Modular Carpeting – The Advantages and How to Get a Great Deal
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Modular Carpeting may be the one of the most popular floor choices right now, but it is not a new concept. Modular carpet has long been used in commercial applications. Airports, Malls, Shopping Centers, Hotels, Convention Centers and other areas with high traffic have long been aware of the tremendous advantages of modular carpeting. With consumers looking for more nontraditional options for floors, modular carpet tiles and squares have become a staple in Homes, Schools, Restaurants, Day Care Centers, and basically anywhere else that high performance is expected along with design features and low prices. Modular carpeting has many features that you may not be aware of. These features coupled with hidden discount deals in the market, could make modular carpeting the perfect option for your next flooring project.
Modular Carpeting is a unique carpet design. Typical carpet comes in roll goods, usually 12 to 15 feet wide. Because of this, traditional carpet can be bulky to transport to the job, is hard to handle and requires expert installation. Modular carpeting is carpet that is manufactured into single, square pieces with the padding or backing preattached. As these carpet tiles are only 36 inches by 36 inches or smaller, installation and transporting to the job becomes very easy.
Traditional carpet has to been installed with glue or staples and sometimes seamed together (which can cause issues later). Modular carpeting can be installed a variety of ways. It can be glued, taped, or even installed without either of these. In many cases, if the tiles are installed tightly enough, glue or tape is not needed. A sharp knife is about the only tool you will need to cut the tiles at the room edges.
One of the major advantages of modular carpet is the ability to replace the squares and tiles. If you have a piece that becomes damaged, soiled, stained or torn, you can either temporarily remove it to clean it (some can be pressure washed) or replace it completely with a new one. Traditional carpet repair is time consuming and difficult.
The ability to create unique designs and looks is a feature of modular carpet tiles that very few other flooring options have. Multiple tile patterns and colors can be used to make custom layouts in the floor. Some designs use similar colors and patterns, while others use two colors that contrast each other. You can even find modular carpet that is made to use multiple tiles that form a larger pattern. I have seen quite a few of these in Casinos and Convention centers.
Modular carpet tiles are very similar to commercial carpet. The tiles and squares are usually a level loop design, with a tight, short pile. This type of carpet is constructed to handle large amounts of foot traffic. The benefit is that the modular carpeting will last a very long time before it becomes worn looking or needs to be replaced. Another side benefit to the short pile commercial design is while it provides a semi soft surface in case of a fall; it is short enough to handle things like wheelchairs or anything else that may need to roll across the floor.
Pricing can be tricky with modular carpeting. However, if you know how to look, cheap deals can be found on carpet tiles and squares. For example, first quality, running line products from the major manufacturers’ can run between $3 and $5 per square foot. One manufacturer who sells direct, even charges as high as $9 per foot. If you convert that to a price per square yard to compare with standard carpet, that’s $81 per yard! The average flooring job can not handle prices in these ranges when compared to other flooring options. A little known secret in the industry is that these manufacturers’ do not like to sit on inventory very long. They also inadvertently manufacture modular carpet tiles that may not be considered first quality due to color imperfections or skewed patterns. These inventory overruns and off goods are cleared out through a few large wholesalers at a fraction of the original prices. If you can find one of these wholesalers, it will save you between 40% and 70%. Your local flooring dealer will probably not have any of these deals, if they do the goods will have changed hands several times and the savings will not be very significant. Try searching the internet for a few of these wholesale dealers to get the best deals.