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Carpets are a great way of adding a splash of colour and softness to a room. Good quality carpet has numerous advantages over other types of flooring thanks to its insulating properties and availability of beautiful designs.
However, choosing the right carpet for your home can be overwhelming. With such a wide variety of styles, types, pile thickness and underlay it is hard to know what would work best for your home or commercial space, so Flooring Superstore are here to help.
Here is our guide on everything you need to know about buying carpet and what you should look for to make sure you find the perfect carpet to match your lifestyle and budget.
Style
Style is often at the forefront of your mind when looking to buy a new carpet. After all, you want it to look good!
Quality carpet designs can be found to suit any style, from beige to stripy, from black to purple, so there really is nothing stopping you from finding your inner creative and finding the ideal looking carpet for your home.
If you are struggling to decide what colour carpet to choose, we would recommend using the colour rule.
The colour rule is a classic decorating rule that helps create the right colour palette for any given space. The rule is often shorthanded to 60-30-10 and that is how you may see it written when researching home décor. This simply means that you should only use three colours in any room and that 60% of the room should be a main colour (usually your floor or walls) 30% should be a secondary colour and 10% should be a colour accent.
Lighter coloured carpet is excellent for smaller rooms, as it helps lighten the space and makes it feel larger. If you would like to choose a darker or primary coloured carpet, then remember to keep your walls on the more neutral side of the colour spectrum, as this can make a nice contrast as secondary colour compared to your new carpet.
Patterned carpets are particularly good for hallways or narrow rooms as it tricks the eye into lengthening the space.
Ultimately though, what style of carpet you choose is down to your own tastes and preferences but if you need any help or guidance on style, we are always here to help.
Pile type
When it comes to carpets, it isn’t just style and design you need to think about. Pile types are an essential consideration when choosing a carpet. But what does it mean?
Carpet pile is the bit that you stand on and refers to the density of the yarn or fibres it has been created with. Pile height is the thickness of the carpet. There are several types of pile, so we have created a list of the most common pile types you are likely to come across.
- Twist: The twist pile is made up of twisted fibres. Which are threaded through the backing and stays there, then another one is started. Twisted piles give a more textured look.
- Loop: A loop pile is when the material is threaded from underneath the carpet and goes up and under again giving it a loop effect.
- Saxony: Saxony piles are just like a twist pile, but the pile is often cut at an angle giving it an even softer, more luxurious look and feel underfoot.
- Wool: Wool carpets are available in a variety of pile types, most commonly loop and offer a soft, natural, textured feel.
- Woven: A woven pile is where the pile and the backing yarns are woven together creating a strong and durable carpet.
- Wilton: Wilton carpets are woven on looms that weave two carpets as a sandwich, known as "face-to-face", which is then sliced into separate rolls. This produces a highly durable textured carpet which is extremely hard wearing and excellent at maintaining its appearance.
There are several other things to consider when choosing your carpet pile type.
Each pile type can be made up of either polypropylene, wool, sisal, or nylon.
- Polypropylene is very soft, manmade and easy to clean
- Wool is harder-wearing than Polypropylene and better quality, but it is not bleach cleanable. Wool is resilient and naturally stain-resistant.
- Sisal is made of the highest-quality fibres of the agave plant. It Is a strong and natural carpet which is woven together to create its unique stylish look and is environmentally friendly.
- Nylon is durable, resilient and stain resistant.
It is also important to note that pile heights and weights vary, so the heavier the pile the denser the carpet will be. A deeper pile has a more luxurious feel, but a shorter pile tends to be easier to care for. These factors are essential when choosing a carpet that works for your home or office life.
Underlay
Carpet underlay is just as an important consideration as the carpet itself. Good underlay is vital for your carpet to sit correctly, heat insulation, comfort, moisture prevention and noise reduction. It can even increase the lifespan of your carpet!
Underlay is often rated using a tog system, which is the measurement for its thermal resistance, similar to a duvet. The higher the tog, the better the insulation and therefore better for warmth. The thickness of your underlay does not have any bearing on the tog rating, so bear this in mind when thinking about what you need for your home.
Made from recycled foam in a range of thicknesses, there are a variety of different types you can purchase according to your needs. If you have underfloor heating then look for one that when combined with your carpet has a tog rating of less than 2.5, if you have heavy footfall in your home, then look for a thick underlay that has good noise reduction.
If you want to lay your new carpet on existing underlay it is worth considering that although underlay doesn’t get any direct wear, it can gradually lose its comfort level, noise and heat insulation and can cause your carpet to flatten more quickly in the areas of the heaviest wear. We would strongly advise customers to purchase new underlay when buying a new carpet to receive the most comfort and best performance from your flooring & give it the firm support it needs. Plus, it will also prolong the life of your carpet!
Maintenance
When you first receive your carpet, it may have a crease, this is because when carpets are cut, they are rolled around a cardboard tube then wrapped in packaging ready for couriers to deliver them straight to you.
Although manufacturers have the latest equipment and systems to ensure their carpets arrive in good condition, occasionally the weight of the carpet wrapped around the tube can cause a temporary crease at the overlap point. This is a common problem among textile deliveries; however, the crease will gradually disappear after several weeks as you walk on and vacuum your carpet.
To look after your carpet, you will need to vacuum it regularly and take care of any spillages quickly, so they don’t stain. We do recommend that you get your carpets cleaned professionally every two to three years to help it maintain its look throughout its lifetime.
We would also recommend using floor mats, particularly if the carpet leads to an entryway, as this can prevent edges fraying and stops dirt being tracked into your lovely new carpet!
If you do have a spillage or stain, don’t rub it hard or over-wet the carpet as this can cause damage. Blot the stain then use a carpet cleaner, stain remover or carpet shampoo to help get rid of any marks.
Want to know more?
There is a reason we are the UK’s number one flooring retailer, at Flooring Superstore not only do we stock a wide variety of carpet styles, but we deliver nationwide and offer free samples of our flooring for you to touch and feel in the comfort of your own home. When it is time to think about buying, you can save up to 50% on high street prices as well as being able to specify a date for your delivery - allowing you to prepare and plan for your home transformation!
For expert guidance on carpets, including underlay and accessories, then our flooring specialists are the ones to call. The team is highly trained in all aspects of flooring design and installation and can work with you to achieve the perfect carpet for your budget.
Call today on 03308 084 523.
