Every week Glenn Haege talks to more people about home improvement than any other person in the United States. As host of the nationally syndicated, "Ask the Handyman" with Glenn Haege radio show, Glenn is heard in all 50 states and Canada. Glenn has talked about Fair-Way Tile and Carpet and our products many times over the years on the air as well as in his newspaper column. With the Masterhandyman's permission,we've reprinted a few of his articles here.

When you set out to buy carpeting, you are really buying three things: carpet, padding, and installation. If you are sold short on any of the three, your carpeting purchase will be a money-losing proposition.

Last week we discussed the different fabrics and styles of carpeting. What about color?

There isn't a man alive who is going to win an argument about color with his wife or girlfriend. Even though 65 percent of all carpeting sold is beige, if you are a man and a rebellious "non-beiger," here's how to sound intelligent while you lose.

According to the professionals, light colors open up a room and make it look larger. They also show footprints less. Dark colors make a room seem warmer and cozier. Dark and multi colored carpets are also good at hiding soils and stains.

While you're deciding on color, check the highlights of the yarn. Shiny carpet yarns accentuate defects. They show footprints and soiling more than dull carpets.

John Greenough of Fairway Tile & Carpet in Clawson, (248) 588-4431, says that higher quality yarns reflect less light. The higher the quality, the duller the carpeting will be.

His colleague, Gene Pearlman, says that another way to tell inexpensive from better carpeting is to make a close-up inspection of the fibers. The thinner and more tightly packed the threads, the better the carpet. If all else fails, turn the carpeting sample over. Better quality carpet will have both the name of the chemical company that produced the yarn, usually Mannington, DuPont, BASF, or Allied, in addition to the name of the mill that actually wove the carpet.

"If the name of the chemical company is on the sample, both the mill and the chemical company are standing behind the warranty. If only the mill's name is on the carpet, only the mill is standing behind the warranty," Pearlman says.

The padding under the carpet is so important that installing an improper cushion can void the warranty, according to Paul McEachern of A. R. Kramer, in Livonia, (734) 522-5300. The five most common types of padding are synthetic hair, prime Urethane, rebond Urethane, flat rubber and ripple rubber.

Prime Urethane is very good but expensive. Unlike a fine wine, you are not going to impress anyone, even the carpeting, by ordering a prime Urethane. Consider it only if you are buying a very expensive wool.

Carpet padding for the rest of us is usually synthetic hair or rebond Urethane. They commonly come in 2-, 4-, 6-, and 8-pound weights. Eight-pound padding is the best and well worth the money for heavy traffic areas. Never accept less than 6-pound padding, McEachern advises.

There are really three types of rubber padding: flat, rippled, and bubble rubber. Flat and rippled rubber are excellent. They are waterproof and often used in basements and other cement slab installations.

Bubble rubber padding does not have sufficient density and thickness and can cause premature aging of the carpet. Using it can void the manufacturer's warranty.

If you are going to install carpeting on a concrete slab or in the basement and want a warmer floor, consider the Enviro Cushion imported from Mexico by Fairway Tile & Carpet. It is environmentally friendly, waterproof, and lists an R factor of 4.5. If you don't like cold feet, it is worth the premium.

How much should all this cost? Carpeting is sold by the square yard. Before shopping, measure the rooms. Length times width gives the square feet. Divide by 9, then add 10 percent for waste. Multiply that number by the installed carpet square-yard price and you will get a fair cost estimate.

Naturally, you can pay as much as you want. Some exotic wool carpeting weaves cost $145 a yard. A very good quality nylon carpet, with good padding and expert installation, should cost between $20 and $40 a square yard. Usually the price will be between $25 and $30. If you are quoted a price significantly under this amount and the person does not look like Santa Clause, be skeptical. Make certain you are getting quality carpet and padding and expert installation.

Do not try to install the carpet and padding yourself. Expert installation is so important that amateur installation often voids the carpet warranty.

You can usually save one dollar a yard by moving the furniture yourself and another dollar a yard by pulling up the old carpeting. Do not remove the old carpet tack strips. Tearing them out can ruin the wood underneath. Besides, the older strips are wider and better than those with which they would be replaced.

Removing the old carpeting yourself is a good idea for a couple of reasons. First, you get to give the floor a thorough cleaning and can make any necessary repairs. Second, you can fix any squeaks in the floor before the carpeting goes down.

See, fellas, we made you a carpeting expert in just two weeks. Next week: do-it-yourself lipo suction.