MODULAR CARPET TILES Selection, Information, Reviews

So you’ve decided on buying carpet squares to do a room or rug? Well, you have joined the many other flooring consumers that have become intrigued with the concept of modular flooring other wise known as carpet squares or tiles. Rest assured, you’ve made a great decision. Carpet squares are the friendliest flooring to install yourself and give unmatched design ability in carpeting. What many consumers don;t know is how to comparison shop carpet squares before they buy. Trying to pick the right carpet squares or tiles and get a great deal can actually be quite confusing.

You will hear and read terms on websites like commercial, residential, patterned, solid, price per square foot, per square yard, and price per box. You may also be under the impression that buying direct from the one manufacturer that sells direct is a good deal as well. With so many choices, how can anyone buy carpet squares or tiles with confidence knowing that they got a good deal? It’s actually a few simple explanations and a little math!

The first thing you need to become aware of is that carpet tiles and squares are offered in two major styles, commercial and residential. The commercial carpet squares are the modular carpet tiles you see in airports, casinos, hotels, and high end shopping stores. Commercial carpet squares are usually very low pile height, and have a construction that has mostly level loops of yarn tufted evenly or unevenly if it has a pattern. Commercial squares and tiles have a wide range of design selections and will last a very long time.

Seams in patterned commercial carpet tiles and squares can be hidden easily be quarter turning the tiles as you install them. Residential carpet squares are usually plush or frieze carpet styles that have been manufactured into a modular carpet tile design. Milliken is a predominate manufacturer in this market who sells through distribution across the country. These residential styles are popular with those who like the idea of ease of installation. The drawback to residential carpet squares is that the flexibility of creating unique designs is harder to achieve due to limited options, no graphics or patterns.

Now that you have a basic grasp of carpet square and tile terminology, the hard part is figuring out how to compare actual prices when looking to buy. Some dealers and carpet tiles outlets sell this modular carpeting by the square foot, others by the square yard, and yet others price modular carpet tiles by the box. On top of this, carpet squares come in different sizes. Carpet tiles and squares are offered in anything from 18 inches by 18 inches all the way up to 39 inches by 39 inches. You will find though that 18 inch, 24 inch, and 36 inch sizes are pretty common.

Some manufacturers even list these in centimeters instead of inches. To safely compare prices, break everything down to the price per square foot. If you see a price on a style you like but the price is for a box of carpet squares, see if the box quantity show square feet. You can then take the price of the box and divide it by the number of square feet to get your price per foot. When shopping for modular carpet squares, if you run across a price that is a price per square yard, just take the price per yard and divide by 9 (9 square feet in a square yard) to give you your price per square foot.

Don’t give in to the fluff when shopping to buy carpet squares! There is a lot of propaganda out there on the web and in design magazines! There is one major manufacturer that sells direct ( I won’t mention the name). Just because you’re buying modular carpet squares direct, doesn’t mean that you the consumer are getting the best deal. It only means that the manufacturer is pocketing more of the money! You may have a local carpet outlet that stocks discounted carpet tiles and squares.

You may also be able to find a closeout deal on carpet tile flooring at the local chain home improvement store. More than likely, many of the best deals will be on the web from stores out of Dalton, Ga, the carpet capitol of the world. The important thing to remember is that anything over $2.50 to $3 per foot is overpaying when thousands of other choices are available. In the end, a very realistic idea on a price for carpet tiles is around $.89 per square foot.

Carpet tiles are being used in both commercial and residential areas and this is because there are a series of benefits, or more importantly advantages, that come with a carpet tile.

The six main advantages are the following:

1. Costs and savings:

When renewing interior areas there is a reduction in expenses as carpet squares permit:

1. Workstation and furniture’s changes and movements due to the ease of installations, tile sizes and programming by smaller and more efficient sections
2. Redesigning electrical networks
3. Relocation of telephone and computer systems
4. Many times there is a need for temporary relocation of your staff. Carpet squares allow you to reduce this time frame.
5. Modular carpet extends the replacement is cycle

 

2. Reduction in waste factor:

• Over a regular surface modular carpet has a definite advantage as it wastes less carpet. Carpet roll installations typical have up to 12 % wastage, while for carpet squares this is just 3%. That 9% difference will add up to a very large amount in a short time.

 

3. Design Tool - aside from the many designs available in carpet tile, there are a series of advantages that are specifically related to design factors, such as:

1. You can select the specific designs according to how exposed an area will be to intense traffic or potential stains
2. Design flexibility by use of modules
3. You can define areas by color and texture
4. Selective replacement is much cheaper than having to replace all the carpet.
5. With carpet tiles you are also able to change designs in different areas and so build up to an overall change of appearance.

 

4. Rotation:

1. You can optimize appearance by relocating modules. For example by rotating carpet tiles in traffic areas with those in non traffic areas you are in effect increasing the lifespan of the carpet. As a programmed exercise this provides great results.

5. Installation and Reusage.

1. It is very easy to remove and reinstall for future modeling.
2. A faster installation
3. A less expensive installation
4. Extremely compatible with open office designs
5. Accessibility to electric systems

 

6. Storage and Transportation

1. Carpet tiles are packed in boxes and this makes them much faster and easier to manipulate.
2. Storage space is much smaller.

There are a wide variety of cheap carpet tiles available on the market. Home and business users will likely be surprised by the wide variety of tiles available today. The carpet tile market has come a long way since it was first created. No longer are we restricted to the cheap and ugly looking tiles of the past. The various carpet square types can basically be divided into the following groups: Cut and loop, flatweave, hooked rug, knotted pile, needfelt, Saxony, textured Saxony, tufted, and woven. Colors and patterns for this flooring style are limitless. You can find everything from solid color schemes, variegated colors, striped patters and many more. Some manufacturers even offer customized designs on the tiles – so if you ever wanted to commemorate your favorite sports team, carpet tiles might just be the way to go.

The price range of these modular carpets can vary greatly depending on your exact parameters. Although you can spend a tremendous amount of money getting top of the line tiles in your home, modular carpets do not have to break your bank account. These carpets are one of the most economical choices the average person has available to them when making their flooring decision. Cheap carpet tiles can easily be found in the $1 and under price range.

Oftentimes people find that there is very little cost saving from a square foot perspective when they begin pricing modular carpets and compare them to traditional carpets. The benefits of using carpet squares instead of conventional wall-to-wall carpet go beyond a simple price per square foot comparison. When the installation price is factored into the equation modular carpets will often come out the clear winner. This is because the installation of carpet tiles is so much simpler than installing regular carpet. Traditional carpet installs is a laborious task. The simple act of hauling around large rolls of carpet is difficult enough. The installation of carpet rolls can be an all day task and is something the average person should not attempt to do themselves.

Modular carpet on the other hand is very easy to install. It is not a complex process. In fact there are no specialized tools required for the installation. Because the carpet comes in easy to manage tiles, transportation and movement of the carpeting is very easy. The most common tile size is roughly 18 inches square. One of the nicest attributes of modular carpets is that they can be placed over virtually any hard surface with no additional prep work. The tiles can be laid right over common floor surfaces like concrete, plywood and stone. The carpet tiles have an adhesive back so there is no gluing, stapling or nailing required for the installation to be successful. As long as you have a ruler to keep the tiles straight and scissors or a sharp knife to do any necessary trimming, you basically have all the required tools for the installation. Because installation is so easy the installation fee should be less than what is charged for a conventional carpet roll. The difference in installation costs can make a dramatic difference in the final cost of the carpet.

Of course the installation of this carpet is so easy that a professional installer is hardly necessary. If you are the type of person that likes to do projects around the home yourself, installation of carpet tiles is one job you should be able to accomplish relatively easily. If you choose to do the installation yourself just make sure that you have cleaned the surface that the tiles will be placed on, this will make sure that nothing interferes with the adhesion of the glue. Doing self installs of modular carpets are an excellent way to make cheap carpet tiles even cheaper.