What type of carpet-Basement

[Huskie]

I need to recarpet our finished basement,it has a family room, a living room, one bedroom and a bathroom, plus the steps going down. We had a berber down there that we were ok with, what are some options for us from some people who have a similar situation or from some carpet installers and other experts. We want a lighter color, not sure about what else to look for, we are down in the Fairmont Mn. area on I 90. Thanks.

[traveler]

Husker, I assume the berber was stretched in over pad? Certainly the way to go in most cases; kangaback/rubberbacks don't perform in the long run, and I won't even install them (unless someone insists or has already bought carpet before they contact me).

That being said, what else would you like to know? If you were OK with the berber thats certainly a popular way to go, especially for family rooms/lower levels. But really you can put most anything down there, we do it all the time. I'd give the same advice as for any area....lower, tighter carpet for higher traffic areas, multi color/varied height to hide dirt/wear. Thinner, denser pad for higher traffic. Good pad is the best thing you can do for carpet. And, of course, quality installation is a must. Beware any place that only offers a 1 year warrenty on thier installs.

[Redlantern]

Why does berber seem to be so popular in basements? I have it in mine but it was here when I bought the house.

[traveler]

Berber hit the scene in a big way about 20 yrs ago, everybody kind of went over board with it, new kid in town sort of thing. We were putting it in living rooms, bedrooms, all kinds of places where tough, flat carpets were overkill.

More recently it's settled into where it should have been in the first places...high traffic, basements, etc...

On the other hand, there are other styles of carpet that will work even in those areas. Pretty much any low, tight carpet will hold up well if installed well over a thinner, denser pad. The fact that many berbers are earth toned, somewhat flecked colors helped their popularity too, and now many other styles of carpets offer those color schemes as well.

One other thing berber does offer is a myriad of patterns and designs. You'll see tons of different patterns that can add to decorating schemes, important to some folks.

[Walleye Guy]

I would avoid berber if you have animals that shed. the hair gets caught in the loops and it is really hard to get out compared to a cut pile type carpet. Berber wears like iron though.

[CrazyLabs]

You can put any carpet in the basement, just don't skimp on the pad...especially if you have any moisture down there (moisture doesn't have to be standing water). Traditional Berber made of Olefin was popular because it is very difficult to stain. The reason why you don't see Olefin in any other carpet besides a Berber style is because Olefin fibers mat down. It's just not that obvious in a Berber style loop.

If you are looking for a carpet that wears well, go with a textured Stainmaster (or equivalent treatment) nylon. A textured style hides the dog hair a bit more than a plush, and you don't have the issue of snagging like you do with Berber. Also, in a lot of textured carpets, the vacuum marks are a little less obvious than a plush.

Also, nylon carpet fibers bounce back. If you are one that rearranges the furniture, berber and polyester carpets will leave marks for quite a while. Nylon carpets will recover much faster.

[traveler]

Also, olefin feels slightly "oily" to the touch (kind of hard to explain). We are seeing some berbers with 25% nylon lately...no doubt an attempt by manufacturers to offer the best of both worlds. But nylon is still king.

[Huskie]

We did have an average pad beneath the original berber, had the washing machine overflow and are awaiting the insurance settlement. They will replace the carpet and pad in all but the bedroom. We are concerned with the snagging issue of the berber, but it didn't happen with the other carpet. What brands are the best if we go with a nylon textured carpet and what would we expect to pay for 110 yards. I have an installer lined up and we will go with a better pad this time. Thanks for the info so far. Huskie

[GotOne]

If you go with a berber, the shorter-tighter loops will look better for a longer period of time. A pattern and/or multi level berber will tend to flatten/show wear patterns sooner. A "blend" olefin/nylon for example, will have two different wear characteristics, which could be a problem. Make sure it's "power stretched" and the installer uses seam sealer on each cut edge of seamed pieces...any style that installed.

If you go with a nylon, textured carpet, the tighter the carpet is constructed and the lower the profile, the better it will look for a longer period of time. Stay away from the longer tufts, they will flatten and lay-over sooner in the traffic lanes.

[311Hemi]

How does moisture affect the pad? Why is a good pad better than an average in regards to moisture?

My basement should soon be done soon...and we will be looking for carpet this week or next.

[CrazyLabs]

How does moisture affect the pad? Why is a good pad better than an average in regards to moisture?

If you get a pad with a moisture barrier, that will help prevent moisture coming up from the concrete. Usually, these pads are an upgrade from the basic, though well worth it.

I had carpet installed by the big orange box a while back and I had a very positive experience. I saved a bit by tearing out my existing carpet and moving my own furniture, but other than that, the price cant be beat. When your paying $139 for install, $10 a step doesn't seem like much more in the grand scheme of things. I was not charged for my transition metals (they're free) and they also replaced quite a bit of my tack strip for no charge either.

As stated by someone else, I got one of the carpets on the cube for a phenomenal price and I couldn't be happier.

[311Hemi]

Good to know, thanks. We will be going with an upgraded bad.

Having two dogs and a few cats at home....I assume the really short carpets will show hair much easier than a longer carpet? After looking at the orange box last night we like the mid to longer carpets because we felt it would show less hair.