Installing New Carpet in a Dining Room

Striking copper wall sculpture or a wrought iron copper tree wall art can create a focal point in your dining room. And if the flooring isn’t to your liking, new carpet can give your dining room a facelift, although carpet in the dining area is not a traditional choice. Soft underfoot and beautiful to behold, carpet can be a good choice for the dining room, especially if you choose carpet that is pretreated with stain lifters. Let's look at some of the factors you should take into consideration when installing new carpet in a dining room.

Traffic in the Room

The type of carpet that you choose for your dining room should be based on the amount of traffic that you get in the room. If it is a formal dining room, you likely don't use the room all that much, so you can go with a carpet that is meant for areas of low traffic. If you use your dining room every day, you will want a carpet that is manufactured for areas of high foot traffic.

Photo credit to jburgin.

Types of Carpet

There are several types of carpet that are capable of standing up continual use and possible abuse in the dining room, including:

-          Cut pile.  This type of carpet can range from standard textures that you might find in cheaper varieties to very formal plush carpet that might be found in posh master bedrooms. If you go for a cut pile carpet, go for texture pile as it has a number of different lengths of fibers, which makes it good for hiding vacuum marks and footprints.  Cable carpet is also a good choice because it doesn't show impressions when has been walked on because of its thicker fiber composition. 

-          Berber.  Berber carpet is made with "loops" that are the same length.  Berber is a durable carpet choice that is track resistant and holds up particularly well to traffic. 

-          Frieze. Frieze is made with fibers that have been twisted and crimped, which causes the carpet to take on a unique texture.  Frieze carpet fibers are more durable because of the way that they are twisted, which makes this a great carpet selection if you use your dining area often. 

-          Nylon.  Seven out of ten carpet installations use nylon carpet.  Nylon is particularly durable while being soft and resistant naturally to stains.  Nylon tactesse is another form of carpet made from nylon that is stronger than traditional nylon while being softer because the fibers are more densely packed in.  Nylon tactesse is much more expensive than traditional nylon, but will last for years longer. 

-          Wool.  Wool carpet is made from natural fibers and is an expensive, high-end selection.  However, wool carpet is a great investment because it can last for many years and is very soft underfoot.  Wool is not ideal for homes with children because spills tend to absorb into the carpet just like it is a sponge, and stains can be very difficult to get rid of.  Wool is a great, environmentally friendly carpet choice for homeowners who are looking to go "green". 

Installing Carpet

If you are a bit handy, you can install your own carpet in the dining room, although most people prefer to have a professional installer to lay carpet because the expense of carpet negates mistakes being made.  Many carpet stores and carpet outlets will agree to install the carpet for free with a carpet purchase, or at a nominal cost.