Flooring and Carpeting can be a complex and and in-depth project. Here at The Floor Store we try our best to help our customers. One way way we do this, is by answering FAQ's that customer's ask.
Please reach us at 800-721-2303 if you cannot find an answer to your question.
Humidity is the biggest cause of carpet buckling. It's most common during the summer due to the drastic change in temperature difference during the cooler months. Humidity causes moisture in the air that penetrates the carpet, and causes it to swell. If this does happen to your carpet, it's not ruined, you can still "re-stretch it" and repair it. You will need professional assistance to help repair the carpet, please be advised.
Nylon is well known for being the more durable fiber, but polyester has made large strides in recent years. Polyester is carrying better texture retention warranties and is inherently stain resistant and will out perform nylon wool, in this regard.
Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) is a great choice for flooring but its rigid core is the toughest, most durable vinyl flooring option on today's market. It's engineered that has an enhanced rigid core construction for dimensional stability, and is 100% moisture resistant. LVT also carries a commercial grade wear layer and won't indent from heavy objects.
A solid hardwood is a solid piece of wood with no layer whereas engineered wood is constructed of layers both hardwood and plywood. Engineered floors are still comparable in cost to solid hardwood although the veneer usually are too thin to sand and re-finish so solid hardwood offers a longer lifetime. Engineered wood is a thin veneer of wood on the surface that is fused with criss-crossed layers of wood slices underneath which helps against expansion and contraction . Avoid in the kitchen, bathrooms, and basements.
Some people prefer six pound density because it is slightly softer underfoot than on the #8 pad. However eight pound pads provides better support for your carpet and will make it wear better. A carpet padding should be no more than 7/16 thick per industry standards.