Special characteristics should be considered for each room, as well as each living situation, before buying. These include the activities of the space, the traffic, color, acoustical properties desired, insulation qualities needed, tolerance to sunlight or other weather conditions, and safety.

Heavy-use areas need heavy-duty, durable carpeting, while lighter-use areas need only medium to low-quality carpeting.

If a wheelchair, crutches or walker will be used in the space, the floor cover should be as smooth and compact as possible. This does not exclude the use of carpeting; it merely suggests the use of low, one-level densely packed, pile carpet. Looped pile rather than cut pile is preferred for ease of wheel or crutch/walker leg- tip movement.