected in their innovative designs and commitment to providing sustainable products. They are known for their durable yet soft carpeting that resists matting and can keep its original shape and texture for many years.
- Empire Today: With over 50 years of experience behind them, Empire Today is well known for their high-level in-home service and wide range of flooring options.
- Karastan: Based out of Dalton, Georgia, Karastan has an impressive variety of designs, styles, and textures for all of your carpeting needs. Whether you need a basic style or animal print, cut piles or shag, Karastan has you covered.
- Luna: Luna Flooring offers a variety of flooring options and is highly regarded for their residential carpeting. Located in Illinois, the company has locations in Deerfield, Lake Zurich, and Oakbrook Terrace.
- Milliken: A large corporation involved in many industries, Milliken offers three separate flooring collections with several designs and styles in each. The company creates both elegant and simple patterns to help you achieve the perfect look for your room or home.
- Mohawk: A leader in the carpet manufacturing industry, Mohawk offers carpet that is high-performance while still retaining softness. The durability of their products is ideal for families with young children or pets. Mohawk even has their SmartStrand Forever Clean Carpet that comes with all pet protection. The company's warranty features lifetime, built-in stain protection and covers all accidents and pets.
- Shaw: Whatever the design, style, or texture of carpeting you are looking for, Shaw Floors can set it up. They have several product lines, each with its own styles, and can work with every budget level from large to small.
- Stainmaster: Stainmaster was founded in 1986 and has spent the three decades since cultivating a brand synonymous with quality and durability. The company offers carpeting that can withstand excessive amounts of wear and tear in addition to the common household stains that can be the downfall of other carpet brands.
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Types of Carpeting
In looking for the right carpet for you, you will see that there are several different types of carpet available. They include:
- Berber/loop: Berber or loop carpet has large, uncut loops of natural tone fibers that vary in size and tend to be made from either nylon, olefin, or wool. While it is denser than most other carpeting types and highly stain resistant, it is not an ideal choice for homes with pets, since their claws are likely to snag on the larger fibers.
- Pattern: A combination of cut and loop pile carpeting, pattern carpeting allows for a greater variety of patterns and textures. It typically has several tones in the same color family, which helps disguise any stains or wear and tear.
- Plush: This type of carpeting features closely packed yarns and provides an elegant appearance without compromising the softness of the carpet. It is great for formal rooms and settings, but it should be noted that plush carpeting can show impression marks and seams.
- Shag/frieze: Often used in commercial buildings, shag or frieze carpeting has fibers that curl in different directions and hide footprints and other impression marks well.
- Textured: The most popular of the carpeting types, textured carpet is comprised of two-toned yarn and an uneven surface, providing a casual look that can work in just about any room. The tight twist of the fibers helps to resist soil and other similar materials.
Types of Carpet Fibers
Not only are there different types of carpeting, there are different types of fibers that make up those different types of carpet. Each type of fiber brings with it its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Here are some of the types of carpet fibers available:
- Acrylic: Of all the synthetic materials available, acrylic is the closest to wool. Meant primarily for commercial purposes, acrylic fibers are easy to clean and offer soil and static resistance. It should be noted that acrylic is not as soft as some other materials.
- Nylon: The most common type of carpet fiber, nylon is durable and easy to maintain, which makes it ideal for areas or rooms with heavy foot traffic. It is also mildew- and soil-resistant, but can be prone to pilling and static.
- Olefin: Initially designed to be used in basements and outdoor carpeting, olefin (or polypropylene) has high resistance to mildew, moisture (as well as water damage in general), pilling, and staining. It is now used in a variety of room types due to its appearance and texture being similar to wool. It is important to remember that olefin can fade in in direct sunlight and has been known to flatten over time.
- Polyester: Though not as durable as nylon, polyester carpet offers a wide variety of color and texture options. It cleans easily, is non-allergenic, and resists mildew. Polyester carpeting is also prone to pilling and shedding.
- Triexta: Regarded for both a high level of durability and stain-resistance, triexta is a newer type of carpet fiber. It is an ideal choice for households with young children and/or pets. Since triexta is a newer type of fiber than others, it is difficult to say how it compares to other types, but some have said that triexta does not come back from compaction in the same way that other materials such as nylon do. However, it also has excellent stain resistance properties.
Author: Angela Escobar