A plaid carpet is the classic favorite of people who demand elegant and contemporary designs for their floors. Plaid has existed since the 16th century and made a comeback with more varieties, especially in the carpet industry, in the past few years and have got a firm hold on the minds of modern-day designers and potential buyers.
These traditional patterns suit well with modern abodes giving a classy yet vibrant and complementary look. But prior to considering it as an option for your floors, much information is left to be known, like the pros and cons of plaid. Does it suit every space? Will it be a good choice for the climatic conditions in a specific region? How long does it last? And many more.
Therefore, it is necessary to understand the features and limitations of any carpet you might add to your floors. This guide will answer these questions regarding plaid carpets. So, stick around to add up to your knowledge regarding plaid.
Table of Contents
What exactly is plaid?
The word ‘plaid’ is often confused by people, even those working in the industry. Based on its origination and geographical differences in usage, some identify it as a specific cloth used for a particular occasion. At the same time, some understand it as a fabric having a tartan pattern over it. So, what exactly does plaid mean to be associated with carpets?
Concerning carpets, plaid is a pattern woven into using fiber (wool and nylon traditionally) to give a look of several vertical and horizontal lines crossing at the right angle. The types of plaid carpets do not vary much as there is always this basic pattern with little variations.
Plaid versus tartan versus check
Plaid is not only confusing in itself but is often confusing when compared with similar patterns like tartan and check. Though plaid and tartan have lots of similarities, they carry minor differences in patterns formed with different color lines.
In tartan, strips’ vertical and horizontal design duplicates on vertical and horizontal axes creating a grid. While in plaid, the stripes, the stripes do not form a similar look in both directions and include two or more colors. On the other hand, check has a design symmetry of thick and thin lines forming squares.
Why choose plaid carpets?
- Durability: Depending on the fabric used in the carpet, such as cotton, plaid carpets are tough and good for high-traffic areas. These are resilient and suitable for commercial use. Its durability makes it ideal for domestic and office usage as it is less vulnerable to abrasion and tears.
- Flexibility: Traditionally, wool and nylon were mainly used to work on plaid patterns. But now, newly emerging fabrics are being used, which are phthalate-free fabrics and plant-based plasticizers that add flexibility to the carpet.
- Hypoallergenic and flame resistance: Plaid carpets, which are made using cotton fabric, are hypoallergenic. These keep the air clean and maintain moisture by absorbing dirt, dust, fumes, etc. As these are good water absorbents, these carpets are flame resistant, do not release toxic fumes, and thus are also good for fireplaces.
- Resilient: Plaid carpets, made using strong fabrics like nylon, are quite resilient. These have a great ability to stand heavy foot traffic and pressure and eventually come back to their original state, making this ideal for living areas and lawns to host gatherings.
Why might plaid carpets not be a good choice?
- Prone to stains: The fabrics used for plaid carpets can be dyed easily. These fabrics have great absorption rates and thus can get stained easily. It can be understood as – If a material can be dyed very easily, it absorbs spills and gets stained quickly.
- Risk of shrinking: Natural fibers are prone to shrinking if not maintained properly. Therefore, maintaining the plaid carpet and being careful around it is a big task. Fabrics like wool are also prone to shedding initially and diminish over time. So, maintenance in the initial days is quite crucial.
- Prone to mold: Wool plaid carpets are good absorbents of moisture. If the moisture level is not maintained, the carpet might develop mold and degrade over time. Because of this limitation, such carpets are good for temperature-controlled areas only.
Types of plaid carpets
Plaid is a traditional pattern that mainly focuses on the design formed by different colorful lines intersecting each other. Considering this basic structure, the different types of plaid carpets consist of only little variations of the basic pattern. It is available in – Gingham, Houndstooth, Madras, Tattersall, and other variations created by different manufacturers.
Are plaid carpets suitable for every space?
Plaid carpets are suitable for every space, be it a living room, hallways, stairs, or bedrooms. This complex yet elegant pattern feels vibrant with every interior. But choosing the right plaid style and design holds good importance. Depending on the purpose and the activities, a specific type might look better than others on a particular floor area.
These carpets are comfortable and soft and have a good grip, making these good for stairs. Though plaid looks serene indoors and outdoors, some specific fabric plaid may lose its color when exposed to direct sunlight, while others are prone to mold if exposed to moisture or water. Therefore, it may not be good for the outdoors.
Why consider using plaid carpet tiles?
These are small pieces of carpet fabric aligned together to cover the entire floor. Carpet tiles are an efficient alternative to broadloom rolls with backing attached, thus eliminating the need to buy the underlay separately. These are the reasons to consider tiles over traditional carpets:
- Easy installation: Compared to traditional roll carpets, tiles are easier to install by oneself. These are light in weight and can be carried easily compared to a big role. The installation simply requires peeling and sticking the tiles to the floor.
- Provide a choice to change the pattern look: Plaid carpet tiles are stuck to the floor one by one, providing the choice to set them in different orders and bringing variation in the pattern. It offers a creative option for experimenting with pattern formation, eventually forming a broadloom carpet with a unique design.
- Replaceable: Carpet tiles are easy to be replaced than traditional wall-to-wall carpets. In broadlooms, if one section gets damaged, it can be cut out. The whole carpet will need to be considered for replacement. On the other hand, removing damaged carpet tiles is convenient and quick.
Why are tiles not much popular?
Though carpet tiles provide many benefits over traditional wall-to-wall carpets, these have not been able to dominate them till now. Along with being an easy alternative, tiles lack some features for which a broadloom is loved.
- Lack softness: Carpet tiles are often available in loop piles forming a series of loops. Such carpets are less soft than cut piles and have clean edge finishings to make these suitable for high-traffic areas. Thus, these are not as comfy as broadlooms.
- Visible edges: Installing tiles can never dominate traditional carpets, as the edges of tiles are visible when observed with little attention, which might not look good. Because of continuous movements over these edges, the tiles start damaging in less time.
Installation requirements
Similar to other carpets, installing plaid carpets is also tricky and should be carefully done. A few points might need to be taken care of prior to installation.
- Ensure the targeted floor is free from dust and other objects and check up on the underlay and adhesives based on the flooring.
- Working on cracked and damaged floors before installing a carpet is a must.
Cleaning and maintenance
Maintaining a plaid carpet is not a technical task. It just needs careful and quick actions. The following things are to be considered for making the carpet last long:
- Regular vacuuming: Vacuuming frequently is a mandatory task in homes with carpet flooring. The carpets collect a lot of dust, dirt, microbes, and moisture, which need to be cleaned out regularly to prevent them from degrading and risking people’s health.
- Avoid shoes on the carpet: It is a very basic requirement to keep the carpets clean. The shoes carry a lot of debris and germs that might pile up on the carpet. Therefore, adopting a no-shoe-in-the-house policy will let the carpet remain clear.
- Take quick action to deal with spills: Plaid carpets are often available in blended fibers with quite a good share of wool known to absorb quickly. Ignoring the spills, even for a few moments, might result in a noticeable stain and be hard to eliminate. Therefore, clearing it out as soon as possible is necessary.
Conclusion
Plaid carpets are a bold choice for having a squishy feel under the feet and a complementary look in the house. From woven wool that feels soft to the touch and plush underfoot to resilience-rich nylon, plaid carpets give a homely and stately interior and are available to fulfill every need. These provide the traditional classy rich look to the humble abodes and add character to the whole vibe.