All carpet is created from the conversion of fibres. Generally, fibres are spun into yarn and the yarn becomes carpet by being weaved, tufted, or bonded. Each fibre has unique benefits that will influence whether it is suitable for your space.

Nylon
The most popular carpet on the market as it’s present in about 60% of the carpets in the US. This fibre is highly durable and resists wear and tear well. Since nylon fibres are not inherently stain repelling, carpet manufacturers treat the fibres with a stain repelling system such as Shaw’s R2X.

Olefin
This fibre is less resilient than nylon but is still a strong and resistant choice. On the other hand, it’s less likely to fade in colour. Olefin is a great choice for an outdoor carpet as it is mold and mildew resistant plus it’s not very comfortable to walk on with bare feet.

Polyester
This fibre choice is becoming more popular as it is a more cost effective option than other fibres. Polyester is also less resistant than nylon. It shows damage and fades, so it’s not a good choice for high traffic areas. If your polyester carpet has a thick cut pile construction, it can be very soft to the touch.

Acrylic
This carpet option is not a widely used option. It looks and feels like it is wool, but is a less expensive substitute. It’s resistant to mold and mildew.

Wool
Made from all natural fibres, wool is the most expensive carpet option. It’s known for being a durable option that feels great. Both stain and dirt resistant, this carpet does fade in direct sunlight.

Grout lines can have a huge effect on the way the tile floor installation looks. There are no hard right or wrong answers for what size grout lines should be. However, there are some guidelines for the appropriate size grout joint for technical and aesthetic reasons. For example, when using tiles with imperfect edges larger grout lines should be used.

Recommended size grout lines
Natural stone: 1/16″ or 1/8″
Rectified (sharp) edge tile: 1/16 or 1/8″
Regular tile: 3/16″, 1/4″, up to 3/8″ or 1/2″
Saltillo or Mexican tile: 3/4″ or 1″

The size of grout line dictates the type of grout your installer (or if you’re DIY’ing it, you) will use. If your grout lines are 1/8″ or wider, use a sanded grout. As the name suggests, this grout has a fine sand added to it that prevent the grout from excessive shrinking while curing. Unsanded grout is only recommended for lines smaller 1/8″ wide.

Much thought and effort is put into choosing a carpet, deciding which fibres and colours are best. Even though you won’t see it after installation, carpet pad (or carpet cushion) is an important part of carpet installation that should not be neglected.

Why is carpet pad important?

• It will make carpet feel feel thicker, softer, and more comfortable underfoot
• Carpet will last longer because carpet pad relieves stress on carpet backing and fibers
• Noise is reduced and carpet feels warmer due to extra thermal insulation
• Installation of carpet pad is often a condition necessary for the manufacturers warranty of new carpets

How do I know what carpet pad is right for me?

The type and thickness of carpet pad needed will vary based on the traffic level and carpet. Areas with light traffic like a bedroom are best suited to thicker and softer carpet pad. Hallways, living rooms, and other heavy traffic areas require a thinner and firmer cushion.

As a general rule, the carpet and rug institute recommends a maximum thickness of 7/16″ for cut pile residential carpet. For a low carpet like Berber or commercial carpets, carpet pad should be 3/8″ or less. Full details about the best carpet padding system for your preferred carpet are best reviewed with a salesperson.

It’s not only humans that are affected by UV light – your hardwood floors are too. Avoiding the surprise of “bad tan lines” on your wood floors is a process as easy as buying sunscreen. It starts with understanding photosensitivity.

Wood is a natural material, and like fine wines, it ages. Instead of wrinkles, wood shows its age through gradual changes in colour. The amount of colour change a species of wood experiences depends on photosensitivity, also known as the reaction a material has to light.

The chart below shows the average photosensitivity of each species. Each species is rated from stable to 10, with stable species less likely to change colour and “10” species experiencing a more dramatic change in colour.

Always ask your sales representative about the photosensitivity of the specific hardwood you’re interested to get a complete understanding of the effects UV light will have on your floor.

If your dream floor is more photosensitive than you had hoped, don’t worry. Take the following steps to find out if photosensitivity will have an impact on the hardwood floor you’ve envisioned:

1. Plan for the colour change by finding out what your floor will look like once its colour has changed. Will it get darker or lighter, and more importantly, do you like that colour? If you do, onto step two.
2. Consider how much light the space will get. If the space doesn’t get much UV light, the colour will not change much.
3. If the space does get a lot of light, consider investing in blinds or window coverings and closing them during the day to minimize UV light.
4. Rearrange furniture, mats, and area rugs occasionally to ensure even colour change.

By understanding the photosensitivity of your hardwood floors you can take the appropriate steps to prevent unexpected colour changes.

Carpet is often not thought of as an eco friendly flooring choice but advances in carpet manufacturing and new fibre options available are changing that.

Wool carpets
Made from the cut hair of sheep and llamas, wool is a great renewable choice. It’s durable as well as fire and stain resistant. Wool carpets trap pollutants to keep them out of the air and are a less hospitable to dust mites.

They look and feel luxurious, like the area rug in the picture above from Unique Carpets. But the luxury of wool comes at a higher price than synthetic carpets. Consider purchasing wool carpets as an investment in your home and sustainability.

Plant fibres
The variety of natural plant fibres available presents more biodegrable and sustainable options. While some plant fibre carpets are available as wall to wall carpets, they are most often used for area rugs.

One popular choice is Sisal, made from the leaves of the agave plant. It’s a durable, easy to clean, and absorbent choice. As with many plant fibres, Sisal is known for being scratchy so make sure you feel a sample before choosing it.

Seagrass is a thicker plant fibre grown underwater. It’s known for being easy to care for. Its natural dark pigment is retained because is it unable to hold dye. This makes it good for hiding dirt tracked inside by kids and pets.

Carpet recycling
If planet fibres aren’t suitable for your space and wool is out of your budget, there are still some eco-friendly options available. We work with a 100% Canadian company to offer carpet recycling. After we remove your carpets from your home, they are sent to the carpet recycling plant. At the plant the carpets are sorted by fibre, sheared and converted into pure fibres. Depending on the fibre type, the fibres will be sent to manufacturing companies and can be used to create new carpet and other products that use nylon or polypropylene fibres as inputs. One example of these recycled carpets is the Anso Nylon carpet. This carpet is made from fibres of recycled nylon carpets and can be recycled again and again. Anso Nylon maintains good performance and continues to look stylish after each time the fibres are recycled.

Shaw’s environmentally friendly manufacturing focus extends beyond recycling carpet. The EcoLogix carpet cushion system is made from 91% post consumer recycled content from recycled plastic bottles.