What are Carpet Remnants?

Carpet is perennially a popular choice for flooring. It's warm, it's comfortable, and it's available in a myriad of styles and colors. Frequently, however, a homeowner might not need to install a large area of carpet, might be trying to replace a small stained section of carpet or just simply want an affordable area rug. This is where the remnant carpet makes its usefulness apparent.

Definition

Carpet remnants are pieces of carpet of varying sizes left over after large-scale carpet installations have been completed. Essentially, carpet remnants are leftovers.

Benefits

Typically, carpet remnants are much more affordable than carpeting bought by the square foot. As they are leftovers from large jobs, carpet remnants are priced lower and may be bought as a single unit.

Uses

Carpet remnants may be used as an alternative solution to more expensive designer area rugs. They may be used to fill in a gap in carpeted floors if an appliance or fixture has been moved, leaving an empty space. They may also be used to replace a badly worn or stained section of carpet.

Purchasing

Almost every carpet and flooring retailer will have a room or section of the store devoted to remnants. As opposed to the small samples of available new carpet priced by the square foot, remnants are almost always displayed in a roll, on shelving or stacked on the floor and are available for immediate purchase. You simply walk into any carpet store and ask to see their selection of remnants.

Installation

Carpet remnants are installed in exactly the same manner as traditional, larger volume carpet. Carpet remnants must be sized, or cut, to the exact dimension required, underlaid with a foam backing and installed onto wood carpet strips with tacks. If used as an area rug, carpet remnants may be bound on the edges with a finishing strip and then simply laid on top of a carpet backer.