Carpet Squares - What You Absolutely Need to Know Before Shopping
0 comments Posted by ariya at 21:59Carpet squares and tiles, manufactured from carpet goods, are used most commonly in the Do-It-Yourself market segment. A very typical use is in a playroom. Other areas that you will see carpet tiles installed are bonus rooms, basements, and spare rooms. Almost anyone can install these themselves with a level, clean floor and a sharp carpet knife!
Many tiles and squares now have an integral padding with an underside that has a tacky finish to keep the tile in place. To install, you simply start with a level layout and work your way throughout the room. Not only are they easy to put down, but if one ever gets soiled enough that needs changing, you simply pull it up and replace it with a spare (hint, buy extra when you purchase to have extras later on down the road, you will thank me later!).
The most predominant and popular carpet squares come in 18"x18" tiles and have a residential look and feel of a cut pile or trackless design carpet. You will see a variety of different yarns used in manufacturing ranging from Nylon to Polypropylene. Another type of square available is a commercial loop design. This commercial style will usually come in 3'x3' squares and have a little heavier rubbery backing than the residential styles. You can use either one depending on the look and style you like.
If you are using a solid tile, consider doing a checkerboard design! A checkerboard design looks great when down and can give a room a little more flair than just a solid square. If you don't like the uniform look of the checkerboard layout, try mixing two colors in the squares to create a contemporary design. You can do this by using a primary color square for about 60-70 percent of the room and then randomly use another contrasting colored square every thirf or fourth tile you install.
When shopping for carpet squares and tiles keep in mind this hint, convert the price per square foot to price per square yard (take the price per square foot and multiply by 9). The price per square foot may be a little deceiving. For example, if the tiles are $3.00 a foot, that's $27.00 a yard! For $27.00 a yard you can get much better carpet and padding including installation for less money. Just keep a watchful eye out for the discounted deals under $.99 cents or so per foot if you are looking for an inexpensive solution. The concept of using carpet squares centers around being able to do it yourself, not necessarily saving a lot of money on the materials. Don't get me wrong, you can find great deals out there, just be sure you make an informed decision when looking at options.
Labels: carpet, Carpet Squares, Shopping
Carpet tiles and Squares are popular but often understood. They were invented to provide an easy replacement strategy for high traffic areas when an area became worn, stained or soiled. The owner could pull up the bad tile or squares and simply lay a new one down with a double faced tape or a slight bit of glue. The concept took off and became rapidly popular. The trend even made it's way into the residential segment as a great Do-It-Yourself project for homeowners. Tiles and carpet squares were now being used not only in offices, hotels, restaurants etc, but also in basements, playrooms, bonus rooms, and even bedrooms. Although Carpet tiles and squares are probably the easiest flooring to install, they aren't always the least expensive option. Some first quality tiles end up costing more than the total price of carpet, padding and installation. That's were the secret lies. If you're considering using carpet tiles and squares, be sure to look at off goods and seconds! They will not only install easily, but will also be a lower total cost for the project than most any other solution.
What is an off good or second in carpet tiles? Any tile that cannot be sold as first quality, will be classified as a second, third, or general off good. These terms can mean several things but here is a pretty good breakdown of what constitutes a non first quality carpet tile or square.
• If the tile has a pattern, the pattern may be slightly skewed, off center, or have an irregular shape to the design.
• If the tile or square is a solid color but is off color or has a streak that is lighter or darker than the rest of the tile.
• Sometimes you will see a plush style that has a thin loop line. This is where the machine did not cut the loop as it was supposed to.
• Occasionally, you will get a tile that has irregularities in the padding or backing. In most cases, this wouldn't cause an issue. If you have a tile that does have a backing issue, just cut the bad part off and use the rest or use it as the tile that is on the outside next to the wall.
• If the backing is separating from the carpet, this can cause a tile to be a second or third quality. Sometimes this is as simple as using a little glue in the spot where it is separating. If it is a significant amount, just cut the bad part out and use the remainder against the wall.
A tip when using off goods carpet tiles and squares is to not only buy extra, but to also consider using two different color tiles. You can create a neat checkerboard look that will really add style to the room as well as hide blemishes in any of the tiles.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eric_M_Dyer
There are a wide variety of cheap carpet tiles available on the market. Home and business users will likely be surprised by the wide variety of tiles available today. The carpet tile market has come a long way since it was first created. No longer are we restricted to the cheap and ugly looking tiles of the past. The various carpet square types can basically be divided into the following groups: Cut and loop, flatweave, hooked rug, knotted pile, needfelt, Saxony, textured Saxony, tufted, and woven. Colors and patterns for this flooring style are limitless. You can find everything from solid color schemes, variegated colors, striped patters and many more. Some manufacturers even offer customized designs on the tiles - so if you ever wanted to commemorate your favorite sports team, carpet tiles might just be the way to go.
The price range of these modular carpets can vary greatly depending on your exact parameters. Although you can spend a tremendous amount of money getting top of the line tiles in your home, modular carpets do not have to break your bank account. These carpets are one of the most economical choices the average person has available to them when making their flooring decision. Cheap carpet tiles can easily be found in the $1 and under price range.
Oftentimes people find that there is very little cost saving from a square foot perspective when they begin pricing modular carpets and compare them to traditional carpets. The benefits of using carpet squares instead of conventional wall-to-wall carpet go beyond a simple price per square foot comparison. When the installation price is factored into the equation modular carpets will often come out the clear winner. This is because the installation of carpet tiles is so much simpler than installing regular carpet. Traditional carpet installs is a laborious task. The simple act of hauling around large rolls of carpet is difficult enough. The installation of carpet rolls can be an all day task and is something the average person should not attempt to do themselves.
Modular carpet on the other hand is very easy to install. It is not a complex process. In fact there are no specialized tools required for the installation. Because the carpet comes in easy to manage tiles, transportation and movement of the carpeting is very easy. The most common tile size is roughly 18 inches square. One of the nicest attributes of modular carpets is that they can be placed over virtually any hard surface with no additional prep work. The tiles can be laid right over common floor surfaces like concrete, plywood and stone. The carpet tiles have an adhesive back so there is no gluing, stapling or nailing required for the installation to be successful. As long as you have a ruler to keep the tiles straight and scissors or a sharp knife to do any necessary trimming, you basically have all the required tools for the installation. Because installation is so easy the installation fee should be less than what is charged for a conventional carpet roll. The difference in installation costs can make a dramatic difference in the final cost of the carpet.
Of course the installation of this carpet is so easy that a professional installer is hardly necessary. If you are the type of person that likes to do projects around the home yourself, installation of carpet tiles is one job you should be able to accomplish relatively easily. If you choose to do the installation yourself just make sure that you have cleaned the surface that the tiles will be placed on, this will make sure that nothing interferes with the adhesion of the glue. Doing self installs of modular carpets are an excellent way to make cheap carpet tiles even cheaper.
Looking for ways to purchase Cheap Carpet Tiles click on the link, otherwise go to Carpet Tiles for more information
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Brick
Do you want cheap carpet that you can easily install yourself? Well, I once carpeted a large bedroom for a total cost of about $12. You read that right, and no, the carpet was not used carpet. I did it with carpet samples.
I bought them for 25 cent apiece at a closeout sale, and it took 36 squares of carpet to finish the room. The only other supplies I used were the staples, which cost about a dollar. Normally, you might pay a dollar each for squares of carpet. I found them available for half that just a few weeks ago, but in any case, this is cheap carpet.
This is an unusual style, though, and you may have to consider the resale value of your home. The bedroom I carpeted this way was in a rental mobile home, where cheap and unusual styles are the norm. Ordinarily, you will want to save this trick for areas like basements, playrooms, and maybe a children's clubhouse. Still, it doesn't look so bad - actually it looks just fine if you mix the various colored squares of carpet well.
In a children's playroom, the multi-colored floor is perfect. It is cheerful and colorful, and if a spill stains one of the carpet squares, you can easily pull it up and install a new one in its place. This is a nice advantage of carpeting a room this way.
Installing Cheap Carpet
The only things you will need to carpet a room with carpet samples or squares is a carpet knife and a staple gun. 5/8-inch staples have worked best for me. Begin at any corner. Just put the piece in place and staple it in two or three places along each side. Wiggle the stapler head down between the fibers, or between the border and the fibers, and the staples will usually be well-hidden.
When carpeting a basement floor, you can use carpet tape instead of staples. In either case, this is best done where padding isn't too important. Of course, you can use padding too, if you don't mind the complications, but without it, this is pure simplicity.
You might want to lay out the pieces first, to decide where each will go. When you come to walls, heating registers, and other obstacles, you can easily cut the pieces to fit. If you make a mistake, it cost you perhaps a dollar. Just start over with a new piece.
Before you start, estimate how many pieces you'll need, and call around to find a carpet store that has enough samples for sale. The carpet samples at different stores range in size, but are usually at least 18 by 18 inches. Using pieces that are all the same size is the easiest way to go. Even at a dollar, this makes it less than 50 cents per square foot to carpet a room. That's cheap carpet!
Published At: www.Isnare.com
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=47764&ca=Home+Management
