The Best Carpet for Stairs

No other area in your house has a traffic pattern like your stairs. Your steps probably fall a little heavy, and most people walk the same path and rhythm every time. Even in hallways, you step lighter and not in exactly the same area. As a result, it is important to know the best carpet for stairways. How can you select a carpet that will last?

How Long Does Carpet for Stairs Last?

The good news: choosing a durable, quality fiber carpet with a non-directional weave will help achieve a longer-lasting staircase. The bad news: there is no super Teflon coating that will help your stairs last as long as the carpets in the rest of your home. Experts say that you can expect your stairwell carpets to last about one-half the time that of the same carpet elsewhere in your home.

Choosing Carpet for Stairs

So, where do you start? At Bloomsburg Carpet, we always start with the type of fiber. Both wool and nylon are very strong fibers. Both types of carpet fibers are durable and resilient against heavy foot traffic. This resilience helps prevent premature aging that many carpets in high-traffic areas, like stairs (and hallways), experience. Let’s take a brief look at each type.

• Wool Carpet

Wool carpet is extremely durable, but it requires special care to keep it clean and maintained. Its absorbent qualities make it prone to mildew when exposed to spills. Additionally, it can be prone to sun damage.

• Nylon Carpet

Likewise, if left untreated, nylon is prone to staining. However, when treated, it also has the best stain resistance. Nylon is very strong, resists sun damage, and is not prone to abrasions.

The Importance of Weight and Density

Next, it is important to consider the weight and density of carpet for stairs. The denser the carpet, the less wear that appears.

Consider a spring meadow vs. the same meadow in the fall. The density of the carpet of flowers is much lusher in the spring, and you are less likely to notice damage to that carpet of flowers. It is also more likely to spring back after being walked on with the support of other flowers and plants lifting and supporting it.  The same goes for a dense nylon or wool carpet.

Don’t Forget About the Weave!

After choosing a fiber with the correct density, it is time to choose the weave. A weave with a twist is important. The twist level is the amount of twist that two plies (or more) of fiber are given. You can sometimes count the twists by examining the face of the carpet carefully. The more twists in the fiber, the less dense the carpet needs to be, and it can even have less fiber. A short, medium dense, 40-ounce face fiber, high twist carpet will last as long as many looped carpets.

Which Carpet is Right for Your Stairs?

Arming yourself with this information will provide you the tools you need to make the best choice. Ask yourself questions such as the following.

• Will there be a window allowing sunlight to reach the carpet?
• Will the carpet be exposed to moisture?
• Do you have large dogs with harsh nails that will break down the wool?
• Do you have small children?
• Is anyone in the home allergic to wool?

Use the answers to these questions to choose the best carpet available.

Additional Things to Keep in Mind

Once you’ve made your choice, you might consider purchasing extra footage to re-carpet the stairs at the half-life of your carpet, to keep your stairwell decor as fresh and marvelous as the rest of your home. This extends the lifetime of your home’s carpeting. Going one step further, you might consider installation methods that allow for the replacement of one step at a time, as the top and bottom stairs typically wear out faster than the others. A waterfall type installation on stairs requires the entire length of carpeting to be replaced.

Call Bloomsburg Today!

Of course, when you are looking for the highest quality carpets to be installed on your stairs, you’ll need professional installation. American Carpet Dealers and Agents will be able to help you navigate these questions and more thus allowing your family to tread softly for years to come on quality carpets from Bloomsburg Carpet made in the USA. If you have any further questions, call us today.