Property Manager – San Fernando Valley

Choosing Carpet for Property Managers

By: The Carpet Warehouse

What is important to Property Managers when deciding upon carpet and flooring for their units?

• Happy Tenants – Create happier tenants with nicer, budget friendly, cleaner carpet and keep your tenants longer.
• More Turns out of your carpet – Increase your invested dollars in carpet by getting more turns out of your carpet.
• Easy – On-time and polite installation crews, one point of contact scheduling, quality installations, easy billing and credit terms, and no surprises.

1. Carpet Fiber

The type of fiber in carpet plays a very important role in the longevity of your carpet and how nice it looks over the long run. There are a few different fiber types on the market today and below is a list of them as well as their pros and cons.

• Solution Dyed Polyester – A carpet that is made a color in the manufacturing process instead of white and then dyed. This carpet is one of the best values in the market today. It is almost stain and bleach proof (if you have a very tough stain the manufacturer recommends a 50% bleach 50% water solution to clean it with), UV resistant, made with very little oil (which means less dirt build up), color fast, “green”, and all for less than the cost of comparable products. A great choice for anywhere in your complex.

  This carpet fiber is HRS Flooring/The Carpet Warehouse’s choice of best apartment carpet in terms of best combination of budget, stain resistance, and durability.

• Nylon Carpet – Nylon carpet fiber is considered by industry experts to be the most durable for foot traffic. It is soft and comes in a large variety of styles and colors. Nylon is a fiber that is prone to stains (when constructed in a solution dyed format, nylon has built in stain resistance and is a great choice for property managers; however, it is the most expensive property management carpet on the market today).

  To combat the stains most of the nylon carpets that we sell are treated with an R2X stain treatment system. Please see below in Stain Resistance for more information on R2X. Nylon is considered a green carpet product with its ability to be recycled over and over again back into carpet.

• Polyester Carpet – When constructed in a continuous filament platform this fiber is a nice “bang for your buck” alternative to Nylon. You will get more carpet for a better cost. Most of these carpets are made with recycled beverage bottles so they are green and inherently stain resistant. Even so, a lot of the Continuous Filament Polyesters are treated with the same R2X as the Nylons.
• Staple Polyester – As of 2011 staple polyester yarn is being phased out of most carpet construction. It is a low end yarn system that does not hold up over the long term and does not save any money on the cost on the construction.
• Triexta – A glorified polyester product that is manufactured exclusively by Mohawk. It is naturally stain resistant, and “green”, however they do not treat it in any way with stain blockers.

2. Stain Resistance of Carpet

Stain resistance has a lot to do with how long the carpet lasts, how good it looks during its life cycle, and how happy your tenants are.

Stain Resistance & Treatments Today

• Inherent Stain Resistance – Carpet that has inherent stain resistance is made with a fiber that does not absorb (or absorbs very little) foreign liquids. These carpets are generally made with recycled plastic bottles. If you have noticed the inside of soda bottles do not stain, even though soda is a corrosive substance. Therefore these carets will stain (because they are manufactured into fibers) however most stains will be removable. The most popular of these types of carpet is Solution Dyed Polyester followed by a Continuous Filament Polyester. The best inherently stain resistance carpets come with a stain treatment on them as well to help prevent any stains from absorbing into your carpet.
• Stain Treatment – All carpet is ultimately a fiber. When treated with a stain treatment, whether it is a stain resistant fiber or not, the carpet is better equipped to repel stains. There are 2 different types of stain treatments:
  • Topical Stain Treatment just treats the tips of the fiber. This type of stain treatment wears off over shorter periods of time than an entire fiber stain treatment.
  • Whole Fiber System Stain Treatment is a stain treatment that bathes the entire fiber and backing. This stain treatment is the best type on the market. One of these is R2X. It encapsulates the entire fiber system and backing, eliminating stains that would otherwise come back after a cleaning because the backing is stained.

The better the stain treatment on your carpet, and the less oil that is used in the manufacturing process, the better your carpet will repel dirt and the less dirt will be able to build up – extending the life of your carpet fibers and the look of your carpet.

Best Choice:

HRS Flooring/The Carpet Warehouse’s best choice is solution dyed fiber with a stain treatment. Solution dyed fiber is a fiber that is manufactured a specific color and has that same color all the way through the fiber. Compare solution dyed fiberto a carrot (orange all the way through) and regular carpet fiber to a radish (red on the outside white on the inside). Because of this characteristic, carpet made in this way is virtually bleach and stain proof (ask about our in-house carpet testing for this fiber). When you add a stain treatment on this fiber you are adding an extra dirt fighting tool to your carpet and it will stay cleaner and look newer longer.

Ask your professional Account Manager to see all of the different options in a solution dyed fiber with a stain treatment.

3. Carpet Construction

While the first 2 tips are more important, carpet construction is still an important component in the durability of your carpet. Ideally you want the perfect blend between twisted, dense, and soft. Carpet that is more twisted and dense will be harder to walk on and not as comfortable. Carpet that is loose will be softer. Check with your Account Manager to see and feel the different carpets available and to discuss which one will give you the best of everything.

4. Carpet Pad

A carpet pad or underlayment supports and cushions carpet. Several property managers give too little attention to this without realizing that padding serves as the foundation of your carpet and is an important component.

Most carpet pad that is sold is called rebond. It is industrial recycled material (cuttings from couch cushions, the foam inside of car door panels, etc.) adhered together to create carpet pad. There are a few important factors to consider when talking about carpet pad.

Factors to Consider When Buying Carpet Pad

NEVER buy plain foam pad – it is inexpensive, will crush, and deteriorate. As a rule HRS Flooring/The Carpet Warehouse never sells foam padding.

• Density – This is how much fiber is in a cubic foot of pad. An 8 lb. pad will have 8 pounds of fiber inside of one cubic foot (1 foot wide by 1 foot deep by 1 foot tall). 6 lb. pad is the minimal requirement for FHA (Federal Housing Administration) and that can serve as a bench mark for minimal quality requirements.
• Thickness – This is the thickness of the pad. You don’t want anything too thick or thin as it can compromise the quality and longevity of your carpet.

Bells and Whistles – Some nice options are available on the market today when it comes to carpet pad. They obviously cost more but may serve your purposes better and therefore protect your carpet investment. They may also last longer than the carpet itself allowing you to replace carpet over existing pad and gaining more turns on your initial pad purchase.

Some carpet pad options available are:

• Spill Trap – This is a layer of plastic between the pad and the carpet. Very good for properties that allow pets or have carpet in the eating areas of the apartments. If you have a spill or stain it stays in the carpet and does not pass through to the pad. Spills, odors, and stains are easier to get out of carpet then pad – especially with the new stain treatments available.
• Memory Foam – Instead of recycled industrial material, this carpet pad has recycled industrial memory foam built in. This means a pad that will never crush and is very soft to walk on.
• Antimicrobial – Antimicrobial carpet pad is treated with an agent that prevents and inhibits the growth of mold and mildew. Perfect for basements, attics, and anywhere else with moisture issues.

Another type of pad on the market today is Synthetic Felt. It mimics the Hair and Jute pad of many years ago. This pad is well suited for higher traffic areas. It is not as comfortable under foot, but it will last longer than rebond as it is very dense.

5. Carpet Color

Carpet color is a crucial component in your carpet purchases. The carpet color that you choose for your complex should have a lot to do with how your units are laid out.

The darker the color the less dirt will show, the warmer the unit will feel, but it will also make your unit look a little smaller. The lighter the color, the more dirt will show and your unit will look larger and airier.

A nice medium is a carpet that is not too light and not too dark with highlights in it that make the carpet appear lighter. Check the sample board provided by your Account Manager for colors that will cover all bases for your units.

6. Carpet Installation

Not all carpet installations are created equal and it can affect the life of your carpet. There are many gimmicks available to a carpet estimator to reduce the amount of carpet needed and add unsightly and quality-reducing seams. They can also give you a low-ball price per square yard, and then add carpet yardage that you don’t use to make up for the too-low price.

Be sure to use a reputable company when getting estimates and comparing amount of carpet needed to make sure that the carpet is estimated responsibly and ethically.

7. Easy Carpet Choices

Easy. Easy. It deserves to be mentioned twice. You are busy, busier than most people. You don’t have time to deal with issues, late appointments, or resource draining games. Choose carpet from a carpet company that makes your job easier.

Decide on a carpet company that treats its customers with respect and deals with integrity and honesty. Build a relationship with a carpet company that has one point carpet orders, an online customer portal, one point of easy contact, next day installations, and exceptional service before, during, and after the sale no matter how large or small of an account you are.

8. Price of Carpet

Last but certainly not least is price. Buy the best carpet and pad your budget will allow. It will cost you more upfront but will save and make you money in the long run. You will have happier tenants that will stay longer, you will get more turns out of your up-front carpet purchase, and your units will show better and therefore rent faster than your competitors.

Always deal with a company that is upfront on all of your costs and transparent on how many yards they are basing your price on.

Rent, Keep Tenants, Make Profit!

Choosing a carpet for your property can be very challenging if you are unaware of the basic elements to look for. These tips will assist you in deciding which carpet will best benefit your business.

Keeping your carpet up-to-date has the power to increase your revenue and now that you are more aware of what to consider, it’s time to custom-tailor carpeting solutions for your property or properties, whether they are commercial or residential.

From: http://thecarpetwarehouse.com/

Carnahan Property Management Services Woodland Hills,West Hills,Bell Canyon, Hidden Hills, Calabasas, Canoga Park, Tarzana, Reseda, Topanga, Encino, Northridge, Van Nuys,North Hills,Chatsworth, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, North Hollywood, West Hollywood, San Fernando Valley, Granada Hills, Mission Hills, Simi Valley, WestLake Village, Agoura,Toluca Lake, Valley Village, Burbank. Call us at (818) 884-1500 to check if we can service your area. 60+ years of service.