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© The Carpet and Rug Institute

Carpet is a good choice for floor covering in many types of buildings, including homes. It is one of the easiest methods of personalizing a room and has many health and safety benefits. Because it affords more traction than other floor coverings, falls and injuries can be prevented. Carpet provides a non-glare surface that reduces eyestrain, and its soft acoustic properties reduce noise.

When properly selected, installed and maintained, carpet can last ten years or longer. Life-cycle cost analysis of carpet vs. hard flooring types, including considerations of maintenance, cleaning and replacement, show that carpet can be most cost-effective.

Carpet can improve indoor air quality by catching and holding dirt, contaminants and allergens that would otherwise become airborne. Clean carpet does not support the growth of mold, so it is important that it be maintained properly.

Carpet can be a green choice for floor covering. Synthetic carpets are naturally resistant to insects, and carpets made of wool or wool-blend fibers are treated for insect resistance. Wool is a rapidly renewable material.

The Carpet and Rug Institute’s “Green Label Plus” program certifies carpet materials that emit only very low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOC’s). These are the cause of the “new carpet smell” of non-certified carpets, and are unhealthful.