When it comes to making sure you'll love your carpet for years, finding the right color and style is very important. But the construction of the carpet is just as important.

Today's carpet can be made in a variety of different ways to give it many different looks. But the way a carpet is made also has a lot to do with how it will perform in certain areas of your home. Several factors can affect a carpet's performance abilities:

Pile Density - refers to a complex correlation of tufted yarn specifications, including pile height, essentially indicating how tightly the fiber is stitched into the carpet backing. Typically, the more yarn a carpet contains, the higher its density and the heavier its face weight. Higher density improves comfort and performance.

Look for tufts that are tightly packed together. If you can easily part the pile and see its backing, the carpet is not very dense. Select a density suitable for the amount of traffic where the carpet will be used.

Pile density has an important influence upon how carpet feels and performs. Generally, the more dense the carpet pile, the more durable it is and the better it will perform in terms of wear and appearance retention.

Your ISI Designer can help you determine the best density for each room in your house. You can also check pile density yourself by pressing on the carpet with your fingers to see how easily you push through to the backing. Then with tufts facing outward, bend the carpet into a "U" (similar to the way the carpet might be bent over the edge of a stair) and see how much of the backing shows. If you're looking at a higher density carpet, you'll see more yarn and less of the backing material. Select a density suitable for the amount of traffic where the carpet will be used.

Keep in mind . . . higher density carpets can be more expensive. And if you're considering cutting back on the density to better fit your budget, you might instead think about purchasing higher density carpet for your high traffic areas, and lower density carpet for areas that are not used often, such as a guest bedroom. This way, you might be able to get the price you want without compromising on the performance needed to keep your carpet - and your home - looking better longer.

Face Weight - More ounces per square yard is better

Twist - A higher twist helps resist crushing & matting

There is one general rule - a higher twist level and a higher pile height should be used in heavy-traffic areas.