Is it good to lay carpet on the second floor? Home carpet: is it worth buying? Explanation of important abbreviations

Today we will talk about the types of carpet and try to clarify whether it is worth laying it on the kitchen floor.

A bit of theory

The name itself speaks of its relationship with the carpet, and someone even mistakenly identifies these different concepts. Carpet is also designed to warm, soften and decorate floors and is made from natural, synthetic or mixed materials. But there are significant differences, presented in the table:

The kitchen means a lot of traffic, a high level of humidity and frequent cleaning. Let's find out if the carpet is appropriate on it.

Types of carpet

According to the area of ​​application, carpet is divided into household and office (commercial). Household carpet, in turn, is conventionally divided into adult and children's, differing in materials and patterns. Bright, with cheerful images, children's carpet is easily recognizable.

The commercial look is superior to the household one in a number of important parameters - density, height, weight, the composition of the pile threads, but loses in color and a meager assortment of patterns.

From the point of view of manufacturing technology, there are 4 types of carpet:

• woven, made of natural materials - jute base mesh, to which linen, cotton, silk or woolen threads are tied;
• tufted (needle-stitched), in which the pile thread is removed through the base;
• needle-punched or lint-free, similar in appearance to felt - it is made with serrated needles that are difficult to entangle the fibers;
• flocked, made of synthetic fibers using an electric static field.

It is believed that the needle-punched look is most suitable for the kitchen.

Materials (edit)

Durability, "pleasantness" and the height of the carpet pile is determined by the material from which it is made. And they make it from natural, artificial and mixed fibers:

The main advantage of natural materials is their naturalness. Externally, natural carpet cannot be distinguished from artificial.

But in terms of performance - durability, ease of maintenance, the ability to withstand mechanical stress, an abundance of moisture, exposure to ultraviolet radiation, to resist the appearance of fungi and microorganisms - artificial materials are better.

Today, many consider nylon (polyamide) to be the best material for kitchen carpet. It is resistant to wear, dirt, durable, easy to clean, retains its original color for a long time, has anti-static properties.

Also, nylon does not keep dents from the legs of heavy furniture and is available in a large assortment of colors and patterns. In second place in popularity is polypropylene carpet.

Basis type

Carpet can be baseless, with one or two bases. The task of the base is to maintain the stable dimensions of the carpet, to prevent slipping, at the same time increasing its sound-, heat-insulating properties and shock-absorbing characteristics.

Natural or synthetic jute (felt) or felt, foamed rubber, latex are used as materials for the base of the carpet. And although the last two options are the most short-lived, baseless kitchen carpet is not an option.

Pile type

The type of pile is distinguished:

1. 1.looped (looped);
2. 2.shorn (split);
3. 3.combined carpet, consisting of cut and uncut loops.

The first type is typical for commercial carpet designed for places with high traffic: it is less likely to let dirt and dust into the covering, but it is also more difficult to clean. But the second one is easier and faster to vacuum.

The concept of pile height refers to split and combined types.

Pile height

The pile height is:

• short - from 2 to 5 mm;
• medium - from 5 to 8 mm;
• high - 8 - 40 mm.

Contrary to stereotypes, it does not particularly affect the wear resistance and durability of the carpet, in contrast to the subsequent characteristics.

Pile density and weight

The density of knots weaving, as well as their weight, is measured in grams per 1 m2. The denser the villi are to each other, the better the coating reduces noise and retains heat. A denser and, accordingly, heavy carpet collects dust worse. Household carpet is characterized by a weight of up to 300-400 g, commercial - over 400 g per m2.

Explanation of important abbreviations

The characteristics of the carpet contain combinations of letters and numbers, united by an important indicator "fire safety class". And here's what they mean:

КМ - material fire hazard level, КМ0 - non-combustible material, КМ5 - super-flammable;
G - flammability, measured on a scale from 1 to 4;
B - flammability, from 1 to 3;
D - smoke formation, from 1 to 3;
T - toxicity, from 1 to 4;
RP - flame spread, from 1 to 4.

Ideally, all numbers should be as low as possible.

But with color fastness, the opposite is true: it is measured on a scale from 1 to 5, and the higher this indicator, the longer the coating will retain its color after repeated walking and cleaning.

pros

The perfect floor covering, completely satisfying in appearance, softness and price, has not yet been invented. But each of them has advantages that determine the choice.

The carpet has a major plus, because compared to tiles, linoleum and laminate, it does not become slippery from water. Do you think it doesn't matter? Tell this to those who regularly sit on the splits from a wet floor or, even worse, get injured, with all the ensuing consequences.

If not every master can lay out ceramic tiles, then a layman will also be able to lay a carpet.

Other advantages of carpet are that it:

• insulates the floor;
• it is pleasant to walk on it;
• absorbs noise 10 times better than hard flooring;
• unpretentious in care;
• fits almost any style of interior;
• keep objects falling on the floor intact;
• perfectly combined with other floor coverings of the same height;
• durable.

Minuses

The disadvantages of carpet include:

• property to accumulate dust;
• creating a suitable habitat for insects, mold fungi and microorganisms.

Also, carpet can cause allergic reactions. Often these disadvantages are eliminated or minimized with a powerful vacuum cleaner, regular cleaning or dry cleaning.

How to determine if the carpet is of good quality? Here are a couple of tips:

• marked with the Latin letter L;
• characterized by a uniform distribution of the pile;
• does not crumble when checked for fracture.

So, is it worth laying carpet in your kitchen? Worth it, but only high quality! To do this, you need to either take a little time and delve into the issue yourself, or, as we did, consult the experts from the Remontnick.ru store.

In America and Europe, carpet is found, if not in all houses, then in every second, relatively speaking. In our country, this type of flooring did not take root very well, and in today's article we intend to find out why this happened and whether we should change our attitude towards carpet. So, according to tradition: all the pros and cons ....

Arguments against"

The first and, perhaps, the most weighty reason to refuse carpeting is that it is much more difficult to maintain cleanliness in the house with it. Moreover, this happens not only because the dense pile retains the smallest particles of dirt, and not even because, unlike a carpet, the carpet cannot be dry-cleaned. The main problem is that carpet is literally a dust magnet! Walking through synthetic fibers will electrify them, and they will begin to attract dust particles. Therefore, it is categorically not recommended to lay the carpet in a room for a small child, asthma or allergy sufferer. By the way, if there are pets with hair in the house, the fight for cleanliness will become even more difficult and fierce, since the hairs get stuck in the carpet so that it is rather difficult to “defeat” them.

Carpet in the living room and / or dining room is contraindicated for those who like to collect guests at home - one glass of spilled wine on the floor and the evening is ruined by the obsessive thought: "If only this stain can be removed!" The same will happen if coffee or other drink is spilled. By the way, aromas from such a coating are also quite difficult.

Many designers are almost squeamish about carpet, advocating for any other floor coverings. Most of them are convinced that carpet is the lot of offices, hotels, restaurants and other public institutions, while the rest simply believe that it is downright cheap. To agree with them or not is your right, and we will move on to the good: why is the carpet comfortable?

Arguments for"

It is not for nothing that corridors, rooms and even staircases are covered with carpet in almost all hotels - this covering perfectly absorbs sounds, providing peace of mind to guests on the ground floor and in the neighborhood. A room with a carpet becomes more intimate, and the steps, by the way, are less slippery, which is very convenient for children and the elderly.

Again, everyone can buy carpet - this is an affordable covering and this is undoubtedly a plus. In addition, it opens up opportunities for us to experiment /: for example, if you are tired of a floor made of natural wood (you want to change something, and tearing down solid boards is just blasphemy), you can lay a carpet right on top of it - cheap and, as they say, angry ...

Modern carpeting can be pretty pretty. Of course, it will not replace the carpet (although who said that it is impossible to lay a carpet on top of the carpet?), But it will definitely add comfort. And everyone who is puzzled by the issue of maintaining cleanliness, connoisseurs of this coating assure: modern technology and cleaning products can cope well even with carpet, otherwise in most hotels the floors would be simply unbearably dirty.

Choosing a floor covering, many decide to make their choice in favor of carpet. This is not at all surprising, because in retail outlets its assortment is very widely disclosed and, as a result, the buyer chooses a product in accordance with personal tastes and financial capabilities. And carpet can be on a natural or artificial basis, have a shorter or longer pile. There are also many color options to choose from. It can be woven or glued, the pile can be fixed with needles or flocking. And depending on the production method, both the service life and the comfort of using such a coating will change.

Carpet has a number of positive characteristics. It is hypoallergenic and environmentally friendly. It is easy to clean with a vacuum cleaner. It absorbs sound waves well and insulates the floor. Of course, there is an option to equip warm floors or choose a carpet in size, but this is most often expensive and not always acceptable. And the carpet is easy to choose the right size and color design, which is guaranteed to decorate any interior in the room. It is especially convenient that even in rooms with irregular geometry, the floor can be completely and evenly covered.
When deciding whether carpet or laminate flooring, many people prefer to choose the first option. After all, the correct installation of laminate flooring requires serious professional skills. It is necessary to be able to cut laminate boards to the desired size, provide for the expansion of the laminate from moisture. And the floor surface must be perfectly flat, otherwise an increased load will go on the laminate locks. At the same time, the laminate is easier to keep clean, but the carpet is softer, soundproof the floor well and creates a true home comfort in the room.
The main thing is that the carpet underlay is also chosen correctly. Many people generally argue that it is overkill. But this opinion is wrong - the substrate allows you to waterproof the floor, smooth out defects and irregularities, makes the floor softer and increases the wear resistance of the coating.

How to choose a carpet

The comfort of the room will depend on the quality of the carpet. If finances allow, then it is better to choose a covering made of natural materials. It is quite simple to distinguish natural components from artificial ones - under the influence of fire, the first will begin to smolder, and the second will simply melt.

How to lay the carpet with your own hands

There are several ways to install carpet, which we will consider. Each has a number of advantages and disadvantages that should be considered in order to avoid mistakes in the future.

Gluing

This option allows you to reliably fix the coating over large areas, because otherwise it may slip or swell, which will cause significant inconvenience. To prevent this, use a different glue to connect the floor and coating. It can be PVA-based glue or another. More detailed advice on the use of glue can be obtained in any building supermarket.
Gluing must be done according to certain rules. And the most important of them is to expel air well from under the coating, for which it should be leveled with a roller from the center to the edges. The glue should dry for about 3 days, but the correction of defects is permissible only until the glue has time to dry.
The main advantage of this method, as well as the main disadvantage, is the reliability of the connection to the floor. After all, sooner or later the question will arise of how to remove the carpet when it is securely glued.

Free styling

This is perhaps the simplest and most common type of styling. It is very similar to how the carpet is laid, but the carpet has non-standard dimensions. It should be laid on the floor surface and the air layer removed with a roller. Although it will still not be possible to completely get rid of the air cushion, in small rooms this will not be too critical. Using this method allows you to keep the flooring under the carpet in a good aesthetic form.

Stretching

It should be chosen when it is planned to change the coating at a certain frequency. Along the walls are slats (called gripper slats) with two rows of sharp metal spikes. A felt backing is laid under the carpet and it is stretched with the help of tools on the gripper rails.
This option does not require special preparation of the floor, because the carpet is constantly in tension, and this adds additional softness to the coating. And changing the cover is somewhat similar to replacing the bumper on a smartphone - easily and quickly. Of course, you can also use free styling, which also makes it easy to change the coating. But in this case, the reliability and quality will be much lower. It is permissible to use stretching in small rooms, the size of which is no more than 5 meters in length or width.

• before laying the carpet, you must certainly spread it and let it rest - this will remove the folds;
• the edges of the carpet are cut with a margin of 10-15 centimeters;
• in order to remove excess at the corners, use a V-neck;
• excess parts of the coating at the edges are cut off at the very end;
• the edges are fixed with a plinth, which is chosen to match the color of the carpet.

Output

Carpet is an excellent flooring material. Its installation does not require much effort and in some ways even resembles spreading a carpet. This creates warmth and comfort in the room, as well as excellent sound and waterproofing when using the right underlay. In addition, carpet cleaning is not difficult. All this speaks in favor of the fact that carpet is a comfortable and practical floor covering.

Video on the correct laying of carpet

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For the first time, the idea to create a carpet of arbitrary size was set by the Americans in the 50s. In the USA, the popularity of carpet immediately skyrocketed, surpassing even the usual parquet in terms of sales. Carpet for the home has become the material that brought him comfort, warmth and a pleasant atmosphere. After the appearance of carpet on the Russian market, its price was quite high, so only wealthy people could afford this type of finishing material. In the current conditions and scale of production, carpet can be afforded by everyone. Now children's rooms, bedrooms, study rooms and restaurant halls are actively finished with carpet. But we have to figure out: is the carpet worth our attention or is it just a tribute to fashion? To answer this question, you need to study its features, as well as advantages and disadvantages.

How to choose a carpet for your home?

The answer to the question of how to choose a carpet depends on a number of factors: type, composition, weaving method, purpose. Having studied them, you can come to the store and choose the finishing material with confidence.

What types of carpet are there?

Weaving method

We are talking about pile carpets, which differ in pile height:

- short-haired (up to 5 mm);

- medium pile (up to 15 mm);

- high-pile (up to 40 mm).

The choice of pile height depends on the room, for example, for a bedroom, where we most often come to rest, it is better to choose a high-pile carpet, it will be pleasant to the touch and inviting to rest. For a study or living room, it is better to choose a short-haired one, since the permeability there is higher.

However, the density of the product is considered a more important indicator. The higher it is, the longer the coating will last, retain its shape and pattern.

Pile type

1. Velours. The villi are distributed in such a way that a feeling of homogeneity is created, but, unfortunately, traces of shoes and dirt are visible on such a homogeneous structure, therefore it is not recommended to lay it in the hallway.
2. Saxony. It is used to create elite products, it has a granular structure.
3. Felt. Initially, the material (wool fibers) is pressed into several layers, which has undergone preliminary chemical treatment. If the manufacturer has not covered the material with a special water-repellent impregnation, stains will remain on the surface.
4. Cutlup. Combines high loops and low cut threads to create embossed patterns. Often used for bedrooms.
5. Frize. It does not require careful maintenance, moreover, there are hardly visible traces of shoes on its surface.
6. Print. It is used for children's rooms, as it allows you to create fabulous images.

Purpose

In order to extend the service life and maximally preserve the attractiveness of the carpet, you need to choose it correctly, in accordance with the characteristics of the room in which it will lie.

1. Bedroom. Natural base (wool) and tufted look of the product. It is important to remember that the care of this product involves the use of only dry detergents. Water and liquid powders (gels) can deform the coating.
2. Living room. In this room, you want practicality and originality. This will be achieved with a tufted synthetic carpet. The material is soft, does not "shrink", is resistant to wear. In addition, there are just a lot of color solutions, so you can diversify the living room without much difficulty.
3. Hallway. In the hallway, you need a coating that is resistant to wear and tear, is easy to clean and does not wear out. Needle-punched synthetic carpet is your choice. It can withstand any cleaning without any problems.
4. Children's. In this room, it is desirable to use ecological materials, so natural carpet is just right. If you have to frequently clean a room, it is better to choose a mixed material that will withstand the aggressive effects of detergents.

How to define quality?

European manufacturers have developed their own quality standards, as evidenced by the large Latin letter "L" in red on the product packaging. If you come across this mark on the label, you can rest assured of its quality.

Also pay attention to the documentation, in which all characteristics should be described in detail: compliance with standards, method of production, dyeing, etc. The accompanying documentation for all European manufacturers is drawn up by TUV (European certification, Germany).

You can write a lot, so pay attention to the number of stars that are assigned to the product after passing the examination. 5 stars are present on elite and expensive materials.

Is it difficult to maintain your carpet?

Regular cleaning and caring for the carpet will extend its service life up to 15 years, if you neglect the rules of care, it will lose its appearance after 3-5 years.

1. Before laying, the material must be allowed to rest for at least 1 week to avoid unpleasant odors.
2. Remove the stain as soon as possible. While the dirt has not yet had time to be absorbed into the structure of the material, it will be easier to remove it than to deal with old stains.
3. A broom or brush will not help clean the carpet; they are simply useless. To maintain cleanliness, it is better to use a regular vacuum cleaner.
4. Test in a small, inconspicuous area before applying harsh chemicals.
5. Vacuuming is recommended at least 2 times a week (in premises with high traffic - 3 times a week).
6. A washing vacuum cleaner for a natural product is prohibited. Moisture is absorbed into the villi, which is fraught with the formation of mold.
7. Once a month, deep cleaning should be carried out using dry products, which should be left on the surface for a while, after which a good vacuum cleaner should be used.
8. If the coating has lost its brightness, it can be returned in a simple way - with a solution of ammonia. For 1 liter of water, 3 tablespoons are used. ammonia, which you need to brush the carpet with with a brush.
9. You can clean the carpet using a steam generator (steam cleaner). Read the packaging in advance, perhaps there are contraindications for a specific coating. The steam generator can be used once a month.
10. Once every 3 months, bactericidal quartzing is permissible in order to completely get rid of bacteria.
11. Pet owners need to stock up on hydrogen peroxide, because it is this remedy that is good in the fight against pet waste products.
12. Soda is a universal remedy that allows you to get rid of, in principle, all types of odors. It is rubbed into the coating and left for 3-6 hours, then thoroughly cleaned with a vacuum cleaner.
13. For dry cleaning, use the dedicated carpet nozzle to comb through the material, working through each area. In this case, the structure of the pile does not undergo changes, it returns to its previous position.
14. It is better to remove natural material or complex dirt by dry cleaning. There, by means of water extraction, it is possible to get rid of all kinds of stains “painlessly” for coating. Afraid of damaging the material, seek professional help.

Which carpet is best for your home?

Having learned more about the types and types of carpets, the question arises: which one is better? It is advisable to choose carpets for the home according to their composition, which can be natural or artificial. At the same time, it is impossible to say unequivocally which is the best carpet for the house, since both have pros and cons.

To call the carpet artificial or natural allows the material that is taken as a basis. The natural coating almost always consists of wool, but you can also find other natural ingredients in the composition to reduce the cost of technology and increase strength, for example, flax or cotton. A natural product absorbs moisture, and when the air is dry, it gives it back. With its help, a pleasant atmosphere in the room is maintained, moreover, the wool does not burn. This is ideal for a nursery, as it is environmentally friendly.

BUT! "Naturalness" affects wear and tear. The product quickly loses its presentation.

Artificial carpet is made on the basis of polyester, olefin, nylon, acrylic and other materials obtained by chemical means. The most common of these is nylon, and here's why: quick clean, abrasion resistant, soft to the touch, and inexpensive. This material is perfect for a room such as a hallway.

There is also a third type of material - mixed. In this case, wool accounts for 10% to 30% of the composition. It has incorporated the advantages of the two previous types and is suitable for a living room, study or nursery.