Carpet Warranties

It is not uncommon these days to find 10, to 15, to 30 year, or even lifetime warranties on carpet. It becomes really confusing when looking at the same carpet being sold by two different companies each one offering a different warranty on the same product. How can that be? There is a sad truth behind the warranties associate with carpet. The truth is that carpet warranties are designed to limit the manufactures liability.?

So while they may give the customer confidence when making a carpet purchase in the end the limitations and exclusions make the promises inferred in the stated warranty ring hollow. I always tell my customers that in all the years of selling floor coverings I have never once seen a customer come back on a warranty, make a claim, and actually get the results they were expecting based on their understanding of the warranty.For example most carpets offer a wear warranty which, when initially read, would imply that the carpet would wear better right? Wrong. Actually a wear warranty refers to the loss of fiber content. Years ago when most carpets were made of wool in areas of the home with high traffic and tight turning patterns the fiber would break and wear away to the point you would see the backing of the carpet.?

When synthetic fibers, like Nylon, began taking a hold in the market they offered a wear warranty guaranteeing that you would not lose fiber content because of the durable nature of the fiber it will not break and wear away. So that warranty gives the customer a feeling of comfort during the purchase but means very little.

Texture retention is the warranty that actually refers to the visual appearance of your carpet and if your carpet has this warranty it usually means it is better constructed than carpets that do not have the same warranty. Here is the catch though, if you have not had your carpets professionally cleaned every 18-24 months by a certified carpet cleaner your warranty is void. There are often other exclusions such as stairs and other areas of the home with high traffic.

Finally there are the stain and soil warranties. There are carpets currently being offered that have lifetime warranties on stains. If it sounds too good to be true than it usually is because once you read that most non food or beverages stains are excluded from this warranty the coverage you thought you might have had when you purchased your carpet is suddenly limited.

Therefore what? Should we ignore warranties altogether when purchasing carpet? No, just do not fall into the trap of using them as the guide to what carpet you purchase. If you purchase a carpet based on a warranty you will be disappointed. Rather select a good quality carpet, take good care of it once it is installed, and if you follow the manufacture?s guide on maintaining your carpet will be satisfied with the performance of your product.?