How Long Will It Last?

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31776, 5 September 1968, Page 12

How Long Will It Last?

Nearly all prospective carpet buyers ask how long the carpet will last. One salesman replied “Madam, if you lock the- door and throw away the key it will last a lifetime.” This absurd answer has more than a grain of truth in it; a carpet will last according to its quality and the wear it is subject to. You’ve no doubt heard people say “carpets don’t wear as well as they did in grandma’s day,” but this is not true.

The explanation is that carpets are subject to much greater wear than they were in grandma’s day. Houses are smaller, carpets are used more extensively and are laid in rooms where previously the flooring would have been wood.

Most important of all, living rooms are really being lived in. A generation ago, children were kept out of the front parlour. It was only used on Sundays and special occasions. It is interesting to notice that the majority of complaints about poor wearing qualities involve carpet in a living-room which houses a television set. The carpets have been found most worn in front of permanently positioned settees or lounge chairs.

The reason is that, quite unconsciously, adults and children, alike, shuffle and fidget their feet as they watch television.

Shuffling feet cause considerable surface friction, especially rubber soles. Sharp heels and toe plates may even cut the pile. Result: the carpet wears through in a shorter time than ever before.