There was a time when the choice and difference in outdoor carpeting was really limited, and all that was available was synthetic grass style. But times change, and nowadays the choice in quality, color and style for outdoor carpets is truly staggering.

Not only do the materials and manufacturing techniques differ a lot from one carpet to the next, there are also options depending on the location of the carpet installation, whether it is meant for a patio, for a poolside, and so on.

Regardless of whether you live in a rainy are or not, the amount of humidity and general dampness outside your house should be your main concern.

The typical outdoor carpet from previous decades, artificial grass style, is still very much in vogue and makes up one of the two big families of outdoor carpeting. While there are not a wide number of colors and other options to choose from, the basic version isn’t any different from the stuff used to pave sports stadiums in the seventies.

The simplest version of this kind of carpet that you will find is the Astroturf-like grassy material, well-known from stadiums and such. The basic artificial grass types are a little threadbare, and only good for areas that are not subject to heavy use.

On the other hand, thicker and better quality grass style outdoor carpet can be laid down almost anywhere, and is also much more resistant to heavy traffic. Generally speaking, it is a better and more long-lived option.

Plush carpet is the next major family of outdoor carpet products. Most outdoor plush carpeting should be installed in covered areas only, but some high quality synthetic types can be used where it rains too. Outdoor plush carpet looks different than grass style carpeting, and it also feels different and is more comfortable for barefoot walking The more people traffic you can expect the outdoor plush carpet to have to bear, the heavier should it, be, and the better should the quality be.

You can judge this kind of outdoor carpeting according to similar criteria than for indoor carpets, e.g. look at the number4 of knots, the fibers, and so on. Plus, don’t forget to consider their waterproofness.

Ask if the carpet is sunlight resistant, and if it has moisture resistant marine backing. These are the most important things to consider when buying outdoor carpet that will be subject to a lot of moisture. You can expect that the price will increase proportionally to density, size, and similar criteria.

When looking to buy outdoor carpeting, don’t neglect to look at the offer in different shops, whether on-line or brick and mortar, and don’t try to save a few pennies on the total as this will often affect the time before having to replace the outdoor carpet.

Check out OutdoorCarpetGuide.com for comprehensive resources on how to select your outdoor carpets. Follow a link to find all the information that you may want about outdoor carpet types at your fingertips.