So your in the market for new carpet. There are too many options to choose from and your trying to make your final decision. Your decision is…waiting…waiting…it’s berber! Really? Are you sure? Let’s talk about the advantages and disadvantages of berber carpet for a minute. When it comes to berber one does not know really what to expect from it. I deal with customers on a daily basis that absolutely love berber! But then, there are others that regret making the purchase. It’s just like anything else, everything is personal opinion and preference! But, here we are going to look at berber from a maintenance perspective.
As stated, berber is a personal preference as any carpet purchase is! But, there are many things to look a before making that final purchasing decision. Here are some things to consider before purchasing berber carpet for your home.
- How active is your home & durability?
- Do you have pets?
- Children in the home?
- The look your going for?
- Maintenance – Friendly or Not?
- Glued down or padded?
- Patterned or not?
As you can see, there are a few things to consider before installing berber or any flooring surface. You have to live with the decision once installed…be happy with your purchase. Here we go!
***We will start with number (1) listed above and go down the list.
How activity within your home is an important factor when purchasing berber carpet. From a professional’s perspective this is where berber has it’s positives and negatives. Let’s start with the the advantages. I think berber is a “great choice” from a wear perspective. So, if your home is “super active” then berber would be a great choice! It wears extremely well from foot traffic, especially in the high traffic areas. It also has the ability to be padded or glued down to the sub-floor or foundation beneath. Either way, your going to be able to wear the carpet with good results. Keep in mind, there are different grades (quality) of berber sold on the market today. I think that speaks for itself! Also, berber makes a great play surface for children such as, rolling toy cars, building puzzles…children seem to like it! So from a durability perspective, I think berber is an advantage! Now, if your a family that like to move heavy objects across the carpet (moving furniture) then you need to be very careful with berber! Berber carpet is what is classified as a “LOOP” construction. This means the fiber is sewn into the backing of the carpet as a single strand. My point, if you “push” the furniture across the carpet then you will “Disrupt” the flow of the loop. Basically, you will leave a permanent mark/streak in the carpet that cannot be repaired! So always be careful when doing construction projects with berber carpet.
I don’t believe that berber carpet and pets is a good mix, but people do it all the time! It depends on what you want your carpet to look like through time. My point, we clean carpet in many homes with pets and berber carpet . We always see snagged (loops) from the pets claws leaving an undesirable appearance which can lead to further problems down the road. Also, cleaning up urine & feces off berber can be easily done if not rubbed and manipulated too much! If done improperly you will disrupt the loop leaving permanent damage.
As stated above, berber can be a great play surface for children. Berber gives a little on the cushion side of things. So if you have a toddler or young infant, then you can feel comfortable laying them down to play. You would not want to do this with a hard surface. Berber is down right a safer option for your child. Also, smooth surfaces are great for young children to play on (ie: rolling toys, walkers etc…) and may help for toddlers beginning to walk. The truth is, your carpet choice is personal preference…that’s it!
There will be some cosmetic differences between berber and tradiditonal carpet (twisted fiber) for sure. Berber will typically make a room look LARGER/BIGGER than other carpet styles, especially if you go with a patterned berber carpet. Installing berber with a pattern is similar to installing ceramic tile, the bigger the pattern, the bigger the room looks! This is a definite advantage to installing berber carpet. Also, berber has a NEAT/CLEAN & CRISP look that regular carpet does not have. So if contemporary is your thing, then you’ll love berber! You will also find berber in unique color combinations as berber is more in style these days (patterned berber).
Maintenance can be tricky with berber. Already mentioned in this article, we talked about moving furniture across the floor causing permanent damage to the carpet. Well, if stained, rubbing will do the same thing! NEVER RUB BERBER CARPET! If you do, it’s permanently damaged! Your going to have accidents from time to time! Whether your child spills a soda or the dog urinates on the carpet, please extract the stain by machine…do not rub! Blot until the stain is lifted and remove excess with water extractor. Also, you will find that liquids will soak through berber carpet quickly. This can cause wycking or re-soiling issues if not extracted properly (the stain comes back). When vacuuming, make sure there are no snags in the carpet or the brush on the vacuum will grab the snag and RUN the carpet! If you get a run in the carpet, it’s permanent as well! Be sure to trim all snags on your carpet before vacuuming. Vacuuming will definitely be easier with berber carpet as the vacuum cleaner glides more freely making the job easier. Be sure to set your vacuum on a low setting, this will allow proper dislodging of dust particles to be vacuumed up and disposed of. Caution: If you set your vacuum too low it can burn the carpet causing permanent damage as well…be careful. Most carpet technicians find berber carpet more difficult to clean as well. This could lead to higher costs at the time of cleaning.
Glued down berber is super “Old School” and you do not see it very much anymore except in commercial properties. I recommend using a 6-8 lb Rebond pad for decent cushion. A good carpet padding is important for you and the longevity of your carpet. I recommend glued down berber on patios or any outdoor surface you want carpeted. Yes, they make an outdoor version of berber as well. Not much else to say about this one…it’s up to you!
We already discussed patterned berber earlier in the article, but there are other reason you might want to think about a pattern vs. non-patterned berber. Many furniture pieces contain patterns as well. So, if your looking to blend everything together then patterned berber is a good choice. Also, patterns just look good! They are not simple and dull! So if you really wanting to spruce things up for a different look, go patterned! There are many custom colors in patterned berber as well. If you want to match a wall color or even accent the floor with a different color, berber will have many choices to choose from. The bottom line, berber carpet has been around for years and is still used in custom homes today. It’s always been touted as the durable, long lasting carpet when needed. Is it for everyone? Only you can make that decision! Hopefully, we have given you some things to consider when making that purchase.
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