How to Choose the Right Type of Carpet for Your Home

One of the basic facts of home ownership is that flooring doesn't last forever, particularly carpet. It gets stained, it acquires wear patterns (much like the path in the grass in the back yard that Fido wears on his favorite route). Sometimes we simply want a different look when the current style looks dated.

This means choosing a replacement and then having it installed. There are many home carpet choices considering color, pattern, pile, and so much more. The problem is that the salesman will likely tout price differences and current sales. There is so much more that you should know about the different types before writing that check. Let's look at a few, shall we?

• Berber. This carpet is made from wool, nylon, or olefin (a synthetic fiber made from a polyolefin). This is a looped carpet that has is known for being long-wearing and durable. One con is that because berber is looped it stands a high chance of snagging. For this reason, don't install it on stair treads.
• Plush carpeting. Plush is a good choice for your children's rooms. Why? There are two good reasons. First, the loops have been cut so that the chance of snagging and tripping is low. Second, the consequences of a fall are minimized because plush is so forgiving. It also works well in high traffic areas since it is so durable.
• Frieze and Saxony. These are described as patterned and textured. The way patterns are created is interesting. The loops are either cut or left intact, giving a slightly different appearance. Texture, on the other hand, presents what might be described as the illusion of a pattern. It does this by mingling different kinds of loops throughout the carpet surface. These carpets are durable and generally work well in family rooms, living rooms, and bedrooms.
• Shag carpeting. Sooooo 60s. Only install this if you are a nostalgic hippie or if your intent is to deliberately reduce the equity in your home.

With all this information in mind, it's easy to see that it might not be a good idea to install the same type of carpeting throughout your home. A good strategy when shopping is to first look at room-specific functionality, next price, and finally, color and pattern. And of course, after making your selection, it never hurts to haggle over installation cost.

Finished Installing Radiant Barrier foil in the Attic!

My goal was to finish all my penny-pinching efforts in the attic before the summer really slammed us. And I did it! About three years ago I sprayed radiant barrier paint on the underside of the roof decking. But it was already hot. Boy, did I learn my lesson.

In this book shown on the left, the author goes into why we should take the lead in transforming America to be more energy efficient and develop alternate energy sources. He explains it in a short video that you can see if you click on it.

I won't get into a political discussion about greenhouse gasses here. I'm all about saving money on utility bills and boosting my home equity.

You see, after I did the painting, I noticed an immediate drop in my power usage from the central air conditioner. Being an insatiable fellow, and frugal, I wanted more.

Research indicated that the paint will stop between 10% - 75% of radiant heat from getting into the attic in the first place. The foil, applied to the attic floor, stops 97%. So, is my math off, or is the interior of my home being protected from about 150%? Just joking, I'm not a dolt!

I used Energy Q foil, the best on the market. This is the same stuff NASA uses. In addition to the foil, I also beefed up the attic insulation. In for a dime, in for a dollar, I always say. Do it right the first time.

There's a narrow window of opportunity between the income tax refund and the sweltering heat. I wanted to do it this year because part of the economic stimulus package is higher tax credits.

Have you gone over this energy efficiency checklist to see where you could be saving money. When Cap and Trade kicks in, energy prices are going up, up, up.

So now that I'm done, I'm going to go running, and then it's time to kick back and chill. Literally.

Basement Remodeling and HVAC

No, I don't have a basement myself. They don't work when your home is only about one foot above sea level. But if I did have one, you can bet it would be an awesome space.



The truth is, basement ventilation and climate control is are important issues. Too much stale air and humidity can cause toxic mold which is a big health risk. In many cases (depending on where you live) simple exhaust fans will do the trick.

In other places, a proper HVAC system is needed to take care of business. And you're going to want one anyhow if you want to remodel your basement and turn that valuable real estate into extra living area while boosting your home equity.


Remodeling your basement begins, like all home improvement projects, with the planning phase. As far as the air conditioning and heating goes, you'll have to decide whether to go ahead and replace the system that you already have or to simply install a dedicated basement HVAC system.

The upside of changing it all out if your old system is outdated is that the federal income tax credits have gone up, and with the SEER ratings on Energy Star equipment going up all the time, you'll be money ahead every month.

After you decide exactly what you want to do with that space, it's time to frame your basement. You can either use conventional stick framing or go with metal studs and track.

In any event, spring is the time to think about delving into this type of project.