Both nylon and olefin Berber have advantages.   Olefins resist all stains, with the exception of oil-based stains, but have the tendency to flatten or crush with time.  In choosing an olefin Berber carpet, make sure you understand carpet construction.  Olefin cleans remarkably well, but fibers tend to gray due to soil abrasion.  Olefin Berber is one of the best carpet values in terms of cost.

 Nylon Berber carpet has become harder to find due to the popularity of olefin.  They are a bit pricey due to their scarcity, but Nylon Berbers are treasures.  To a true diehard carpet romantic, nylon Berbers now have the mystic formerly held by wool Berbers.  New StainMaster fibers have made nylon Berbers easier to clean and stains are easier to remove, if immediate removal is attempted.

This description may sound like I have an affinity for nylon, but this is not necessarily true.  This past weekend, I just cleaned my 11 year-old olefin Berber and much to my wife’s disappointment, it seems to have 9 lives.  My wife already has tired of the piece, but I am certain there are 11 more good years left.  With a six-year old, more than half its life has been a trial under fire (and Kool-aid, and cookies, and milk, and ………) I actually have my wife convinced that the Berber in our family room is "test" carpet and if it is replaced prior to 15 years, we will have to pay a penalty for premature replacement.  Actually, the penalty is related to installing new carpet with a spill-prone six-year-old. 

In choosing the Berber I made all the right choices.  Look for a high density construction with a crushing warranty (rare).  This Shaw Carpet Berber (Cabin Craft) was a 55 ounce, four-ply olefin (most are two-ply)  and was a high density construction.  If all these terms are foreign to you, you probably haven’t reviewed our carpet construction section.

While beautiful, many Berber carpet styles are difficult to install, even for a seasoned pro.  Seams are rarely invisible and pattern match can be tricky.  Always order 10-15% extra for pattern match and insist on a six-inch seam iron to minimize seam peaking.