Shaw Carpet | 2022 Collections

Shaw Flooring is a company name that you will find at the top of many best of lists.

The Shaw Laminate is very well received, and so are their luxury vinyl planks. 

This article examines Shaw carpet and helps you determine which of their many choices are right for you.

We also cover care and maintenance and teach you how to identify the various carpet types.

Our Favorite Collections From Shaw Carpeting

The Shaw company makes a lot of flooring and their carpet has a very good reputation.

They have a lot of collections, and these are our favorites:

• Bellera Carpeting Collection. Most popular collection.
• Caress Carpeting Collection. Textured carpeting.
• Colorwall Carpeting Series. Plush carpeting.
• Foundations Carpeting Series. All-around carpeting.

Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Right Shaw Carpet

Choosing the right carpet can be a difficult choice.

There are a lot of brands and a lot of different types.

Shaw is a good choice, but you still have a lot of other decisions to make.

The buyer’s guide below will give you several factors to consider to help make your decision process a little easier.

Size of Space

Carpet is sold by square foot. To find the right carpet for your floors, the first thing you need to determine is how much space you have to cover.

To find the square foot measurement of your space you simply multiply the length of the room by the width.

Once you have the square foot you need, you can then compare prices, types and all other factors listed below to make your decision easier.

Type of Shaw Carpet

You also need to determine the type of carpet you want. There are different fibers (details on the various fibers listed below the Shaw Collection section), pile heights, and flexibility.

These various aspects of the carpet make it plush, short, soft underfoot or more rigid.

Depending on the room the carpet will go in, your needs may change.

Cleaning and Maintenance Concerns

Some carpet is more difficult to clean than others. High pile carpeting, for example, is generally plush and soft under foot, but not a lot of vacuums can properly clean high-pile.

DIY Vs. Professional Installation

Carpet is generally a professional installation media. It takes a lot of measurements, knowledge and hard work to get the carpet taught, nailed and perfect.

However, it isn’t impossible to install as a DIY project.

If you are looking for professional installation, you can use sites like Angie’s List, Thumbtack or even Houzz. These sites pair you with local professionals where you can get project quotes, installation times and much more.

Subfloor and Padding

When you do install carpet you may need to add (or replace) your padding. However, you also need to check the subfloor.

Usually plywood, the subfloor can become moldy, stained, warped or even cracked. If you need to make repairs, now is the time.

When it comes to your padding, you also have choices and most professional installers will go over the thicknesses and types based on your carpet selection.

Shaw Carpet Color Match

Shaw can color match almost any of their carpets.

This is a great aspect to your home improvement project if you really want to match your carpet to your drapes, or that background on your oversized poster of Atlantic City.

While color matching will take longer to ship and cost you more per square foot, it is a way to get the exact carpet you want in the exact color.

While this process isn’t exclusive to Shaw, it has become one of their most well known features.

Price & Warranty

Shaw offers some of the best warranties in the industry and their prices reflect their dedication, durability and overall quality.

If you are budget-conscious you may want to look at their “Simply the Best Values” section. This offers you Shaw quality at a reduced price.

While Shaw carpet offers flexible pricing options, I’d recommend setting a flexible budget when shopping. Keep in mind that you may need extra funds for professional installation or cleaning supplies. Don’t forget to factor in the cost of quality carpet padding, which can enhance the feel and longevity of your carpet.

Shaw Carpet Collections

Below we offer you a brief guide of our favorite Shaw carpeting collections.

Bellera Carpeting Collection

The Bellera collection is easily the most sought after carpeting from Shaw. This collection features over 23 different styles and has some features you just won’t find anywhere else.

This collection features carpeting that has different backing, but the one you may want to look for is the LifeGuard backing.

This is a pet approved carpet backing that protects from underneath against wear, holes and odors.

It also protects from the top against spills and stains getting through to the padding.

Ideal for homes with pets and small children, the only thing you have to worry about is cleaning up any messes as they happen.

However, if you are out of the house (or even the room) the carpets in the Bellera series have stain protection treatments. Not to mention the natural stain and fade resistance of Anso Nylon.

There are different shades to choose from as well as all of the pile heights. While most of the collection is in the low and medium-pile, there are a few high pile selections as well.

Once installed, the choices form this series are durable, long lasting and soft underfoot. Even the low pile carpets have a more plush feel and you can feel yourself sink in a little with each step.

As with all Shaw carpets you will find the 20-year wear and tear warranty along with the lifetime stain and fading warranties.

If you are looking for an entire-home, wall to wall carpet, the Bellera collection is one to start with.

Caress Carpet Collection

The Caress collection is one of Shaws best sellers. There is a reason for that.

The carpets in this series are every bit as good as the Bellera collection but come at a slightly cheaper price.

Depending on colors, styles and types, you may or may not notice the price difference, but you will notice the same quality.

This collection hosts over 45 different styles to choose from in everything from Nylon to olefin and in low, medium and high pile options.

If you want texture, style, color and design options, this may be a good collection for you.

Every option in this series comes with the LifeGuard backing and works well in all rooms of your home.

Low and medium piles are best for high traffic areas, or where you have a lot of heavy furniture.

For bedrooms and den areas you may want a more plush option, which you will find with the likes of Lavish Living or Subtle Aura (these are names of carpet styles in the collection, in case you weren’t aware).

All of these carpet styles come with the Shaw warranty and should have professional installation to make sure everything is done correctly.

Colorwall Carpeting Series

The Colorwall collection is a bit confusing. You would expect that the options here are vast and vivid. However, when you take a look, you find a lot of muted colors, whites and beige. Don’t let that fool you.

What you see is a basic sample of the styles within the collection, and it is a quick look. There are only 12 carpet styles to choose from with both medium and high-pile options.

However, three of the styles have 19 or less color options, four have 20 color options and the remaining 5 styles have 60 color combinations to wade through.

These styles are all plush, soft underfoot and work with almost any underlayment. 

Foundation Carpeting Series

The Foundations series is among the cheapest of all Shaw carpeting options. 

You will find low pile to high pile and even a couple of shag styles here. Each one is backed by the same Shaw warranty and treated with stain and fade resistant applications.

For those of you that want to save money and still find a low-pile carpet with textured designs, there are several here to choose from.

The Lucid Ivy is one of the best sellers for its woven round pile, tight weave and intricate pattern design.

Identifying Different Types of Shaw Carpet Fibers

Premium carpet comes in three basic types of fibers. Nylon, polyester, and olefin fibers are used for their special features and capabilities in carpet making.

Nylon is among the most used in carpet. It is resilient and the most versatile fibers in all of carpet construction. The fibers are naturally durable and flexible making them ideal for all pile heights. Nylon, however, isn’t highly stain resistant.

Shaw nylon has a stain fighting treatment added to help combat the lack of stain resistance.

Shaw also uses only the premium Anso Nylon which has been in the business for 50 years.

Anso Nylon is also Cradle to Cradle Silver certified for quality, and positive impact on the environment.

In my experience, the type of carpet fiber you choose can greatly impact the overall feel and durability of your carpet. Nylon typically gives superior softness and resilience, making it a preferred choice for homes with kids and pets. But remember, this could be a tad pricier as compared to polyester or olefin.

Polyester is used in carpeting for its natural stain resistance and fade fighting abilities. Better polyester makes for better carpet. Shaw uses PET Endurance which can stand up to direct sunlight, excessive wear and won’t fade. This is why it is found in the Bellera collection.

Polypropylene, also called olefin, is naturally stain and fade resistant which is why it is found in such things as carpet, wall paper and even rope and can interiors. The main problem is that it isn’t as tough and flexible as the other two options.

What Pile Height is Right for You?

• Low pile is durable and resilient. Because the loops and fibers are close together and short, the carpet can hold up to many conditions. High traffic, constant cleaning and even pets will find that low pile is durable.
• Medium pile carpet is also resilient and durable but has a softer feel under foot. Most of your Berbers are medium pile and this is where carpet really shines. Easy to clean, strong and vibrant, medium pile is found mostly in living areas and bedrooms.
• High pile carpet is very plush and soft underfoot. It is more difficult to keep clean and tends to flatten out with walking, doors opening and closing and can be hard to make stand back up.
• Shag carpeting is confused with high pile carpet a lot. While it is a high pile, it is designed to be individual fibers and does fall over on its own. It is the most difficult to keep clean but is also the softest underfoot.

Caring for your Carpet from Shaw

Proper cleaning and maintenance of your new carpet is crucial.

You want the carpet to look great, feel great and stay that way for a long time. For the most part this will require the use of a good vacuum. You will also need to consider using carpet shampooers.

After the install, unlike laminate or vinyl planks, carpet doesn’t need to rest.

You can move your furniture in and start using the floors as soon as the carpet installer leaves. This means that care and maintenance starts right away as well.

Regular vacuuming is the most important part of carpet cleaning. You will need a vacuum that can get to the base of the fibers to loosen and lift dirt as well as run through the pile without snagging or getting tangled.

For spills and messes you want to clean them up as fast as possible.

Even with Shaw’s stain fighting treatments, it is best to clean up any spills, especially liquids as soon as you can.

Dry, clean towels can soak up the liquid, but a warm water and sponge or even carpet cleaning solution will help take out any colors or odors that are left behind.

Carpet shampooers will clean the carpet fibers and return them to their original look and feel. Even with regular vacuuming, a shampooer will collect things the vacuums miss.

One thing to point out is how important regular maintenance is for carpets. I’ve found that vacuuming your Shaw carpet as often as possible not only helps maintain its appearance but also prolongs its lifespan. Depending on the traffic, I suggest vacuuming at least twice a week. Use a carpet shampooer for deep cleaning at least twice a year or hire a professional cleaner to keep your Shaw carpet looking its best.

For more details on carpet cleaning like a pro, check out our article to get all the tips and tricks you need to maintain a healthy looking carpet for years to come.

Frequently Asked Questions about Shaw Carpets

Here we answer some of the most commonly asked questions about Shaw and carpet in general.

If you have other questions, feel free to use the comment section below the article.

Q. How long will Shaw carpet last?

1. Shaw carpeting is designed to be around for a long while. Most of their lines include a lifetime warranty against stains and soils and offer a 20 year warranty against wear.

Q. Do I need to vacuum carpet daily?

1. No, carpet is tough and durable, but even daily vacuuming can cause problems. Unless there is a stain, spill or mess that needs specific attention, you can generally get away with vacuuming weekly. For low traffic areas you can even go longer, but it is recommended to clean all of your carpets at least once every 7 to 10 days.

Q. Is carpet better than luxury vinyl plank?

1. Carpet has a place in your home, just like LVP. However, it is difficult to state with any conviction that one flooring type is better than another. There are situations and circumstances where carpet is a better choice, such as in a bedroom or living room. However, in wet areas like bathrooms or laundry rooms, LVP is a better choice.