skip to main content

Home Decorating

Can someone tell me about carpet (wall to wall)?

13 years ago

All of my adult life, I've lived in old (or reproduction-old) houses with hardwood floors throughout. I've never shopped for wall to wall carpeting and in fact, my last encounter with it was some circa-1979 shag my parents installed in my bedroom when I was young.

We are turning our basement into a playroom and I really want nice cushy wall-to-wall down there (I think I'm rebelling against years of hardwood -- while beautiful, it's not very comfy to roll around with the kids on the floor, LOL!). When I look at ads or wander through the carpet section at Lowes, I'm overwhelmed by the number of selections and the variation in price. There's different textures, different fibers, and WAY different prices. I don't even know where to start as far as comparing one kind against another or knowing what would be best.

Can anyone point me in the right direction? The carpet will go down the stairs (I think -- or I could leave the stairs hardwood as well, since they have nice finished treads) and through the basement. I don't think I want anything shaggy because it will get beat-looking on the stairs, right? I was thinking berber, but then I hear that berber is cheap and doesn't last well. I'm looking for something that's kind of fun and funky because it's a combination media room/playroom - maybe something with a geometric pattern.

Any input/suggestions/guidance at all would be most welcome!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

lsst
13 years ago
We have frieze carpet and have been pleased with it.
One thing I do know is do not skimp on the pad. Go with at least an 8 lb.
The carpet will fell better underfoot and will wear longer.
folkvictorian
13 years ago
Nylon and wool are probably the longest-wearing fibers. Like lsst says, get a really good, thick pad, too.
Related Discussions
Can someone tell me if a wall mount vent hood will be ok?
Q
Comments (2)
My vote is to take out the top cabinets and go with the wall hood. No reason to hide it. Be proud of it and show it off.
...See More
Can someone tell me about Ikea drawers
Q
Comments (19)
The kitchen cabinets are DEFINITELY NOT the same as their other furniture. In fact, it was the fear of having Malm-type dresser drawers for kitchen drawers that had DH saying "No way" to IKEA kitchens. At first. I purchased a kitchen drawer stack to "prove" to him that they were a completely different animal. Once he saw the real thing in real use, he was sold. The drawers have a 1/2" bottom and are very strong and sturdy. It is a Blum Tandembox, after all. Go check them out yourself and see and know you are not limited to the IKEA door styles. Any custom door company can make doors for the cabinets. They only need the measurements. I love my IKEA cabs!
...See More
Tell me this fabric looks okay with wall and carpet.
Q
Comments (27)
Just for clarification on monitor colors: there is absolutely no reddish/purple tone in the lighter fabric. I wasn't in love with it because it was such a dead-looking gray-brown. I would have preferred something slightly darker but didn't think there was anything else suitable (the 3-4 ladies who worked with me always chose the fabrics themselves--yesterday was the first time they were all busy and I got to look on my own). The other is more pure "doeskin" as we called it when I was young. It's the color I had been looking for and the huge bonus was that it's a performance fabric that can be cleaned easily. And for those talking about the teal tones in the rug: there is absolutely NO teal in that rug. Anything that looks teal to you is blue. That's why we're getting blue pillows and will eventually get a large blue cocktail ottoman. Perhaps my mistake was putting in your heads what the woman said about there being purple tones in that sample. I should have just asked which you liked of the two. That particular woman seems to be more on the business end than the designer end. She usually stays up at the desk unless there are too many customers. In fact when I tried to ask her why designers say you shouldn't have sofas right up against walls, she got really annoyed and said, "I don't care what designers say! I don't do any of that!" When her mother took over, she didn't say a word about there being any problem with my new choice of fabric. (And the mother really knows color and designs that work: she started me out with very bold designs that I chickened out on.) I only took the samples home to try because her daughter had made me anxious.
...See More
Basement wall waterproofing - can someone explain this to me?
Q
Comments (5)
Thank you, Jim - yes, the funny thing is, there already is a French drain there and I’ve never seen even a drop of moisture in it. The moisture seems to stay above it in the cinderblocks and doesn’t seem to make its way down to the bottom cinderblock in any obvious way. I know the laws of gravity and hydrostatic pressure probably say otherwise, but I was trying to understand how a French drain helps when there doesn’t seem to ever be enough to actually “drain” away. ‍ Yes, I received estimates from well known companies for rather elaborate systems that would run along the entire basement out to my back yard - just wondering what would actually “run” out there? Water vapor?
...See More
lindac
13 years ago
And don't under any circumstances buy dacron...it soils like you wouldn't believe.
Berber comes in "cheap" but it also comes in good quality...if that's the look you like. But it also "pulls" if something catches it will pull out loops. I think a tight pile wears longer.
Linda C
fnmroberts
13 years ago
We recently recarpeted our home. My experience is to stay clear of the "box" stores as they generally carry lesser grades of well known brands but, most significantly, the sales people are not knowledgable like experienced personnel from carpet specialty stores. Additionally, the low price install is offset by other costs applied by the "box" places - like padding and stair install charge, haul-away, etc. We believe our premium to purchase from a specialty store may only have been $125 and the install is very nice.

I believe there is specialty padding for basements with a built-in moisture barrier. That said, I would be VERY cautious about wall-to-wall carpet in a basement. Basements are generally damp and you must consider the possibility (certainty) of a water heater leak or sump pump failure. I would suggest an area rug or a bound carpet which could be removed should it become necessary. Our stairs to the basement are carpeted with a very dense nylon plush which has minimal matting after several years.
maanda
13 years ago
We put a better quality berber in our playroom. We did get a speical underpad for basements. One thing I wish is that we would have gotten something with a little colour variation in it, as this one is a solid and it shows everything. Even with no food down here ever, it still gets dirty looking.
amysrq
13 years ago
Basement and playroom...hmmm...that just makes me a bit nervous about WtW. Have you thought about an area rug or maybe Flor? The beauty of Flor is the you can pull squares that get dirty, wash them and lay them back down. The patterns are really fun and very colorful.

Related Stories

KITCHEN DESIGN Houzz Call: Tell Us About Your First Kitchen

By Becky Harris

Great or godforsaken? Ragtag or refined? We want to hear about your younger self’s cooking space

FUN HOUZZ Houzz Call: Tell Us About Your Dream House

By Vanessa Brunner

Let your home fantasy loose — the sky's the limit, and we want to hear all about it

HOME TECH What Chipotle and Radiohead Can Teach Us About Sound Quality at Home

By Mitchell Parker

Contemporary designs filled with glass and concrete can be hostile environments for great sound quality. Here's how to fix that

12 Ways Art and Books Can Tell Your Story

By Laura Gaskill

Your home may be the ultimate blank canvas. Give every room meaning with books and artwork that speak to you

PETS What Chihuahuas Can Teach Us About Interior Design

By Mitchell Parker

Who knew these tiny dogs could be such a huge fount of design tips? Houzzers did

DECORATING GUIDES What Matisse Can Teach Us About Interior Design

By Karen Egly-Thompson

Learn to pack a punch with decor inspired by one of the most influential artists of the 20th century

REMODELING GUIDES 8 Lessons on Renovating a House from Someone Who's Living It

By Restoring our 1890 Victorian

So you think DIY remodeling is going to be fun? Here is one homeowner's list of what you may be getting yourself into

REMODELING GUIDES 11 Reasons to Love Wall-to-Wall Carpeting Again

By Judith Taylor Designs

Is it time to kick the hard stuff? Your feet, wallet and downstairs neighbors may be nodding

ARCHITECTURE Design Workshop: Materials That Tell a Story

By Eric Reinholdt, Architect

See how wood, concrete and stone convey ideas about history, personal taste and much more

ARCHITECTURE Tell a Story With Design for a More Meaningful Home

By Bud Dietrich, AIA

Go beyond a home's bones to find the narrative at its heart, for a more rewarding experience

Sponsored

Dave Fox Design Build Remodelers

49 Reviews

Columbus Area's Luxury Design Build Firm | 17x Best of Houzz Winner!

More Discussions

Is there such a thing as a “dark academia” garden?

27

Hanging some Art in Dining area and misc

33

From screen porch to 4 season room

7

furniture / photo alignment ? What’s my guide?

7

Help with Studio Apt

8