Hi Stacy with carpet there are 3 basic types of finish, each with certain advantages. 1. Loop pile. As the name suggests the yarn is stitched into the backing and forms a loop. As the fibre is continuous it is the strongest construction and if you place the loops close enough you get a very hard wearing carpet. this is why most often the loop is used in commercial carpet. Use wool with this style and it lasts for years. Comes in plain colours (eg sisal) or with a multi flecked (Berber) 2. Cut pile. When the yarn is actually being stitched into the backing, the loop is cut (hence the name). There are two styles in cut piles, being the twist and the plush pile. The twist has a textured look due to the yarn treatment, and the plush has a very smooth velvet style of finish. The plush is the one you see the footprints /vacuum marks in the most and when all other things are equal it is also the weakest style. 3. Cut and loop. Manufacturers create patterns by doing sections in loops and sections in a plush. I mention the above so you understand what it is you are looking at. I caution my clients on wool in a plush pile as it is very prone to what is called watermarking. This is where the lie of the yarn changes direction in patches permanently and you get a two tone look ie it looks wet in patches. we have just installed a high quality 100oz twist pile (in a chocolate colour) on a thick underlay to our bedrooms, theatre and lounge... Looks stunning and it is DELUXXXXE to walk on in the morning with bare feet! hope that helps... cheers

I have a lighter carpet now and 3 grandkids that I look after. It's been down 4 years and needs replacing. I had a similar darker carpet and it was down 11 years and survived teenagers and their friends. If you have kids I would go darker every time.

Hello, annb! No, not really :-( It will be part of a mini reno later this year, so I still have time up my sleeve. So many of the decisions (like flooring, paint colours, finishes etc) have a knock-on effect, that I need to decide on everything before I start. I think I need to get a cork flooring expert to come and look at our floors and tell me what is and isn't possible in terms of changing the colour of the existing floors. I still think Smartstrand carpet will be the choice for the carpeted areas. But who knows.....I'm feeling quite paralysed to the point of losing confidence about changing anything. I might need a professional to help me decide !

Hi, carpet has a consumer rating system that guides on the durability of each piece of carpet. It is designed to show you how a carpet wears. There are four ratings, light duty, medium duty, heavy duty and extra heavy duty, plus stairs. Each of these indicate the suitability of a carpet for a specific area. Stairs and passages are the hardest on carpet as the wear is concentrated. visually, how the higher rating is achieved is easily seen as there is more yarn per square yard to enable sharing of the wear. It is often expressed as a weight measurement per oz. eg 38oz. This is not usually provided by the manufacturers as they often vary it except in high weight or commercial carpets. what none of the above tells you however is how the carpet performs for flattening or staining. nylon has a good durability and flattening resistance, but average stain resistance so needs a treatment. This is because the structure of the fibre allows further colour ingress (stains) unless it is protected. polyester has a very good stain resistance particularly when it is solution dyed however it is extremely prone to flattening, particularly in doorways and track areas. If you are going to select a solution dyed polyester, my tip would be to get the tightest and thickest version you can, and make up some of the offcuts into mats for the doorways by getting them edged at a rug overlocker. my choice would be the solution dyed nylon in at least a heavy duty grade with the best underlay you can get (helps the durability and feels softer) cheers