Is a Looped Berber a good choice for children and Pets?
How to select the right carpet style and grade for your home and avoid common consumer carpet buying mistakes.
Q. How well does Berber withstand high traffic areas? Is it easy to keep clean and what kind of padding is best? I am going crazy trying to decide if I want a plush or Berber. I have a newborn and know I will soon have lots of messes to clean up!
Alan’s Response:
Don’t spend a lot on new carpet if you have small children!Children are very hard on carpets, they spill everything imaginable and parents are often too busy or too tired to clean up messes quickly enough to keep up with the demand.
Looped Berbers made from the Olefin Fiber are hard to keep clean, they snag easily and are not recommended for folks with active children or pets.
For folks without active children or pets: Berber may be a good choice.Fact: Inexpensive looped Berber carpets made with Olefin tend to snag easily and mat down more quickly.
Most Berber styles are made with loops. Some Berbers are called “cut and loop” having both loops and cut loops, Some Berbers have patterns and some do not, and still other Berber styles have no loops at all.
Carpet Fibers…
Berber style carpets are often made from Nylon or Olefin, and of the two, Nylon would be the better a more durable choice. Nylon Berbers costs more but lasts much longer, and cleans much easier than Berbers made from Olefin.
Berber Carpet Complaints
Why do Olefin Berber carpets attract dirt and are so hard to keep clean?
While Berber styles are elegant and beautiful when new, there is a common complaint from homeowners with Berber carpets made with the Olefin fiber. Consumers often report that within a week or two after a professional cleaning, previous spots and stains tend to reappear as if they were never cleaned at all. This is because the Olefin fiber is inherently oily and often makes Olefin hard to clean and prone to attracting dirt like a magnet. Old stains tend to reappear again and again regardless of how many times you have the spots cleaned.
Why do Olefin fibers attract dirt?
Here’s why… During the manufacturing process the Olefin fiber is naturally oily. Fiber makers use a special process to clean the Olefin fibers to try to remove these oils, but often cut corners in order to reduce costs. Some manufacturers put their Olefin fibers through a “three-phase” cleaning process to try to remove most of the oils.
To make a better product, the fiber maker will use a “five-phase” cleaning process which removes much more of these oils from the fiber. This makes a significantly less-oily fiber that cleans much easier and doesn’t attract dirt nearly as much.
Using the five-phase process to removing excess oils from Olefin is a more time consuming and costly procedure, manufacturers must charge more for these premium fibers and therefore you will pay more for a carpet made from these premium olefin fibers. Unfortunately consumers have no way of knowing which Olefin fibers have been cleaned with the “five-phase” process and those that have only had the three-phase cleaning.
Rule of thumb: I think it would be reasonable to assume that most Berbers priced under $13.50 per yard ($1.50 sf) would be made using the “three-phase” process. You might have to spend $18 per yard or more to get the better grade of olefin fiber.
Most carpet salespeople have no knowledge about this manufacturing process and asking them questions about it might be futile. However, perhaps you could ask them to call the carpet manufacturer and see if they can tell you which cleaning process was used in the Berber carpet you are considering. Good luck with that.
Fact: It’s the fiber type and the size of the loops that matters most.
Inexpensive Berbers snag easily. Often priced at less than $10 per yard, don’t fall for those cheap Berber prices and assume that this low-quality carpet will last more than a few years for you. If you have active kids or pets you need to buy something more durable.
Large Loops vs Small Loops
Berber styles that have Large loops tend to collapse and fall over more quickly. That makes the carpet appear worn out and ugly, often within a year or two in main traffic areas.
Smaller looped Berbers tend to resist matting and crushing better and retain its like-new appearance longer. Berbers made of Nylon are more durable and resist matting and crushing of the pile longer than any other synthetic fiber.
If a Berber carpet is priced under $15 per yard, then it is likely made of Olefin and designed to last a few years at best. You’ll be plagued with lots of snags, pulls, runs and stains that are hard to remove. This is why Berber is a bad choice for folks with active kids or pets.
A good quality Nylon Berber would clean easier, wear better, and retain its new appearance much longer than would an Olefin Berber. If made with smaller loops, that would make it even more durable.
If you decide buy a Berber carpet and want it to last, be sure to select one with smaller loops, as the bigger loops tend fall over quickly and look worn out sooner. As far as pad goes, an 8-pound minimum density, and a 1/4″ to 3/8″ thickness is required for virtually all Berber styles.
Another option you might want to consider would be selecting a Berber without loops, this is called a “cut-Berber” or a “California Berber” style.
Some Berbers are made from wool, which is an excellent natural fiber, but are very costly..
Most homeowners quickly discover that selecting new carpet is difficult, time consuming and confusing. this website was created to help homeowners sort through all the nonsense and confusion.
If you don’t do your carpet homework, it is easy to make costly mistakes and end up unhappy with the performance of your new carpet.
Making wise choices requires that you do your carpet homework before you begin shopping for new carpet.
What Is Berber Carpet?
Berber carpet has been around for a long time and was originally handmade by the Berber tribe of North Africa.
In fact, Berber carpet is still hand-made today in some parts of Africa but it does not resemble the Berber Carpet styles you will find at your local carpet retailer.
Berber carpets became popular in America in the early 1980’s and has grown in popularity ever since! Homeowners today have many choices and options with Berber styles, colors and quality levels.
Here are some important facts and useful Berber carpet information to help you choose the right style of Berber Carpet for your home.
Berber Carpet Styles
Simple Loop Berber
Multi-color Loop Berber
Patterned Loop Berber
Cut and Loop Berber
Patterned Loop Berber
Patterned cut and Loop Berber
Cut Pile Berber (no loops) (aka California Berber)
Berber Loop Size Matters!
Like I said before, Berbers made with larger loops tend to mat down more quickly, so choosing a Berber with made with smaller loops may be a better choice and will resist matting better especially in heavy traffic applications.
Commercial quality Looped Berber styles usually have the smallest loops and carpets made from Olefin (polypropylene) and is a common choice for those who want a higher level of durability and less potential for matting or crushing of the pile over time.
In most commercial settings, carpet is mainly glued down to the floor without using any padding. This creates the most durable and longest lasting configuration. This is what you see in banks, airports, office buildings and other heavy traffic applications.
In a residential application, you can use a thin 1/4″ to 3/8″ padding to make the carpet softer to walk on, but the density rating must be at least 8 pounds.
Using a thicker pad, more than 3/8″is not recommended because it will significantly reduce the lifespan of the carpet and increase the potential for the carpet to develop waves and wrinkles.
Here is a Simple Looped Berber Carpet
These are large loops. Smaller loops make the carpet more durable and less prone to matting and crushing of the pile.
Looped Berber Carpet Styles
Loops can be easily snagged and pulled. If you have active kids or pets then a Looped Berber Style may not be a good choice for you.
Repairing snagged loops can be very costly. Some snags can run (like a pair of nylon stockings) causing major damage to your carpet that may not be repairable.
Active kids and pets are often the cause of snags to Looped Berber Styles.
Berber Loops tend to quickly bend over or “crush” in moderate to heavy-traffic applications. This is especially true with Berber carpets made of Olefin.
The larger the loops are, the more prone they are to matting and crushing. Basically the loops just fall over and never stand upright again, no matter what you do.
Choosing a Berber with smaller loops will decrease the chances for matting and crushing.
Choosing a Berber carpet made from a Nylon fiber will reduce the chances of matting and crushing of the pile significantly.
Cost to Install Berber Carpet
Berber carpet is much more difficult to install than regular carpet styles. Berber is a heavy carpet and is much more difficult to handle, seam and cut.
Most installers charge at least $1-2 extra per square yard for installing Berber carpet and also charge a higher price for installing Berber on stairs. Learn more about Carpet Installation Cost
What is the Best Padding for Berber Carpet?
All Berber carpet styles require a high density padding and a lower thickness than other non-Berber carpet styles. In most cases, a minimum of 8-pound density and a thickness of no more than 3/8” is required.
Check with the carpet manufacturer to make sure you select the correct padding specifications. Using the wrong padding can void your carpet warranty and may cause your carpet to wear out prematurely.
This style of carpet has very tightly twisted tufts, usually rated at 6 twists or more, which is why it is well known as a more durable carpet style.
The tufts are not straight like a plush style, rather they are crooked, or wiggly in appearance.
Frieze styles when made from Nylon, are often used in moderate to heavy traffic applications because its higher tuft twist rating make it more durable than most plush carpet styles.
Many homeowners like a Frieze because it provides reduced footprint and vacuum marks.
You’ll likely have to pay more for a Nylon Frieze as they are generally more expensive than plush styles.
Frieze Pricing (Made of Nylon Fiber)
Prices for a basic Frieze style start at about $3.34 per square foot ($30 per square yard) and go up from there.
The cost for a quality padding and proper installation will be extra. You should be able to get a package deal for carpet, pad and installation for about $5.00 per square foot.
All Frieze styles have a unique and elegant appearance and would be a great choice for any home.
Based on the number of twists per lineal inch of tuft.
This Tuft has 7 twists and is a sign of a well-made carpet. Frieze styles have tufts similar to this and cost about $30 per square yard on average, or $3.33 per square foot. Pad and install not included.
This Tuft has 4 twists and is not nearly as durable. This is a sign of a lower-grade carpet.
Inexpensive Plush and Textured Plush styles often have tufts similar to this and range from $10 to $20 per square yard or $1.11 to $2.22 per square foot. Pad and install not included. More expensive styles have higher Tuft-Twist ratings.
Carpets with a lower Tuft Twist Rating (of 3 to 5), tend to untwist or “blossom” at the tuft tips more quickly, thus creating a worn out, frizzy looking or matted down appearance.
Carpet rarely wears out from the loss of fiber, they just start to mat down; gradually lose the luster and shine; and just start to look ugly.
Once the tufts have blossomed or become matted down, the damage cannot be reversed or repaired.
The BEST and WORST Places to Buy New Carpet? You need to buy from an honest and reputable carpet dealer!
With over 30-years of hands-on experience in the Carpet business, I’ve learned that some Carpet Retailers are more reputable than others, and some carpet sellers should be avoided at all costs! See which carpet stores I recommend and where you can get your absolute best deal on new carpet and flooring near you.
Here’s How I Rate Carpet Retailers On a Scale of One to Five…
#8 Nationally Advertised or BIG-BOX Carpet Retailers
1.5 Stars out of 5
These corporately-owned businesses blanket the airwaves with constant and repetitive TV commercials, radio ads, billboards and bus stops! They have locations all over the country. They offer unbelievable deals on new carpet and flooring, including low-cost or free carpet installation.
I don’t recommend buying carpet from Home improvement warehouses like Lowe’s and Home Depot because they only sell the materials to you. They make arrangements with various independent contractors to handle the in-home measuring and installation. They take their profit right off the top and never have to worry about dealing with any problems or complaints you may have after the sale.
“Should you have a carpet defect or installation issue, they may just tell you to contact the carpet manufacturer directly or call the installation company to seek a remedy.”
Many local carpet stores have rolls of carpet in-stock and ready for immediate installation.
If you want to do-it-all-yourself and save a lot of money… create a detailed diagram of your home with all the room measurements and bring your truck, some rope and maybe a tarp if it is raining! These local dealers offer low prices and have dozens of rolls of carpet “in-stock”. They cater mostly to homeowners on a tight budget, landlords and property managers and D.I.Y. homeowners. They have plenty of inexpensive, lower-quality, defective or second-grade materials. Have them roll out the carpet before you agree to buy it to make sure there are no obvious defects. Check their guarantee carefully and get everything in writing before you sign on the dotted line. Once you buy it, you own it. no refunds.
The main problem when buying carpet from this type of retailer, is that they rarely have the same type, style or color of carpet available. That means if you need to buy more of the exact same carpet you bought today, it may not be available for you to buy tomorrow. Once a roll of carpet is sold, the same type, style and dye lot (color) may be gone forever. No two rolls of carpet are exactly the same. There will be differences in color or style that may be quite obvious once it is installed.
These dealers may offer in-house installation or they might just hand you a list of local installers for you to call and hire on your own. If you have to arrange for your own installation you must negotiate with the installer and pay them directly. In the end, if you pay just $8.99 per yard for the carpet, don’t expect it to last for 10 years. Even though you may get a great deal on discounted carpets, always remember that there was some reason why it was not able to be sold as first-quality goods. See which carpet stores I recommend near you
#6 Buying Carpet from a Carpet Layer
2.5 stars out of 5
Most carpet installers have piles of leftover carpet in their garage.
Some carpet layers have longstanding relationships with local carpet dealers, or may have a way to order new carpet and padding at near wholesale prices from local suppliers. Carpet layers often end up with sizable leftovers from bigger carpet jobs because carpet so many salespeople over-measure their jobs.
When there is a lot of carpet leftover the installer may take it home and try to sell it on Craigslist or in your local newspaper. If you find an installer who has some leftover carpet or other flooring materials available at a very low price, you need to understand that they have a limited supply of those materials and have no way of getting any more of the exact same color or style. There is no manufacturer’s warranty on these materials whatsoever and no recourse if you end up unhappy with the performance.
Still, you can find some real bargains this way. As with any contractor you hire to do work on your property, I suggest you check references, verify their contractors license and business liability insurance to make sure they are all current and up-to-date. This might be an inexpensive way to go if you are just doing one or two rooms or if you need to replace carpet or flooring for a rental property.
#5 Franchised Carpet Resellers
2.5 Stars out of 5
These carpet dealers are often locally-owned but are hooked up with a national carpet distributor or co-op to increase their buying power and decrease their shipping costs. They usually use private labels to prevent you from comparison shopping at other carpet local stores. It is often much more difficult to get carpet specifications from these resellers, and it makes it much more difficult to comparison shop their products. Even so, you can still negotiate a fair deal if you know what you are doing and don’t rely on their salespeople to make choices for you.
Many co-ops do not provide installation so you may have to locate a good installation crew and pay them separately. You will have to work a bit harder to schedule and orchestrate everything, and may end up paying a little more buying from a franchised flooring dealer. but they usually have a list of local installers for you to call and they do offer a wide range of quality carpet and flooring products. Which carpet stores do you recommend near me?
#4 800-Carpet Wholesalers
2.5 Stars out of 5
These are carpet and flooring peddlers who will send you small carpet samples through the mail. They want you to buy their carpet virtually “sight unseen” (other than a small swatch) There are no refunds on discounted carpets so you really have to be fully aware of all the fine print. You can save money if you buy from a reputable carpet wholesaler as long as you know exactly what you are buying and fully understand how the entire carpet buying process works and what is expected of you, especially regarding the delivery of the carpet and what you are required to do if you need to return a roll of carpet.
Some 1-800 carpet outlets stores are reputable and some are not. The burden of being knowledgeable about your purchase falls solely upon you. Can I really buy new carpet at wholesale prices?
#3 Online Flooring Retailers
3 stars out of 5
Need Hardwoods, Ceramic Tile, Luxury Tile or Laminate Flooring? These online companies move a lot of product and can be a smart way to go if you are careful and do your homework. The biggest problem I hear about is the poor quality of the materials they offer. For example: If you buy hardwood flooring that is considered “Seconds” (cabin-grade?) it can be very difficult to install and the amount of warped, unusable or damaged product you receive can be significant and have as much as 25% waste or more.
Buying first-quality hardwoods is much more costly but the outcome is much better than if you buy a “cabin grade” product. It’s hard to know how much material to order when you have no Idea about the amount of unusable product they will be sending you. It can be a real nightmare when you have to re-order more materials because you did not have enough to finish the job due to the amount of unforeseen waste.
You can save money buying from an online flooring wholesaler as long as you know exactly what quality or grade of carpet you are buying and know in advance exactly how the entire buying process works from start to finish. Even so, you are taking your chances because you must trust what the salesperson tell you, of fails to tell you. Shipping costs can be high too and if you are not happy with the product you order you may have to pay dearly to ship it back and also pay a hefty re-stocking fee.
Some online flooring retailers are reputable and some are not, and knowing who to trust is the hard part. Even if you succeed in buying a good quality flooring at a discount, you still have to arrange for your own installation or install it yourself if you are so inclined. I highly suggest you read all their fine print and ask to see their return policy and restocking fees.
#2 Shop-at-Home Carpet Retailers
4.5 Stars out of 5
It’s great to be able to shop-at-home for new carpet. It’s fun, easy and it saves time too.
Many people love the convenience of not having to travel from store to store in search of the perfect type, color and style of carpet or flooring and prefer having samples brought to their home. It makes matching colors easier in your own home under the optimum lighting scenario.
Many locally-owned carpet dealers are now offering shop-at-home services and this can a smart way to go for those who don’t want to drive all around town and deal with conflicting and confusing salespeople.
There are a few nationally advertised shop-at-home flooring dealers that I do not recommend, like Empire Today, because they tend to push carpets made of polyester, have unreasonably high prices and use independent high-pressure salespeople. However, I believe that “in-home carpet shopping” is a wonderful service, especially for folks who have a hard time getting around.
There are many reputable shop-at-home carpet stores that offer quality products, have knowledgeable salespeople and reasonable prices. The shop-at-home for carpet concept is getting bigger and bigger!
Currently, I have many reputable shop-at-home carpet dealers listed in my Preferred Carpet Dealer Directory that I am happy to recommend, including The Carpet Guys who serve the metro Detroit Michigan area.
With a few remnants stood up along the back wall, some in-stock rolls of carpet on display, a neat and tidy showroom and a good selection of brand name carpet samples to choose from. These long-standing neighborhood carpet and flooring retailers buy first-quality goods directly from the carpet manufacturer, provide excellent customer service, have fair & square pricing, have knowledgeable and helpful staff and provide qualified installers. Should you ever have a problem or complaint they will do whatever it takes to ensure you are completely satisfied with your purchase.
Creative Floors in Orlando Florida is a locally-owned, family operated carpet store.
Not all locally owned flooring dealers are honest and reputable. Over the past few years I have compiled my own “hand-picked” list of reputable locally-owned Carpet Dealers that I am proud to recommend to my readers. The dealers I recommend have passed my own set of strict rules and requirements before I list them in my directory. Where to buy new carpet and flooring? Which carpet stores are recommended near me?
It’s hard to find an honest and reputable carpet store these days! That’s why I created my own special hand-picked list of locally-owned carpet and flooring stores. They give free estimates, offer fair prices, have knowledgeable staff, provide honest measuring and use qualified installers.Are there any recommended Carpet Stores Near Me?
It’s always smart to be cautious when shopping for new carpet or flooring for your home.
Carpet scams are common and are often hard to foresee. Here is some sound advice from a trusted carpet expert you might want to consider before you agree to buy new carpet or flooring from any nationally advertised corporate retailer like Lowe’s, Home Depot, Costco or Empire Today.
Learn the Truth about Choosing New Carpet wisely, How to quickly spot common retail Carpet Scams and make Smarter Carpet Choices!
Carpet Scams and Rip-offs at Home Depot, Lowe’s, Empire or Costco?
Costco has been taking down their carpet displays and now just have a brochure.
Don’t Fall For Those Relentless TV Ads about their Free or low-cost Carpet Installation Specials!
The last time I checked, all four of these Giant National Carpet Retailers use OTHER private companies to facilitate their carpet sales, measuring and installation services.
That means if you ever have a carpet problem or complaint, you may have a hard time finding anyone to help you or take responsibility for making things right. If they do return your calls, they usually blame the other guy, or they blame you for choosing the wrong grade of carpet, or for not maintaining the carpet properly.
Have a Carpet Complaint?
If it is a carpet defect, you’ll have to contact the carpet manufacturer to come by and inspect your carpet, if the carpet is still under warranty.
If you have an installation problem you’ll have to contact the carpet installer directly. The installer will take a look at your carpet if you are still within the standard 1-year warranty.
Did the retail salesperson misrepresent the product you purchased? Did they say it was a good choice for your home? Good luck with that, as you are solely responsible for making wise and informed carpet and padding choices that can meet your needs, goals and lifestyle.
Take my free Carpet Foot Traffic Test to help determine what Grade of Carpet you should choose for your home.
Carpet Shopping at Costco?
Costco members may be shown a small display with a rack full of miniature carpet samples or brochures. (Lately they have been taking the samples down) See the photo at the top of this page?
Costco’s New Carpet and Flooring Brochure for 2021
If you grab their free brochure you will be provided with a phone number to call to start your in-home Carpet Consultation Process. A commissioned salesperson will bring samples to your home and be happy to write up your order and arrange for installation.
While they may carry some good quality carpet, be prepared for sticker shock when you see what the total cost for carpet, padding and installation will be.
Private Labels on their Carpet Samples?
You can’t comparison shop easily because they change the carpet brand name, style names and color names to thwart you. You would need to take their carpet samples with you into other local carpet stores to try to compare both samples side by side. It’s definitely not fun or easy to do, and is time consuming. Not to mention that they will not leave all their carpet samples with you.
If you are in the market for new carpet or flooring of any kind, I think you should consider buying new carpet from one of the recommended carpet stores I have listed in myPreferred Carpet Dealer Directory.
