Carpet Tiles Info:

Carpet tiles are becoming more and more popular both for residential carpet squares and for contract modular carpet. This means that many new designs, types of carpet barking, yarn construction and sizes are being constructed by different manufacturers.

This can make it difficult, not to mention confusing, to find the information you need.

A Simple Guide to Carpet Squares

Carpet squares, also known as carpet tiles or modular carpet are pieces of carpet that are cut into squares; sizes can vary from 18" x 18" to 20" x 20", 36" or 36" and even others.

They are used both from wall to wall or as rugs and can be combined to provide a variety of designs as they are installed, with the added benefit of a large number of specific designs, styles and colors.

Installing carpet squares is a much simpler process than laying a carpet roll. There is no real need for specialized tools as the carpet is not stretched; you just place each tile next to each other.

Some come with self adhesive so it is even simpler, while for others you need to add the adhesive directly to the floor. An important point is having the floor level, without dimples or uneven surfaces. Cost wise, carpet tile installation is less expensive and there is much less waste.

The range of colors and designs available are extensive, so you have plenty of alternatives. The same thing goes for types of carpet construction depending on the end use (commercial high traffic versus residential light traffic, for example).

Aside from the installation process maintenance is much easier. When a section of a carpet is damaged for whatever reasons, it is much simpler to remove and replace the square than to lift and remove the roll. Again an advantage in costs. Wear and tear, or even sloppy installation, can cause raveling in a normal carpet, but with tiles, this is avoided due to the way the carpet square is made. You can even remove the tiles and use them somewhere else.

The carpet square is manufactured so that each tile is exactly the same (size, design, color) as another, but it is important that you buy from the same production lot, as with all textiles different production lots can result in small color variations that many times are unnoticed until you lay them side by side.

It is a good idea to buy a little bit more than the specific floor area requires (this should include waste caused buy cutting) and this can be 5% or 10% as this stock will then be available for tile replacements in the future, thereby extending the life of your carpet.