Broadloom Carpet Buying Guide
Still unsure about broadloom carpet? Let me give you the lowdown on everything broadloom and get you on
the
right path for your favorite flooring: carpet.
The other day I was building these six-foot long wall shelves in my apartment. As I was kneeling on my
tile
floor drilling into the wood I was also metaphorically shaking my fist at the sky, lamenting the fact that
I did
not have carpet.
Why? Because the tile hurt.
No matter how much we may love our hard flooring, the truth is,
carpet is so much more comfortable. When I moved into my new place, we didn’t have a
couch.
We had two hard chairs on tile. I longed for the plushness of a couch or at least to do a fun movie night
on
the floor. But I couldn’t do that with tile unless I put down every blanket we owned.
What I’m trying to say is carpet is the best. It is the definition of home and comfort.
What Is Broadloom Carpet?
First, let me start by telling you what broadloom carpet is. It’s called broadloom for a reason. That’s
because broadloom
carpet was originally woven on a very wide loom.
Today, broadloom carpet is manufactured and sold in large
carpet rolls that come in a standard size.
Broadloom is the traditional wall-to-wall carpet.
All that said, broadloom also comes in a variety of style types such as loop, pattern, texture and
frieze.
If you aren’t familiar with all of the carpet lingo, be sure to
check out our comprehensive guide on carpet.
So what do all these styles mean? Well, let me break it down for you.
Loop
Loop carpet is also known as berber
carpet. This means the fibers are short loops woven into the back of the carpet. The
fibers remain
uncut.
Loop carpet is great for high traffic or commercial environments because it’s very durable, easy to
clean and hides dirt well.
Pattern
Pattern carpet is typically a cut and loop style carpet. That means that some of the
fibers remain
uncut, and some of the fibers are tufted. This creates distinct patterns on the broadloom carpet that
leads
to designs. Keep in mind that during installation you will need to match up carpet patterns while
seaming any
pieces together.
Texture
You can also choose broadloom carpet by texture. Each pile type has a distinct texture.
Berber style carpets are often short and have less softness to them. While saxony
style carpets are known as
having a smooth texture with lots of softness to the touch.
Typically, a cut style carpet will have
the softest and most smooth texture over a loop style carpet. However, texture relates to cleaning as
well. A smooth, plush carpet will be more difficult to clean than a loop-style carpet. That’s because
the
shorter fibers hold onto dirt less.
Frieze
Frieze carpets feature twisted fibers. If you’ve read our
carpet buying guide, you’ll remember that
the higher the TPI (twists per inch) number is, the more durable a carpet might be. Since Frieze is a
twisted
style, it typically has a higher TPI and is more durable than other carpets. Frieze carpet is also
incredibly
soft.
Pros of Broadloom Carpet
You might be wondering what benefits broadloom has over other flooring options, or even over other
carpets, like carpet tile.
I’ve got the deets on broadloom carpet that are sure to give you a boost of confidence when buying your
new
carpet.
-
Broadloom carpet has a seamless appearance. With carpet tile you’re likely to
have a tiled
look.
-
Broadloom carpet makes your room look larger. Because it doesn’t have any
seems and often
the carpet is a uniform color or texture, broadloom carpet seems to stretch on forever in a
room,
making it appear larger and more spacious.
-
It’s super soft! Broadloom carpet is the plushest carpet available. You can
roll around
on it all you want.
-
It’s also less expensive than carpet tiles per foot, so you save money!
Cons of Broadloom Carpet
Okay, so what’s the catch? Well, there is no catch! Broadloom carpet is wonderful. However, that
doesn’t mean there aren’t
some disadvantages of choosing broadloom over another flooring. Let’s break it down.
-
The installation is very difficult. Unfortunately, you probably should hire a
professional
to install broadloom carpet.
-
Installation adds cost to broadloom carpet. If you do decide to install
broadloom carpet
yourself, you’ll need a number of fancy machines and materials to make sure the installation is
done
correctly. You’ll also need to install it over an underlayment. This adds some extra costs to
your
flooring.
-
If it ever is damaged, you have to replace the whole thing. With carpet tile
you can just
replace a single tile. However, with broadloom carpet, you really have to replace the whole
thing.
-
Installation also tends to leave behind excess materials. That means you’re
buying more
than you need. Patterned carpets leave behind the most excess.
Installing Broadloom Carpet
I’ve been singing the praises of broadloom carpet, but this is where you might hit a hiccup:
installation.
The truth is, broadloom carpet is really difficult to install on your own. You’ll probably have
to hire a
professional. However, if you do decide to tackle the challenge, you’ll need a few extra
tools.
You can install carpet two different ways: stretch-in and with adhesive. Both methods require a
stretcher
(which can be rented), knee kickers and melt tape for seaming. I’ll outline how the two methods work,
and
then you can decide if you want to hire a professional.
Stretch-In
With this installation, seams of carpet are adhered together using melt tape or another adhesive. The
carpet
is then stretched in place using a power stretcher or a knee kicker. The carpet is attached to wall tracks
that secure the stretched carpet.
Stretched carpet is less likely to sag or have air bubbles when installation is complete.
Adhesive
With this installation, the carpet is glued to the floor. It sounds easy but is actually
extremely
tricky. You must also have a knee kicker or a stretcher in order to ensure a smooth carpet, free from air
bubbles. To prevent air bubbles, carpet should be laid from the center and worked outwards from both
directions.
You may also roll the carpet with a 75 lb. roller in both directions if it’s directed by the manufacturer.
Broadloom Carpet Uses
There are a few places you might not have considered carpet before.
First, there is such a thing as indoor-outdoor carpeting. These carpets are made for the
harsh conditions
of outside, as well as the harsh kid conditions indoors.
There’s also broadloom carpet for home theater use. You can soak up the surround sound and
have
an epic movie night.
Indoor-Outdoor Carpet
I personally did not know this was a thing until recently, but there is carpet you can use both
indoors and
out! Basically, this carpet is fade, weather, people
and pet resistant. It's crazy durable.
You can install this carpet on patios, garages, basement floors or balconies. Almost anywhere that
has a hard
surface. No more sitting on hard concrete. You have softness outside too!
Home Theater Carpet
You’ve got popcorn, butter, sodas and your favorite candy. The last thing that’s missing is a durable
carpet
that can handle the sticky hands and absorb all that surround sound.
If you’re looking for home theater carpet, we’ve got it for you. Our home theater
carpet is all
commercially graded, so it can stand up to anything. Not only that, carpet is the best flooring for a
home
theater. You really can’t choose anything else.
Why Choose Broadloom Carpet?
At this point, maybe you’ve read everything there is on carpet, area rugs and every flooring under the
sun. Why should you
choose broadloom?
Well, let me summarize its best qualities for you.
Broadloom carpet is the softest flooring you can own. No other flooring will ever be as soft as
broadloom
carpet. It’s a comfort you won’t want to miss.
Broadloom also makes your room look larger. Because there are no seams to break up your line of
sight, carpet
is the easiest way to make a small room look large. Basically everyone’s dream.
Conclusion
I’m happy to say you now know a lot about broadloom carpet.
Carpet buying is a difficult decision, but hopefully, with this information in mind, we can make
your decision
a little easier.
