Choosing the Right Carpets
We believe that carpet is a fantastic choice of flooring for any home. Carpet is both luxurious and comfortable, providing a warm, tactile surface to walk, sit or play on. It is available in a huge range of colours and styles and is suitable for use throughout most of the house. Carpet is better at absorbing sound than most other flooring solutions, and is more effective at reducing heat loss.
There are a variety of factors to consider when choosing a new carpet, many more important than the obvious choice of colour/pattern.
Carpet Requirements for Each Room in the House
When choosing a new carpet, it's important to think about what type of daily use and footfall it will have to cope with, which will largely be dictated by where it's going to be used.
For example, hallway and living room carpets will generally need to be far more hard wearing than bedroom carpets. For kitchen carpets, you should choose durability, stain resistance and ease of maintenance over luxury.
In fact, for any areas of high use, we would recommend a heavy domestic rated carpet, preferably with a life-time stain warranty. For rooms with lower use, it becomes more of a choice between luxury and affordability.
Carpet Construction, Composition and Weight
Carpets can be made using different construction methods, with differing pile densities and from a variety of materials, giving increasing levels of luxury and forming unique characteristics. Understanding these three factors will help you determine the best carpet to suit your requirements.
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Carpet Construction
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Twist Pile and Saxony Carpets
Twist pile carpets are extremely popular in the UK. They are made from twisted yarns that are cut to length, creating a textured, springy and durable surface. Saxony carpets are essentially twist carpets with much longer fibres that give a plush, deep pile finish.
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Loop Pile and Berber Carpets
Loop pile carpets are made of looped yarns. Berber carpets are loop pile carpets with flecks of colour and are often more textured and irregular. If you have pets, their claws can snag or pull on the loops, so we would not usually recommend loop pile for rooms the pets are allowed in.
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Pile Density
Measured in ounces per square yard of carpet, the greater the pile density or weight, the greater the luxury. Our budget range of carpets start from 40oz, stairs and lounge carpets are generally from 50oz, and 60-70oz is usually considered to be luxury carpet.
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Carpet Materials/Composition
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Wool Carpets
Considered to be the most luxurious. A great eco-friendly choice as they are made from natural, sustainable materials. Naturally stain resistant and strong.
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Wool Blend Carpets
Usually 80% wool and 20% man-made fibres, wool blend carpets provide greater durability and versatility than wool alone.
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Polyamide/Nylon Carpets
Made from hard wearing synthetic fibres, nylon carpets are long-lasting and easy to clean, making then a great choice for families with children and pets.
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Polyester Carpets
Polyester offers the softness and comfort of wool with a slightly lower cost and is commonly used in thicker, deeper and denser carpets.
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Polypropylene Carpets
Popular and inexpensive, polypropylene carpets provide good stain resistance and durability and are ideal for tighter budgets. Our polypropylene range is called "Life-Proof".
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Pet Carpets
These are made from recycled plastic and are therefore environmentally friendly. An attractive choice for rooms for pets.
Carpet Underlay
Carpets should always be professionally installed. Our small, in-house team offer expert advice and installation to ensure your carpet has a long and happy life. This begins with us helping you select the right underlay for your choice of carpet and room.
Using the right underlay is vital to prolonging the life of your carpet. It provides the cushioning that keeps your carpet feeling comfortable underfoot, reduces noise and increases heat retention, and makes it easier to clean.
For these reasons, it is false economy to lay new carpet on old underlay, and we would always recommend investing in the best underlay you can afford, as it will keep your carpet looking and feeling good for longer.