When most people think of outdoor carpet, they think of that ugly green or blue marine carpeting seen on boats or boat docks. Most of the time the carpeting is faded and is used primarily for absorbing water and creating a non-slip walking surface. However, there are many other types and styles of outdoor carpeting other than this ugly marine carpet.
The first think to consider for your outdoor area, is what type of exposure the area has to direct sunlight and possible standing water. There are synthetic carpet fibers made from olefin or polypropylene which stands up great to high traffic and would work on areas of your deck or patio. This type of carpet is often used indoors as well, and can be utilized in outdoor areas which need stain resistant carpet or are for high traffic areas. Olefin carpet can be used outside and thus gives you a lot more options for style, color, and patterns in areas around your patio our outdoor lounge. The main difference between these carpets and marine carpeting is the rubber backing attached to marine carpet which is actually created to hold water in.
There are two main types of installation choices when looking at outdoor carpets. One is the traditional roll carpeting which is rolled out in long strips and adhered to the surface using carpet glue. The other type is outdoor carpet tiles which come with an adhesive backing that once peeled away can be adhered directly to the surface. There are pros and cons of each.
Rolled carpeting has less seams and therefore often looks more unified and seamless. Carpet tiles obviously have more seams since they come in squares which are pieced together. The benefit of carpet squares is that you can easily replace worn or faded tiles. This can come in really handy especially when using carpet in high traffic areas. Moreover, rolled carpet requires the removal of an entire section just to replace one small area.
Whichever type of outdoor carpet you choose, you’ll find there are more choices then you originally thought and may be surprised to find some great patters, colors, and styles.
