What Is The Best Color Carpet For High Traffic Areas?

Homes or businesses that get a lot of foot traffic need carpet that can stand up to wear and tear. If you want to minimize the worn look by installing carpet of a certain color, we can help you. We researched carpeting from multiple professional sources, so you'll know for sure what color to use in high traffic areas.

If you're choosing carpet for a high-traffic area, go with an earth tone. Earth tones include browns, greens, and grays.

Now that we know that earth tones are the best colors for high-traffic areas that are carpeted, we'll take a closer look at how these shades conceal wear and soiling. You might also wonder what type of carpeting is best in high-traffic areas, or how long carpeting should last. For the answers to these questions and more, read ahead in this post to see what our research has uncovered.

What Color Carpet Is Best For High-Traffic Areas?

Earth tones are colors found in nature, in rocks, soil, and plant life. These colors include greens, grays, tans, and browns, as well as shades of blue.

Modern designers have expanded the definition of earth tones to include colors found in the sky, broadening the definition to include a wide variety.

The earth tones we mentioned earlier in this post can help conceal the gradual soiling and wear that happens with carpet that gets a lot of foot traffic.

These colors can also help conceal spills that would lead to noticeable stains with other colors.

If you are shopping for carpet, the color is only one concern when it comes to high-traffic areas. The carpeting material is just as important.

Below, we'll take a look at the advantages of certain carpeting fibers when it comes to installing a carpet that is constantly underfoot.

What Carpeting Material Is Best In A High-Traffic Area?

Nylon carpeting

This carpeting material option is tough and stain resistant. It's made for busy areas and is very easy to clean and maintain.

Whether on a stairwell or in a living room, nylon carpeting will help hide the dirt and stains until you are ready to give it a thorough cleaning.

Frieze

This material is made from tightly twisted fibers that are cut long. This shaggy carpeting will hide much of the dirt and debris that is tracked across it. It's been a popular carpeting material for family and recreational rooms for decades.

Frieze will serve as a comfortable carpet to sit or lay on. The material is durable enough to withstand a lot of foot traffic, but soft enough on the skin to be a comfortable resting place.

This carpeting type can be enjoyed for years.

Wool

Wool is a great option for a room with a lot of traffic. Wool is very durable, and can last on your stairs, in your family room, and in bedrooms for years.

Wool carpet has been a popular option in households for generations. Wool is also stain resistant. This is great news for homes that might have small children and/or pets.

This material is also moisture resistant, making it very easy to clean without the fear of mildew or mold.

How Long Should Carpeting Last?

Carpeting costs a bit to install, so consumers will want to be sure that their investment will last.

While it's tough to pinpoint exactly how long carpeting should be useable, industry experts maintain that the average life span of carpeting can range between five and 15 years.

Just how much life you'll get from yours will depend on several factors.

Carpeting material

Not all carpeting material is made the same. Some materials are made to be much more durable than others, greatly impacting how long they will last before.

While there are a good number of options out there, those who choose nylon carpet will likely get the most life out of it.

Nylon is made from synthetic material. We know from earlier in this post that it is easy to clean and great for high-traffic areas. Thanks to its durability, this carpet has a storied reputation for outlasting other materials.

On the high end, this carpeting material will last upwards of 15 years. But there is more to how much a carpet will last than the material it is made from.

Maintaining your carpet

One of the main reasons someone wants to replace their carpeting is from the various stains that have accumulated on its surface over the years.

Children, pets, and even clumsy adults can do a lot of damage to a carpet's appearance over time. To get the most out of your carpeting, it's important to take care of any spills as soon as possible.

Once a stain sets in, it can be difficult to remove. Stains can also lead to unpleasant odors, making a replacement necessary. But these things can be avoided if spills are treated immediately.

It's also important to regularly clean the carpeting. If it is in a high-traffic area, you should vacuum it at least once a week and give it more attention.

If the material is suitable for it, you should shampoo your carpet every few months to take care of any stains that might have gone unnoticed.

Amount of traffic

Lastly, the amount of foot traffic a carpet endures will impact how long it will last. Though most carpeting material is durable, heavy and frequent footfalls will wear even the toughest carpeting material down.

In a busy office, it's not uncommon for carpeting to last less than 10 years. Even a material as tough as nylon has its limits.

Be sure to factor in how much it will be trampled on when trying to calculate how long it will last before it becomes necessary to replace it.

What Color Carpeting Should Be Avoided For Stains And Wear?

Earlier in this post, we talked about how certain earth tones are great carpet colors in high-traffic areas.

Browns, greens, and grays work well to conceal wear and stains, unlike other colors that accentuate them. Experts recommend staying away from carpeting that is white, orange, or black.

Stay away from white

White is the obvious one here. Any spill is going to really stand out on this color. It's also not recommended because footfalls are much more noticeable on this shade of carpeting.

Avoid orange and yellow

For the same reasons, experts advise against shades of orange and yellow. But why not black? It would seem like the darker the carpet, the better it will be at hiding stains, right?

Beware of black

Black carpeting is notorious for developing buildups of dirt and grime over time. With black carpeting, you might not notice a spills, as the dark hue will hide it.

This can lead to the carpet not being cleaned and vacuumed as often as it should, allowing for buildup to occur.

Wrapping up

If you're shopping for carpet for a room that gets a lot of foot traffic, you should be careful when making your selection. Though the color of the carpeting is important, the material that it is made from is just as critical.

No matter what material or color you choose, be sure you maintain and clean your carpet to maximize its useful life.

Thanks for reading until the end! We hope this post answered all of your questions. For more helpful information, we recommend reading the following posts:

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