Anyone here with Berber carpet and pets?

[Rutt and Tuke]

DH is convinced he wants Berber carpet because of its reported durability. However, everything I read says that it is less pet friendly as the loop construction can easily get snagged by cat claws and dog nails.

Anyone with experience with this?

TIA

 

[We4mickey]

We have two cats and have it in our basement rec room. No problems at all. We have had it about 3 years.

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

No personal experience with pets and berber but I worked for a carpet manufacturer as a sales rep for nearly 10 years.

I've heard people like We4mickey say "I've had it for years and no problems", and I've heard people say "we had berber for 2 months and the dog/cat/ferret/wolverine snagged a loop with a claw and ruined it." Truthfully, I think it depends on the pet. A rambunctuous and overactive pet is more apt to snag the loops than a furry couch potato. I know we wouldn't get berber; I've seen our dogs scratch what carpeting we do have and the bed and couch with their paws, and I'm sure they would end up doing some damage.

The thing about loop berber is that the loops are usually continuous -- if one of the loops gets snagged and and is pulled out from the backing, it will run like panty hose. Of course, I've taken old samples to demonstrate during product knowledge classes and had a hard time pulling the loops out. If the carpet is well-made, it should be pretty hard to pull the yarn away from the backing.

If you want something durable, go for a cut pile nylon (most durable man-made fiber in carpeting) or PET Polyester (a close second IMO) and definitely something with a high density. The closer together the fibers are woven, the higher the density. If your DH definitely wants loop berber, then go for one with small tight loops that will be difficult for the pets to snag with their claws.

Hope this helps. PM me or post if you have any other questions.

 

[SillyMe]

I have it. Yes we get some pulls on occasion, but we just cut the top of that loop off and you can't even tell. What we have is called Kid-Proof carpet. I like it...it's very durable.

 

[Virgo10]

When I get ready to change carpet, I won't be getting berber again. It's not good with all the cats I have and walking barefoot on it has actually made the bottom of my feet sore.

On an up note, it is pretty though.

 

[CJMickeyMouse]

We have two large (100 lbs. +) labs - and they have taken a toll on our berber carpet in the basement. We were dumb enough to put it on the stairs, and the landing is where the major problem is. Other than that, a few snags here and there... if you catch them and trim them, no additional problems.

Not sure what we will put down there when we replace the carpet (we are still several years away).

 

[Rutt and Tuke]

Thanks so much for your replies; they have been very helpful. Now I just have to convince DH.

Obi-wan, what do you think of olefin? And do you have any preferred brands? (you can pm me if you don't think it appropriate to post).

 

[battricia]

I wwas going to say the same thing as SillyMe. We have it and we have a cat, there have been a few snags but we just cut the loop and trim the fabric. On the other hand I rather dislike the feel of the berber. It's not something that you can lay on comfortably.

tricia.

 

[stinkerbelle]

I have it. Yes we get some pulls on occasion, but we just cut the top of that loop off and you can't even tell. What we have is called Kid-Proof carpet. I like it...it's very durable.

ditto.

the only thing that isn't pet friendly about the carpet is the color.

beige

what the heck was I thinking? And whenever the dog DOES have accidents, she does it on THIS carpet, not the darker brown, no the green, not the HARD WOOD FLOOR...but the beige carpet.
(fyi - dirt devil stain lifter rocks!)

 

[JayCT]

We have had berber in our family room for over 10 years and it has been a wonder. We have a large Golden that was very active when we got him (he has calmed way down with age) and we have not had a problem with it. We also have two very actve boys that are brutal. We had one snag a number of years ago and I just trimmed it with a scissor and I can not find it. It really takes a beating but it has held up very well. I will agree that it is not a comfortable carpet, but it does wear well and does not show the dirt like other less used carpets in our house. I use it a room that you think is going to take a real beating, but i wouldn't use it in a bedroom. Jay

 

[WishinOnaStar]

We bought a short twist cut berber (no loop)for our family room and basement. I have two cats that we got at the shelter (one de-clawd one not) Kitty is the one with the claws and I have yet to see him catch his claws in the carpet. He and the older cat are always chasing and wrestling so they have plenty of opportunity to snag. I have to say I am very pleased with this carpet and it is very soft on the feet. I you haven't looked at this kind of berber ask at the carpet store for a sample.

 

[mrsv98]

We have it and I HATE it...no snags but it is impossible to steam clean. I have a grat Hoover steam cleaner and have also had it professionally cleaned and the stains just don's come out. All the dirt gets in the grooves and doesn't come out. I can't wait to rip it all out and put in Pergo. Whew! got that off my chest

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

Obi-wan, what do you think of olefin? And do you have any preferred brands? (you can pm me if you don't think it appropriate to post).

Olefin or polypropylene (the terms are interchangeable) is used a lot in making berber and commercial carpeting. On the plus side, the solution dye process makes it very stain- and fade-resistant. Nylon and polyesters usually just go through a surface dye process, but this doesn't diminish their stain- or fade-resistance.

On the minus side, olefin can be a very rough fiber (see Virgo10's and battricia's comments). I have seen some rough nylons and some soft olefins, but overall olefin tends to be rougher.

Another thing about nylon vs. polyester. Nylon tends to be more expensive due to the petroleum-based raw materials used in manufacturing, but like I said it's the best man-made fiber in carpeting. If you get a polyester, make sure it's a PET polyester. It's stronger than standard polyester (almost on par with nylon) and also it's made out of recycled plastic drink containers. This helps make it a less expensive alternative to nylon.

WishinOnaStar, it sounds like you might have a frieze. It's a cut pile with a really tight twist to the yarn and is sometimes called a California berber. I joke that "frieze" is French for "shag". Friezes usually have high performance ratings and are very good for family rooms.

I've also heard the same complaint that mrsv98 had about steam cleaning berber. The loops tend to hold the moisture better than a cut pile so it takes a little more time and effort to fully extract.

As for brands -- I won't say who I worked for, but Shaw, Mohawk, and Beaulieu are the three largest manufacturers in the US. You should find all three available through most retailers, and all three are good strong reputable companies.

One last comment -- definitely go for a good pad (at least 6 lb for cut pile or 7.5 for berber), and I'd definitely recommend a pad with a moisture barrier if you have pets. That way accidents that might penetrate to the pad won't get trapped in the pad.

Okay, I probably gave you more info than you needed. I'll be quiet now.

 

[Rutt and Tuke]

Okay, I probably gave you more info than you needed. I'll be quiet now.

Oh no! Don't feel that way. Any information you can provide will help. You've been so helpful. I haven't bought carpet in years and then I had limited choices (bought new home from developer). I did upgrade the carpet and pads then and after all of these years, they still look good, except for some fading by the sliders.

Is it only berber that is solution-dyed or is it just that the others are "usually" surface dyed?

 

[Rutt and Tuke]

Oh, and do you have an opinion on frieze vs. cut and loop (patterned is what I think they usually call it)?

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

99.9% of olefin is solution dyed. (I say that because if I say 100% all of a sudden someone will find a berber that is not solution dyed. )

Nylon and polyester tend to be dyed just on the surface of the yarn. There is some solution dyed nylon on the market, but not a huge amount. I've never seen or heard of a solution dyed polyester.

Friezes -- no opinion one way or another. I've seen many that are nice, and like I said they tend to have a higher twist, which definitely helps in high traffic areas.

Cut & loop -- There are two types of cut & loop I'm thinking of. One has the loops at a lower level than the cut pile and they form pretty much random patterns or at least no real discernable pattern. JMO (and no offense to anyone who has this kind or is thinking about getting this kind) but most of these look cheap and dated to me.

On the other hand, there are some very nice cut and loop patterns out there. The ones I'm thinking of have the cuts and loops level, and you can see definite patterns like flowers or geometric shapes, and are usually a single color or two-tone (as opposed to the multicolored pattern carpet usually seen in hotels).

 

[SillyMe]

We have it and I HATE it...no snags but it is impossible to steam clean. I have a grat Hoover steam cleaner and have also had it professionally cleaned and the stains just don's come out. All the dirt gets in the grooves and doesn't come out. I can't wait to rip it all out and put in Pergo. Whew! got that off my chest

You're actually not supposed to steam clean it...or any carpeting for that matter. We were told to use Host cleaner on ours. You sprinkle it on (it's moist and spongy), work it in with the machine (you can rent it from any carpet store), let it dry and vacuum it. It turns lighter in color & looks kind of like sawdust when it's dry. You can walk on your carpets during the cleaning...no need to stay off like when steam cleaning. It's better for your carpets and doesn't invite mold to grow underneath like steam cleaning.
Check it out. http://www.hostcarpetcleaning.com/

 

[always quiet]

I got it a week ago and I LOVE it!! Not only are there 3 kids, 1 hubby, 1 father.........there is 1 dog, 1 cat and 1 rabbit!! Can we say "high traffic"!!! I got the tight loop berber........10 yr warranty. I haven't seen any of the animals (the 2 legged ones too!!) get snagged. It's multi color and you can't even see if it needs to be vacuumed or not!!!