Cut Pile Carpet for Cats

Pile type is one of the most important factors to consider when trying to choose the best carpet for cats. Every cat owner has, at some point, had to deal with their scratching at anything they can get their paws on. While they’ll commonly go for couch arms, table legs, and other pieces of furniture, it’s likely that your floors will also end up a victim. Opting for a cat-friendly carpet is integral to both your pets health and the survivability of your floors, and that starts with choosing a cut pile carpet.

Carpet fibers are finished in one of two ways: loop pile and cut pile construction. As their names suggest, loop pile fibers form a loop at the carpet surface, while cut pile carpets are trimmed so the ends are loose. When a cat scratches at a loop pile carpet, its claws are likely to snag on the looped fibers, often pulling the fibers from the carpet base, causing the surface to look uneven and leading to premature wearing. 

One way to prevent this is to opt for a carpet that has cut fibers. With no loops to grab onto, it’s less likely that your pet will be able to rip the fibers from a cut pile carpet, which will help to extend its longevity. Think of the difference between combing hair that’s full of knots compared to a smooth, well-groomed mane. Your comb will get hung up on every knot, pulling at the hair, instead of gliding smoothly through it.

And a cut pile carpet isn’t one of the best carpets for cats just because it’s more likely to endure their playing—it’s also safer for the pets themselves. In addition to being a good way to damage the carpet, clawing at looped fibers can can also hurt your pets’ paws. It’s not uncommon for a cat’s claws to get stuck in the carpet loops, which can cause them anything from minor discomfort to serious injury. So instead of a Berber or pattern carpet, try a plush or frieze style for a comfortable, cat-friendly carpet. 

High-Density Carpets

The density of a carpet greatly affects its level of comfort, with denser carpets typically offering a springier, more cushioned feel underfoot. It can also play a significant factor on the stain-resistance of the carpet by helping limit how deep a typical spill will seep into its fibers. As a pet owner, you may not catch every spill or accident your cat has on the carpet. And the longer that accident goes unnoticed, the deeper it will penetrate into the carpet backing and even the padding below.

But the denser a carpet is, the less quickly liquids tend to soak in, helping give you more time to address the mess. The extra time can help you clean up more of the accidents before they fully soak in and cause permanent stains or long-term damage. Aim for a high-density carpet to lower the risk of accidents ruining your flooring. 

Polyester Fibers

An extremely popular choice for homes with pets, polyester fibers are used in many of the best carpets for cats. Polyester fibers are non-porous, which means they won’t absorb liquids. That makes them more stain-resistant than other carpet materials, and also less likely to absorb the odors that tend to linger from a cat’s accident long after you’ve cleaned up the liquid. If you’re looking for a stain-resistant carpet for cats that is easy to maintain, polyester fibers are the way to go. 

Carpet with Darker Colors 

Of course, even with all of the best materials and technologies in place, there’s no way to completely pet-proof any carpet. Stains, whether from missing the litter box or those tiny paws tracking mud in from the yard, are an inevitability in any pet-friendly household. One simple way to mitigae their impact is to skip the white or light carpeting and instead opt for a dark-toned carpet. Dark carpets, or even multicolor carpets with a mix of dark and medium tones, can help conceal minor stains.  

Pet-Protected Carpet

In addition to seeking out each of these specific technical specifications, one easy way to ensure your floors can better stand up to life in a pet-friendly household is to choose a carpet that is specifically crafted to deal with pets and their accidents. Empire Today® offers a range of pet-protected carpet, which is specially designed to help protect against pet urine.

Carpets with PUP® (Pet Urine Protection) are built specifically to resist the penetration of pet urine. These carpets will usually also have additional protective features, like SureBlok Stain Protection for overall resistance against soiling; or Microban®, which inhibits the growth of mold, mildew, and other odor-causing bacteria. These carpet features will all help ease your worries when your cat misses the litter box, and go a long way to letting your carpet and cats peacefully coexist. 

The Bottom Line on Carpet for Cat Households 

So many pet owners think that just because they have a cat, they can’t also enjoy the comfort of carpetted floors. But you can have both, with minimal headaches, simply by choosing a cat-friendly carpet for your home. Choose a carpet style that will accommodate their habits and mitigate their occasional bad behavior, and both you and your cat will be happier in the long run. The Empire® selection of cat-friendly carpets runs the gamut of styles, so you don’t have to compromise on your design goals either. Schedule a FREE In-Home Estimate today to see a selection of carpet that would be ideal for your kitty.

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The major worry that comes along with having new carpeting installed in a basement is the potential for water damage, which is a very valid concern. It’s important to stress that these recommendations are all intended for basements that do not regularly take on water—if yours does, then that’s something that you should address before making any cosmetic or livability updates to the space. But if your only worry is above-average dampness or an overall musty environment, then having carpet installed just might be the first step to creating your family’s new favorite room.

Carpet in the Basement? Really?

Yes! If there were only one upgrade we could give to a basement in order to make it more livable, it would be hard to choose something besides having new carpet installed. A simple soft surface between you and a concrete basement floor can completely transform how the space looks and feels. And it doesn’t have to be the headache that many imagine carpet in the basement will end up being. Here are some of the top reasons why you might want to install carpet in the basement:

It’s a warm, soft surface: Bare concrete is the most uncomfortable surface imaginable for an area where kids will play and the family will gather. Even a hard surface like vinyl flooring can still feel cold, both literally and figuratively. But a cozy carpet in the basement can turn that dim cave into a welcoming retreat. The added warmth and softness will let you kick off your shoes and really relax.

It helps muffles noises: While the basement is probably the best place to corral kids and pets when you want to cut down on noise in the rest of the home, all that ruckus in one spot can get irritating. As large spaces made entirely of bare, hard surfaces, basements can get pretty echo-y and make everything sound louder. A basement carpet floor can cut down on the noise for those who spend time down there, plus it can significantly improve the acoustics of your home theater sound system.

Carpet conforms to surface irregularities: This is an important consideration if you’re still deciding what type of flooring to install in the basement. If your basement floor is like most, it’s not perfectly level. Basement concrete is often not leveled to the tolerances that an above-grade floor would be, especially since upper-story irregularities can be fixed with various forms of underlayment between the subfloor and your choice of flooring. But these irregularities in your basement floor can either fully prevent products like tile or laminate flooring from being properly installed or will rack up additional costs for the labor required for leveling it. But if you don’t mind the slight waves or unevenness of your current basement floor, carpet can be installed right over them, hugging the surface and making that cold slab much more welcoming.

Do You Need to Have Special Carpet Installed in A Basement?

As mentioned in the opening, this article is based on the premise that your basement does not regularly flood. And if yours does stay dry year-round, then any carpet suitable for busy areas of the rest of the home, like a frieze or Berber carpet, will also work as a basement carpet. However, there are some optional features that can be of great benefit in your basement. Here are some things to look for when choosing a basement carpet:

Solution-dyed fibers: Odds are, the basement will be one of the major spots in the home for the rowdier activities. That means heavy foot traffic and a higher likelihood of spills. Solution-dyed carpets are highly resistant to fading and staining and can endure the use of strong cleansers. That means your basement carpet will stay looking new for longer.

Mold and mildew resistance: Even if your basement never takes on water, it will still most likely stay damper than the rest of your home. Add in the lack of natural light and regular air circulation, and it’s an environment perfect for mold and mildew growth. Empire Today® offers a variety of carpets with Microban protection, an antimicrobial treatment that inhibits the formation of mold, mildew, and bacteria.

Odor-reducing carpet: Regardless of your best efforts, it’s common for the basement to always have a bit of a funky smell. It’s just the nature of below-grade space with a lack of natural air circulation. And if that’s where the pets hang out and the kids make their messes, those can contribute to stale smell. Opting for an odor-reducing carpet like HOME Fresh from Empire® can go a long way to cutting down on the dank odors. HOME Fresh is built with natural minerals that actually destroy the compounds that cause bad odors, instead of just covering them up with a fragrance.

Hypoallergenic carpet: This feature often goes hand-in-hand with odor reduction. Hypoallergenic carpets are specially designed to greatly reduce the amount of dust, dander, and other allergens that get trapped in their fibers. They’re also certified not to contain or create any allergens on their own. Look for carpets that have a CRI Green Label Plus certification to be sure you’re getting the low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) carpet.

With all of that said, we know there are some of you who may have been converted to the idea of putting carpet in the basement but are now bummed because yours occasionally gets some seepage. If your basement does take on the rare bit of water but you’d really like to soften those cold floors, then indoor/outdoor carpet might be an option worth considering. It will give you many of the benefits of a traditional Berber carpet while adding a little bit of color to your basement, but it’s built to withstand regular exposure to the elements. That means it should shrug off the occasional exposure to standing water without any issue, plus it’s built to be highly resistant to wear and the formation of mold and mildew.

Want to learn more about whether carpet is the right choice for your basement, or see other possible basement flooring options? Contact us to set up a free in-home estimate and flooring professional will guide you through all of the best choices, letting you see and feel samples of each product, all in the comfort of your home.

The post The Best Carpet for the Basement appeared first on Empire Today Blog.

So, what exactly do these terms mean and when it comes to selecting a carpet, is there any real difference between solution dyeing and piece dyeing? Is one form of dyeing better than the other? Well, each has its pros and cons, and deciding which is a better choice will depend on what traits are most important in your new floors. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at solution-dyed vs piece-dyed carpets in a way that will help you make the most informed choice.

The Basics of Carpet Fiber Construction and Dyeing

Before we get to the dyeing differences, it helps to have a basic idea of how carpet is created. Most modern carpets are typically made from one of three different synthetic fiber materials: nylon, polyester, or olefin (some high-end carpets are also made from wool, but they are rarer, and these dyeing methods don’t both apply). Each of these types of carpet is made by melting pellets of the raw material, and then, via a process known as extrusion, squeezing it through tiny holes in a machine called a spinneret to create a fine fiber. Remember making Play-Doh spaghetti? It’s essentially the same process.

In their raw forms, each of these carpet fibers is usually translucent or has a dull, off-white appearance. So, regardless of the fiber type, every carpet needs to have color added in order for manufacturers to be able to offer a full range of carpet hues to their customers. Without dyeing, all carpeting would be drab and colorless. And while the totally natural look might be sought after on some occasions, people overwhelmingly choose shades with more personality when redecorating their home—especially as the current carpet trends point towards a return to more intense colors and patterns.

Whether a subdued gray, a bold merlot, or anything in between, all carpet gets its color via dyeing. This dyeing process is done through one of the two methods mentioned in the article opening: solution-dyeing or piece-dyeing (sometimes referred to as yarn dyeing). Though they both achieve the same end goal—giving your carpet its distinct color—the methods differ, and each has its pros and cons.

Technical Differences Between Solution Dyeing and Piece Dyeing

With solution dyeing, the carpet coloring is added during the extrusion process—after the raw material has been melted but before it has been transformed into the carpet fibers. If the carpet material was a cake dough, the color would be added during the kneading process. Adding the dye at this time creates a solution—the dye and the raw material get completely mixed and turn into an inseparable compound. As a result, the carpet is colored through and through. If you were to cut a fiber in half, the entire cross-section would have a consistent color.

With piece-dyeing, the color is added after the raw material has been extruded into fiber. The finished fibers are dunked into a vat of dye to take on their final color. It’s the same concept as dyeing an Easter egg or painting a house. Or, to continue the cake analogy, it’s like applying  a colored frosting to a baked cake.

The Benefits of Each Type of Carpet Fiber Dyeing

So what’s the difference between these methods of dyeing carpet fiber, and why should you care? The main and most important difference is the permanence and resilience of the resultant color.

Let’s go back to the cake analogy. Say you’re starting with a white cake mix—this is our raw carpet material. During the mixing process, you decide to add some cocoa to the dough. After completely mixing the ingredients, kneading the dough, and baking it, you will have a chocolate cake. Cut a slice of it, and every bit of the cake will be chocolate, from the entire outer surface to the very middle. It’s essentially impossible to remove the chocolate from the cake once it’s been baked in. This is solution dyeing.

Solution-dyed carpets are prized for their incredible resistance to fading and staining. There is no risk of the fiber color being dulled by strong cleaning agents, which makes it much easier to remove heavy stains. Even if the fibers wear or break over time, the color of the carpet is highly unlikely to change.

Alternatively, you can proceed with your cake as the original recipe suggests. You’ll end up with a beautifully bright, stark white cake. At that point, you decide you want to frost it in chocolate. After whipping up a batch of decadent cocoa frosting, you expertly cover the entire cake in it. Now, when you cut a slice of it, the entire inside will still be white. But on its surface, it’s the most rich-looking cocoa creation ever to come out of your kitchen. This is piece dyeing.

Piece dyeing’s greatest benefit is that it greatly increases the range and intensity of available color options. If you’ve got your eye on a vibrant blue plush carpet, it’s likely a piece-dyed product. Any baker knows that it’s much easier to get bold colors through a layer of frosting than it is to try to dye the entire batch of dough. Piece-dyeing also allows for selective coloring, giving manufacturer’s the flexibility to add design elements or flecks of color after the carpet has been woven.

And the Downsides of Each Dyeing Method

As hinted at above, the main downside to solution-dyed carpet is the limited range and vibrance of possible fiber colors. Solution dyeing can create rich earth tones and reliable neutral shades but falls short when it comes to bolder modern colors like vibrant blues, greens, and reds. To get the desired richness with those shades, manufacturers will almost always turn to piece dyeing.

And the greatest disadvantage to piece-dyed carpet is that those bold colors are more likely to fade or be damaged by wear and harsh cleaners because the dye only exists on the surface of the fiber. Like paint on your car or the frosting on that cake, a deep enough scratch will reveal the bare material underneath.

Is Solution-Dyed or Piece-Dyed Carpet a Better Choice for My Home?

There are very few absolutes in the world of home renovation or redesign, and that extends to your carpet choice. While many flooring professionals will tell you that solution-dyed carpet is always the better option, there will always be variables to consider. It’s true that you should probably look for a solution-dyed carpet for high-traffic homes or if you expect to regularly be scrubbing stains out of your carpet. A carpet whose colors will never fade will be invaluable in these settings. And if you’re specifically interested in more subdued shades anyway, you won’t miss out on anything.

On the other hand, if you make your choice knowing the potential quirks, piece-dyed carpets can be the right choice for your home. After all, there is nothing inherently wrong with piece-dyed carpets; they just aren’t quite as colorfast as solution-dyed options. And they’re still washable, you just have to take some extra precautions with the type of cleaner you use and how intensely you scrub. Plus, with how advanced today’s stain-resistant carpets are, regardless of dye type, the average homeowner doesn’t need to do much deep cleaning. But if you live in a home that doesn’t see tons of traffic or accidental spills, and bold flooring is key to your design scheme, then piece-dyed carpets will likely serve you well—and for many years.

Still need some help deciding on what type of carpet would be best for your home? Give us a call or click on any of the “Schedule In-Home Appointment” buttons on our site to set up a consultation with a carpet professional who will not only guide you through the entire decision-making process, but will do it with a full range of samples for you to see and feel—all in the comfort of your own home.

The post Solution-Dyed vs Piece-Dyed Carpet. What’s the Difference, and Which is the Better Choice for Your Home? appeared first on Empire Today Blog.

Human Smell is Interesting… and Weird

Let’s take a quick journey back to fifth grade science class. How does your sense of smell work? To put it simply, tiny sensory cells high up in your nose have odor receptors. The smell after a rain storm and the smell of a poodle that was just playing in it both release different odor molecules. These microscopic odor molecules are detected by your odor receptors, which send a message to your brain that identifies a particular smell. There’s one catch: you have only have a limited number of odor receptors.

Human smell is influenced by thousands of nerves working together.  Volatile, evaporating materials all around us have odors, but we can only detect a small portion of them . Whether you absorb aromas through your nostrils or your throat via taste, your sensory neurons are providing a unique smell to your brain. Smells that truly reek – like garbage dumpsters on a hot day or freshly cut onions, are a result of your nerve endings on your eyes, mouth, nose, and throat working together. Carpet is in a league of its own when it comes to smells.

How Does Carpet Trap Smells?

Detecting the source of a smell in the home can get really complex, really quickly. It’s one thing if food liquid leaks from the bottom of a garbage bag into your trash can. There’s a quick fix for that: run some soap and hot water and scrub the inside of the trash can. And the same goes for cleaning a non-porous hard surface floor like vinyl plank. A quick mopping and boom—smell  eliminated. But what about a family cooking with aromatic spices all the time? Or a house full of smokers? These odors don’t have a visibly identifiable source, but still seem to perpetually linger in the home

Carpet is often a prime suspect for trapping smells. The source of a carpet smell isn’t always what you think. Thick, shaggy fibers seem like a great hiding place for old food and cooking oils. But it’s not just about particles resting on or among the carpet fibers—if that were the case, then vacuuming would eliminate the smell. As you know, vacuuming isn’t enough.

Carpet smells originate from liquids seeping into the backing layer of the carpet. Quite often, this is a latex pad that the fibers are attached to. When liquids find a home in the padding (and in the subfloor beneath it), that’s creating an environment ripe for bacteria, allergens, mildew, and eventually strong odors that never seem to go away.

Easy, At-Home Odor Remedies for Getting Smells Out of Carpet

Your adorable cavalier puppy just peed all over your new carpet. As a homeowner, this often induces a fight-or-flight response. We frantically scramble for a rag (or anything) to clean up the spill and make sure a spot doesn’t remain. This is great for carpet stain prevention, but it doesn’t address the liquids or particles that make their way deep into the padding and begin a new lifecycle of annoying smells.

Baking soda is also a common suggestion for deodorizing a carpet. Simply pour a little bit of baking soda on the spot, let it sit for a few hours, and finish the job with a thorough vacuuming. But this usually needs to be done immediately after a clear spill for the best chance of fully deodorizing the carpet. Also, keep in mind that kids and pets need to be kept out of the powder zone.

Other suggestions for deep cleaning are not as advisable. Many of these “tips” you see in social media feeds suggest mixing hydrogen peroxide and soap. If you’re unfamiliar, mixing chemicals incorrectly can be extremely dangerous. Another suggestion seen recently is to use cinnamon to help get odors out of your carpet. That’s a good way to permanently stain your carpet, especially if it is lighter in color. Plus, do you really want your home smelling like a Christmas candle year-round?  If you’re considering any of these ideas, use extreme caution and run a test on a small portion of the carpet before blasting your whole house with your new creation from the internet. Our advice? Trust a professional carpet cleaner for deep cleaning.

How Does Carpet Deodorizer Work?

Most of us will try anything to save some time and money before hiring a professional cleaning company. That’s perfectly normal. So we turn to carpet deodorizers.

Carpet deodorizers can be a great way to counteract smells from pets, moisture, or carpet that hasn’t been cleaned in a long time. Most deodorizers are available as a powder or spray, and application methods will vary as well. In a world of quick fixes, carpet deodorizers are definitely one of the first household utilities that come to mind if you need to mask a musty basement smell or wet dog before your guests arrive.

So, does carpet deodorizer work? Unfortunately, while these products may make carpet smell good in the short term, sprays and powders are often unlikely to solve the smelly carpet problem completely. Think of carpet deodorizers like deodorant on armpits. Deodorant can be great after an afternoon run if you need to freshen up and don’t have time to shower, but is not actually removing the source of the body odor.

Every thread you read online will have a similar set of rules to keeping your home smelling great: Don’t have carpet. Don’t have pets. Don’t cook. Clean every inch of your walls and ceiling. Use carpet deodorizer. But if you’re actively searching for ways to make your carpet smell good, you’re probably not a fan of the idea of completely ridding your home of all carpets—or pets!

There’s no mistaking it: carpet can and probably will trap a lot of dust, dirt, mold, and allergens. For a long term solution that throws all the above restrictions out the window, it’s time to rethink how carpet is constructed entirely.

HOME Fresh is the World’s First and Only Hypoallergenic, Odor-Neutralizing Carpet

It’s no secret that we love carpet—in fact, it was the first flooring product we were really known for. So we’re always dismayed to learn many people are willing to sacrifice warm, soft comfort because they are worried about odors in the home. The truth is, odors are going to happen no matter what. In fact, part of what makes someone’s home unique is how it smells! When you go to a friend’s or relative’s home, it most likely has a familiar, but not unpleasant smell.

As a solution to the odor issue, we set out to provide a carpet that doesn’t just mask smells—it actively neutralizes them. HOME Fresh helps get rid of smells from cooking, smoking, and pets on the carpet completely. Here’s how HOME Fresh can make an unforgettable impact in your home.

HOME Fresh helps cancel out odors in your home. The secret? A natural, odor-neutralizing mineral breaks odor molecules into separate compounds, effectively removing unpleasant smells that come into contact with HOME Fresh’s carpet fibers over time.

Another plus? HOME Fresh’s carpet fibers and premium felt padding are one unified piece. This construction allows for better airflow in the carpet, making vacuuming and cleaning much more effective. HOME Fresh also doesn’t absorb liquids, so it’s much more difficult for odor-causing spills to take hold, and for mold, mildew, and allergens to develop (some of the most common sources of a bad carpet smell).

Carpet deodorizer does not reduce smells as much as you think. At-home remedies are nice, yet short-term. And sometimes even professional cleaning isn’t enough. That’s where HOME Fresh excels—helping your home smell fresher than it did with your musty old carpet.

To learn more about what makes HOME Fresh awesome, see our hypoallergenic carpet blog and our in-depth HOME Fresh carpet guide.

If you’re ready to see HOME Fresh samples in the natural light of your home and feel the softness for yourself, Schedule a FREE In-Home Estimate today. Sniffs included!

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