What are the differences between commercial grade carpet and residential carpet? Is there ever a time when one is used in place of the other? Commercial carpet quality itself varies – what impacts this and how can you use this rating when carpeting your own commercial space?

Color Choice

One of the biggest differences is the colors that are popular. While you can pretty much find commercial grade carpet and residential carpet in most colors, the rooms you’re carpeting in your home will be smaller by comparison. That means there’ll be a wider range of lighter colored carpets. Lighter colors reflect light better and make a space seem more open.

By contrast, commercial carpets are often made for very large spaces. Here, there’s a greater demand for darker carpet colors and thus a wider variety of darker colors and patterns.

Cushioning

Kids lay down on residential carpet. They may roll around on it with pets. You want enough cushion to protect a fall. Because of this, residential carpet trades durability for comfort. That’s appropriate – you’re probably never going to have hundreds of people walk on it in a day.

Commercial carpet quality prioritizes foot traffic and even heavy loads pushed on carts. You’re not expecting anyone to lay down on it. It will often be cushioned underneath to last longer and be easier on your joints, but the carpet itself prioritizes durability.

TARR

Texture Appearance Retention Rating (TARR) is used to judge commercial carpet quality in terms of foot traffic. The three ratings are moderate, heavy, and severe. The higher the rating, the more foot traffic that carpet will be able to endure without losing the quality of its appearance.

Cost

Often, commercial carpet is more affordable. This makes sense. It’s made to cover far larger spaces. Sometimes, homeowners will opt for it when the commercial carpet quality is high and the cost rivals residential carpet. This all depends on the area you’re carpeting.

Do you have more questions? The East Coast Flooring & Interiors team has the answers you need. Don’t hesitate to contact us today.