Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Standard Time is ruining my blog

Standard Time, I dig you in the morning when my alarm clock goes off and it isn't pitch black. Kinda dark, admittedly, but bearable. But we have a bit of a problem: YOU ARE RUINING MY BLOG. By the time I get out to the house after work, it's DARK and gloomy and I can't see things or take photos or let the dogs run around without losing them. Grumble grumble grumble.

Anyway, all to say that I don't have an update today. So why am I posting, you ask? This post is a plea for help. We have to pick out carpet for the two upstairs bedrooms soon. (The rest of the house will have wood floors courtesy of Brandon's grandma's barn, but we don't have quite enough wood for the whole shebang - plus I think the pooches will enjoy carpet in the bedroom - and yes, I make house-related decisions based on the assumed desires of my dogs. WHAT.) Ahem. The point is, you guys, I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT CARPET. I don't know what to look for, how to tell if it's good quality, how to tell if it is going to off-gas a bunch of weirdness and make us high. Help me, internet! Have you bought carpet recently? Any recommended brands or retailers? Extra points and kisses if it's made in the U.S. without murdering the environment. Mwah.

10 comments:

  1. This Old House has a nice roundup of what to look for when buying carpeting: http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/m/article/0,,203266,00.html I can also see what Consumer Reports says on the subject . . .

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  2. Can't help much with specific advice but don't be afraid of color. Although based on your paint choices you probably won't be choosing beige carpet.

    We ended up with a slightly better quality carpeting because they had the end of a roll large enough for our small house and would give us the builder grade carpet price so they could get rid of it. Only way I can describe the color is "teal blue" - kind of a turquoise-blue.

    I was amazed that my soon to be husband OK'd it (his money - his choice). I thought it would be a nightmare to decorate. But we've actually managed to do quite well with it - and it is everywhere except kitchen & baths.

    We're only getting rid of it now after 25 years because it is beat to death. I still like the color - so not "builder beige" that everyone else has.

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  3. We got Martha Stewart carpet for my small office (everywhere else has hardwood too), it looks great but is NOT durable. Also, I feel totally ashamed to admit it, but the cheap recycled shoes Nike carpet pad we got is really comfortable. Chris and I did a blind foot test and I really didn't want to like a Nike carpet pad, but both of our feet liked it the best.

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  4. All I know about carpet is to splurge on the pad because that is what makes the carpet last longer.

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  5. We have Martha Stewart carpet in our bedrooms too. I love the color and pattern (Sandringham Nutshell) and so far it's holding up well but we just had it installed last spring. It smelled like new carpet for a month or so, but nothing noxious.

    This blog post was what sold me: http://www.bowerpowerblog.com/2011/03/magic-carpet/

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  6. Try a different texture of carpet! We got a frieze upstairs and it looks wonderful and feels great underfoot. We skipped the stain protection (always wary of extra chemicals) but opted for a good, thick pad.

    Here's a general intro:
    http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-frieze-carpet.htm

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  7. I only know NOT to get plush pile and DO get a really good pad!

    Ciao!
    Guerrina in CT

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  8. I researched this from an off-gassing and environmental-friendliness perspective last year when we were considering replacing our carpet. We still haven't done the replacement but here's what I learned:

    Wool is the healthiest option -- won't off gas nasty chemicals (and lots of manufacturers choose healthy backings and glues to go with wool carpets -- that is important), it is renewable and biodegradable, and sometimes it comes from the US, too, but not always. It also lasts a really long time in your house if you take care of it. Google wool carpet and you'll find a ton of info. You have to care for it differently from traditional carpet (no chemicals, no beater on your vacuum), but I think the benefits far outweigh the care issues. It is not cheap.

    Another option is FLOR. Not everyone loves FLOR b/c it comes in tiles rather than wall-to-wall stretchable stuff, but they do cradle-to-cradle and are probably the most environmentally responsible carpet manufacturer out there. Plus you can replace a square if it gets spilled on. And they've got some high-pile, soft comfy stuff (and even some all-wool options), not just all office-looking stuff like they used to offer.

    I also looked into the manufacturers that use recycled plastic bottles to make their fiber strands. I was not impressed -- they seem to be doing it for marketing purposes and don't necessarily carry that environmental commitment through the rest of their company. Plus their backings and glues are made with chemicals that off-gas.

    Good luck. Can't wait to see where you go with this!!

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  9. You. guys. are. AWESOME!!!

    Seriously, I appreciate all this info so much. This is a ton of great links & leads for Googling - I will keep you updated! Thank you!!

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  10. I totally feel you on the time change! No more after-work pictures.

    I don't know a lot about carpet, but I have a Tigressa SoftStyle "carpet rug" and it's pretty awesome.

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