All about Carpets: A Consumer Guide

Householders who face an array of carpeting materials with confusing specifications will find help in this primer. Revere, an experienced carpet inspector, lucidly untangles carpet manufacture: yarn types, styles, textures and dyeing techniques are evaluated. He explains how to choose a carpet for particular requirements and how to select underlay and and a professional installer, leaving final selection to individual needs and decorating preferences. Stout-hearted do-it-yourselfers will appreciate his thorough instructions for carpet installation, and almost all householders can benefit from the maintenance procedures suggested. Revere also spells out how to remedy typical carpet defects, such as shedding and roll crush marks, and offers the cost-conscious useful advice on how to combat odors, repair burns and complain effectively to distributors. Yet his reluctance to recommend carpet types or manufacturers sets limits on the usefulness of his ``consumer guide.'' Illustrated. (Jan.)