Carpets & Flooring

Time for a new carpet

When you’re buying a carpet it’s worth remembering that you really get what you pay for. As well as thinking about the look of your new carpet, it’s important to bear in mind that you’re buying something that may have to last for years. So it’s important not to make a judgement based solely on appearance - badly-made carpet that will soon wear out can look great in the showroom. It’ll look less great in a few years’ time when the pile is wearing through.

When you’re buying a carpet it’s worth remembering that you really get what you pay for. As well as thinking about the look of your new carpet, it’s important to bear in mind that you’re buying something that may have to last for years. So it’s important not to make a judgement based solely on appearance - badly-made carpet that will soon wear out can look great in the showroom. It’ll look less great in a few years’ time when the pile is wearing through.

However, making the right decision isn’t a case of simply buying the best carpet you can afford. If your budget is limited, buy cheaper carpet for rooms that get used less often, such as spare bedrooms - that’ll free up some cash to spend on good quality carpets for living rooms and other heavily-used areas. Don’t try to cut costs by buying cheap underlay. A good-quality underlay will add years of life to carpet.

It also pays to think about the type of material your carpet will be made from. For areas that receive hard wear but need to look good - hallways and living rooms, for example - it’s hard to beat natural wool. Wool is tougher and more fire-resistant than many man-made fibres, and it will look good for years. It’s disadvantage over man-made materials is that it can be harder to to clean, especially if it has been stained. If you want a woollen carpet with a relatively thin pile that’s still hard-wearing, consider buying a brand that’s had some Nylon added to beef up the resistance to wear and tear.

For areas that are liable to spillages and other mistreatment - kids’ bedrooms, for example - Nylon or polyester are good choices. Pure Nylon is rather flammable and prone to static, so if you go for this option make sure the carpet you choose meets all required safety standards. Polypropelene carpet - often in the form of ‘carpet tiles’ - is good for areas such as utility rooms where looks aren’t crucial but being able to clean off stains is. If you want a fully fitted carpet but you’re on a tight budget, there’s always viscose - which does the job but is very unlikely ever to look remotely classy.

Fitting carpet can be surprisingly difficult, and unless you’re an expert DIYer you really should consider hiring an expert to do the job for you. Actually attaching the stuff to the floor is straightforward - simply follow the manufacturer’s guidelines about whether you should use tacks or cut-to-length carpet grip. The problems arise with trimming the carpet to size - don’t be tempted to cut it to what you think is an ‘exact’ shape before laying, as even a tiny inaccuracy in your measurements can leave you with a carpet that is too small to fit. There are also other considerations, like the fit of doors. If you’re switching from hard floors or thin carpet to a deep pile you’ll probably have to have the doors off their hinges and ‘eased’ (i.e., have their bases planed off by a few millimetres so that they still open and shut cleanly). Rehanging a door properly is not the easy job it seems.

Finally, when your carpet is fitted, don’t throw away the off-cuts. If the worst happens and part of your carpet gets burnt or permanently stained, a bit of spare carpet can be cut to size and fitted in the right place. It won’t look perfect, but it’ll at least look clean.

Blinds or Curtains?
Blinds have come back into fashion in a big way over the past few years. Bamboo Blinds aren't simply for shutting at night - their great advantage over curtains is that...

Carpet Shampooer
The cost of having a professional carpet cleaning company come into one?s home has moved many people to buy their own carpet shampooers. The newer models coming to the...

Kids Beds
Childrens Bedrooms Kids beds get used as tents, trampolines and castles nearly as regularly as they get used for sleeping in. So it's a good idea to make sure they...