What Is Velvet Carpet?
Velvet carpet is a high-quality, high-price flooring option. While not currently very popular with the average homeowner, velvet carpet has been considered one of the most formal, luxurious types of carpets for over a century.
Velvet does not refer to a fiber, but rather a construction. This cut pile carpet is extremely dense and soft to the touch, giving it an elegant look and feel. Also, unlike almost every other type of modern carpet, velvet carpets can last a lifetime. In decades gone by, people would pass their velvet carpet along with their home from generation to generation. Because it is so expensive, velvet carpet is best for people who plan on staying in their home for a long time.
If you’ve decided to invest in velvet carpet, your best option will be to pay a little bit extra for the nicest brand. Like a velvet dress, velvet carpet shows a change in pile direction very easily, displaying vacuum marks, foot prints and traffic patterns. On inexpensive velvet carpet, these marks become permanent as the carpet quickly begins to mat. The best velvet carpet is so dense that it won’t permanently mat, even after years of heavy traffic. As it does wear down, quality velvet carpet will fade with dignity rather than show ugly permanent matting.
A rare but alarming phenomenon that sometimes occurs when velvet carpet is installed is “watermarking” or “pooling.” Sometimes, weeks or months after velvet carpeting is installed, permanent shading and pile shifting begins to appear. It is difficult to tell when watermarking will appear, so if you’re considering velvet carpet, ask the dealer if he offers a warranty against this phenomenon.
Because velvet carpet is thick, it tends to hide dirt well. Even though it will take a lot for velvet carpet to look dirty, however, you should still vacuum it a couple times a week like you would with other types of carpet.