Just realized carpet quality has gone way down over the last 10 years

I been installing carpet for almost 15 years now and I saw a big difference between a house I did last week and one I did back in 2015. Both houses were the same builder grade stuff from the same big box store. The old carpet from 2015 held up way better with no matting or fraying after a few years. But the new stuff I put in last week felt thin and flimsy right out of the roll. I think manufacturers are using less nylon or polyester to cut costs. The backing on the new carpet also seemed more brittle and tore easier when I stretched it. Has anyone else noticed this drop in quality with newer carpets from the same brands?

2 comments

2 Comments

robinson.jake12d ago

Hmm, "the backing on the new carpet also seemed more brittle" - that could be more about how that specific roll was stored rather than a industry wide drop. I had new carpet put in my basement two years ago and it's held up fine so far. Sometimes people see one bad batch and assume everything is going downhill.

david_hayes12d ago

Yeah but did the installer use the right adhesive for your basement? I had a guy tell me once that moisture down there can make even the best backing fail faster than you'd think, even if the carpet itself is fine.