You may or may not remember this, but there was a time when outdoor carpeting meant that your only choice was to have a sort of cheap looking green rug on your patio, I believe that time was called the ‘70s. Well, here we are almost forty years later and nowadays outdoor carpeting has transformed into a completely different industry. Nowadays outdoor carpeting comes in a wide array of colors, textures, styles, sizes and price ranges; nowadays there are so many types of outdoor carpeting that it pays to be well informed when you’re looking for a way of beautifying your outdoor area.
Regardless of the place you want to install it on, be it your deck, patio or around your pool area, there are a lot of outdoor carpeting options out there available to you and you need to know which is what so that you can make an informed decision. Let’s start with the material that most outdoor carpeting is made from, it’s called Olefin but its other name is polypropylene, now the texture of Olefin rugs is very rough and this doesn’t make them ideal for use indoor, but for outdoor applications this makes them ideal because Olefin is stain resistant and highly moisture resistant as well, so it makes the perfect material for outdoor carpets. Also, most Olefin outdoor carpets are dyed with special dyes that are UV resistant and this means that they will not fade any time soon.
There are various different grades of outdoor carpeting available out there that you need to be aware of. The cheapest one is called economy grade and it’s the classic grassy green one mentioned earlier.
The high grade outdoor carpeting is usually recommended to be used in fully exposed outdoor areas, and it’s important for it to have marine backing even if you live in a place that sees moderate rainfall.
There is also plush outdoor carpeting available, but these comfy options should be installed only in covered areas because of their soft nature. You can use mid grade plush outdoor carpeting for covered areas that see low to moderate foot traffic, if you want to install them in areas that see more traffic then you should choose a high grade plush rug.
When you’re looking to purchase outdoor carpeting, make sure that you know what is it that you want so that you can make an educated choice and purchase. Make sure that you analyze a prospective carpet thoroughly by checking its density, digging your fingers into it, verifying if it has a moisture resistant marine backing and if it’s UV resistant. Pricing will vary greatly with the size, design, density and other options that you will choose.
Installing outdoor carpeting isn’t especially taxing, especially if you’re an avid do-it-yourselfer, the tools you’ll need are pretty much basic, except for carpet roller which you can easily rent, and it’s recommended to do so because of the tight seal they provide. On the other hand if you’re not the DIY type, you can find specialized people that do this for a living. 
photo credit: tom.arthur