There has been a lot of buzz going around about the new carpets that are out there. There are so many to choose from! You hear things about SmartStrand by Mohawk, Stainmaster yarn, Tigressa, etc. It's confusing! Which one is the best? Which one is going to be the best value? Well, I promise that all companies have done their research on these products and they all believe they have the best fibers out there. In all honesty, I don't think you'd be making a bad decision on any of the fibers listed above. They all have their positives and negatives. Smartstrand for example, no matter how you slice it, is still a polyester. Polyesters have been known for their superior stain resistance, but have received a bad rap for prematurely matting down, but not necessarily wearing out. Although manufacturers have done a wonderful job increasing the twist levels in this fiber, it's still a polyester and most likely will not wear as well as a nylon. Nylons, such as Tigressa and Stainmaster, are made from the same fiber that airbags, and parachutes are made of. What this means for you is that they are the most durable fibers on the market. They also exhibit built in stain protection, antistatic protection, and texture retention (which is the ability to keep it's appearance over time). What that means for you is that although nylons might cost a little more from the start, they will be the better long time investment. If you'd like more information, check out The World Floor Covering Association and Quality Carpet One for prices and information.
Now that you've gotten a little background on carpet fibers, I've actually taken the liberty of installing a Relax It's Lee's piece featuring Smartstrand fiber in our own home in the bedrooms, one of them being my 6 year old son's room, to see if it can hang with the nylons on all accounts. When you buy Lee's, you also get a 25 Year No Exclusion Stain Warranty, plus a 25 Year Wear Warranty, and a 15 Year Texture Retention. Plus, you can try it out for 120 days to decide whether to like it or not. If you hate the color or styling after installation, it'll be replaced for FREE! Ask Luna, Empire, Home Depot, or Lowes if they'll do that for you and I promise they'll laugh at you. Now this will be my personal test run and I promise it will get abused. I'll keep you updated with pics and more information!
