Indoor Outdoor Carpet: Practical, Easy, Fun

Carpeting your entire home can be a costly venture. Not only that, but some rooms are clearly too risky to carpet. Enclosed patios get way too much outdoor foot traffic, playrooms are, well, playrooms, and basements are simply too dank. There must be a way to make these rooms more comfortable, however. Cement floors or cold tiles in a playroom are definite no go’s. What you need are indoor outdoor carpet tiles. This carpet form can even be installed at pool sides and outdoor decks.

Indoor outdoor carpeting is made of tough nylon loop that resists unraveling, doesn’t require separate underpadding, and is usually fairly easy to clean. It is by no means plush. Yet it is far better than cement, cold tile, or run down flooring. In fact, there are enough styles and designs of indoor outdoor carpets that you can feel pretty stylish with the final product.

Even more, you’ll have no problem finding indoor outdoor carpet tile. Regular prices are about $1 per square foot. If you do some investigating, you can find even less expensive options. Don’t worry about shopping online for this stuff. It all feels approximately the same. Color schemes are straightforward. Your biggest concern should be quality and installation. For quality, look for known names like Shaw indoor outdoor carpet.

Installing indoor outdoor carpet squares should be incredibly easy. With a good knife and a straight edge, you should be covered. Most brands have self adhesive backing, or “pressure sensitive” adhesive, so that when you press it down, it sticks in place. Legato carpet works with traction, making installation even easier and rotating the squares a cinch.

Look for carpet pieces that can be matched with different shades, textures, or designs. You can make your flooring more interesting by using different colors for the room’s border, or creating a subtle checkerboard design with two textures of gray carpet tile. For something more dramatic, buy equal amounts of white and black indoor outdoor carpet tile and make that rec room into a larger than life chess board! If you’re creative enough and have a rectangular room or are interested in indoor outdoor carpet runners, you may even be able to create a piano keyboard. Now, that is cool.

So your interior exterior flooring problems have been solved! Get yourself some good looking carpet tiles, clear the space, and make creative use of a Sunday afternoon. You’ll hardly worry about dogs, children, or muddy boots coming through again.

When you hear “carpet remnants,” you think “unwanted scraps.”  Believe it or not, while carpet remnants are scraps, they are certainly not unwanted.  There are chains of carpet remnant stores dedicated solely to selling to very eager buyers.  What do these buyers want them for?  Carpet systems are a fortune, so using carpet remnants allows people to carpet their home without draining their entire budget.

Yet carpet systems are not the only use for remnants.  A carpet remnant may be the perfect design choice to decorate your home.  A good artist can take an otherwise undesirable medium and turn it into true beauty. Remnant carpets can be that medium.

For example, wall hangings.  You’ve seen rugs hanging as tapestries, now you’ll see carpets doing the same.  A great looking carpet piece may be enough in itself.  Looking for something more creative?  Find yourself some cheap carpet remnants, a carpet knife, a safe place for cutting and some very strong glue. 

Cut a background piece: rectangle or square.  Then, from the different carpets remnants, cut different shapes and glue them on for an effect reminiscent of decoupage; only without the shellac glue layering on top.  If you have fabric paints, you can create your own designs on the pieces, as well!  For the very brave, you can begin with room size carpet remnants as the background piece.  One wall of the room will be committed to your work of art.

A more common idea would be using area rugs or a hall runner.  To jazz it up, you can take smaller pieces of carpet remnant and have them bound together for a quilt effect.  Carpet remnants can also be cut for interesting picture framing, covering exposed surfaces of old bookshelves or mantelpieces.  Even throw pillows for the sofa can be made from some very plush carpet pieces.

Obviously, free carpet remnants are the most appealing.  Keep your ears out for friends and neighbors who are carpeting their homes; ask them for their remnants.  Look for signs in the newspaper like “Carpet Remnant Sale” and “Discount Carpet Remnants.”  Call a nearby carpet remnant outlet or warehouse.  Compare prices.  Ask about warranties.  Aim for the best.  Bound carpet remnants last longer.  There are also places to buy carpet remnants online, though you’ll never see the merchandise before you buy it.

This may be the most exciting artistic choice you’ve made for your home yet.  Experiment, and enjoy!