High vs. low: Which carpet pile for you?

Carpet is the number one choice of flooring, because it?s so stylish and yet functional. It can fit into any environment from traditional to the most contemporary and urban.

Our flooring pros hear a lot of questions, but one in particular keeps coming up about pile. What is it? Is high or low better?

So we?re here to answer that question once and for all. First, though, let us ask you a question.

What?s the first thing your foot steps on when you get out of bed? A big, plushy, soft carpet feels good, right, especially during those cold, snowy Michigan winters.

That plush carpet has a high pile, and it means the thread loops are longer and looser. An example would be a shag or frieze (but there are others, of course, these just happen to be the most well-known)

High piles are:

?Perfect if you want if warmth and comfort, like the bedroom
?Good for the family who actually uses the floor as a place to sit (or lie down) to watch television or play board games. Speaking of games and television, they?re good for the living/family room.
?Trap fewer allergens than high piles, so you won?t have to use air filters as often.
?Requires less vacuuming, so that?s a real benefit if you?re a family who likes low maintenance items.

Low piles are:

?Soft surfaces with shorter and tighter loops. An example would be the Berber.
?Good if you have residents who use walkers and wheelchairs
?If you have a home office where you roll around on chairs with wheels
?If you like to move and rearrange furniture a lot
?Easier to use with cordless and robotic vacuums like the Roomba
?Especially suitable for the commercial installation or apartment houses
?Trending for 2019, because of their classic, subtle, minimalist appearance.
Which pile is better?
They?re both just as good, so the bottom-line will really be your lifestyle.

Do remember, though, that thicker isn?t necessarily better; in fact, sometimes shorter piles can be stronger, and furniture and vacuum beater bars can leave marks on the higher piles.

To learn more, come into the Carpet Mart showroom in Benton Harbor, MI.