Tag: carpet

Tips on choosing a new carpet

Tips on choosing a new carpet

At some point in time, many of us will face the daunting task of choosing a new carpet for the home. And although other flooring materials such as wood and luxury vinyl are growing in popularity, nothing beats the soft warmth of a carpet underfoot – especially in the bedroom. Of course, carpets differ in quality and price. So, it’s worth taking a bit of time over your decision. But what considerations do you need to think about? And why are they important?

Close up of brown & cream carpet pile

Choose the right pile

Different techniques are used to make carpets, and this offers us a range of styles from which to choose. But more than just looking good, the pile can determine how hard-wearing and comfortable your carpet is.

Carpet can be made with looped fibres such as Berber or level loop carpets. Or they can have cut fibres such as Saxony or twist pile carpets. Loop pile carpets are generally considered to be better for high traffic areas as they’re more resistant to crushing. However, these can develop pulls from pet claws and other things catching in them. Plain Saxony pile carpets often show up vacuum and foot marks as the fibres move easily but other cut piles such as Frieze-style carpets have dense, short fibres that hide traffic marks well.

A third option to consider is a woven carpet such as Axminster. These can provide a highly textured or smooth finish. They’re often very durable; however, they can be much more expensive to buy.

Cat lying on a natural woven carpet

Think about materials and cleanability

Material is also very important in your carpet choice. It can be made from natural materials such as wool or sisal or from synthetic materials such as polyester and polypropylene. Along with the type of pile, this can affect the durability of your carpet. It’s also worth considering materials based on cleanability, cost, the environment and vulnerability to pests.

It’s a good idea to decide what your needs are first and match these to the material options. If you have a busy household with pets and young children, then cleanability and durability are a priority. And although wool is naturally stain-resistant and quite hard-wearing, cleaning chemicals are not suitable for this type of carpet. So, a synthetic carpet made of nylon could be a better choice. However, if sustainability is your priority, then wool or other natural and hard-wearing materials such as sisal or jute could be appealing to you. Alternatively, a carpet made from recycled polyester could give you a balance of eco-friendliness, durability and cleanability.

Carpet on a bedroom floor

Choose a style

The style of your carpet isn’t simply down to material and pile though. Colour and pattern play a large part too.

If you like to redecorate frequently, then a neutral-toned carpet will blend in with changing colour schemes. And small or dark rooms will benefit from light colours. On the other hand, in high traffic areas, this may soon become discoloured. You also need to think about how colour can date your décor. Grey carpets have been very popular over the last few years. Yet now, as trends begin to change, home-owners face the dilemma of whether or not to renew their carpet even though it’s still in good condition.

Coins spilling from a jar on to the floor

Avoid costly mistakes

Fitting a new carpet is a big investment that takes time and money. Thus, prior to buying any carpet, it’s worth seeing it ‘in the flesh’. This could mean a trip to your local showroom or ordering a selection of samples. Nonetheless, it’s essential that you do one or the other. Simply looking online won’t tell you the exact colour of the carpet or how it feels.

Don’t forget to factor the underlay and other accessories into your costs. It’s tempting to think you can reuse the existing underlay, but this may be worn or lack the right thickness to give you a satisfactory result.

If you choose to buy your carpet online from a national or international retailer, they may offer to arrange the fitting for you. Don’t automatically think this is the best option. Finding your own carpet fitter means you can choose a local trades-person that you trust.

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4 mistakes people make when having carpet fitted

4 mistakes people make when having carpet fittedcredit

Contrary to what some people will tell you, carpet has never gone out of style, and many will prefer the soft feel of a warm carpet under their feet over hardwood any day. A carpet is also a great option for children’s rooms thanks to its shock and sound-absorbing qualities. However, to get the most out of your new carpet, you have to make sure that you have all bases covered and don’t commit serious mistakes that you could end up regretting later on. Here are some of the most common mistakes people make when having carpet fitted.

Brown carpet with shadows across

Not choosing the right underlay

One of the most important things that you should do when having carpets fitted is to consider installing underlay. The only situation where we would advise against this is if you have underfloor heating. In this case, the underlay could prevent heat from seeping through, though you can find underlay with low thermal resistance.

Underlay is essential to making a carpet more comfortable. If you want to learn more about underlay, its benefits, and which one to pick, you should check out ColourBank Flooring and Beds. They have a useful page on how this can make carpet more comfortable by improving the carpet’s shock-absorbing qualities. They explain which type of underlay you should be using for a room with heavy traffic, for instance, or when would be the best time to have it upgraded.

5 different coloured carpetscredit

Going with the cheapest quote

This is one of the biggest mistakes you could ever make. Going with the absolute cheapest quote will only guarantee two things: either you’ll get the cheapest result, or end up paying much more in the end. You want to look at multiple quotes and you want to know if those quotes are fixed so that there will not be any unpleasant surprises. You want something near the middle unless you’re getting specialised service. If that’s the case, you can pay a little more for quality, but only if the contractor is a certified expert with verifiable experience and work.

Small dog laying on a carpet

Not looking at insurance

Insurance is very important when working with any contractor and you must ask for the contractor’s proof of insurance before you start. You also want to follow up and call the insurance company to see if their coverage is real and active. Insurance will protect your property in case they cause damage, it will protect you if someone gets injured as a result of their actions, and it will also protect you in case they quit the job in the middle for any reason.

Layered carpet samples

Not considering professional installation

But the worst mistake is not having the carpets fitted by a professional in the first place. While you may feel like this is an easy job, a pro will get you better results. Not only that, but mistakes can be a headache to fix and you might have to call a pro anyway to come and fix everything. If a contractor makes a mistake, you’ll hopefully be able to evoke some clause in the contract that obligates them to fix it.

These are some of the mistakes you should avoid at all costs when it comes to carpets. In all cases, always make sure that you thoroughly vet the people you’re going to work with and know as much about the process before the project starts.

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Why you should prioritise cleaning your carpets

Why you should prioritise cleaning your carpets | H is for Home

Carpets are the cosmetic polish of a home; adding a splash of colour, elegance, a touch of texturing and cosiness to any room. Carpets not only look good, adding visual warmth, sometimes they can help your central heating in winter, providing a barrier between the warmed air and a heat-absorbing concrete or hard wooden floor.

Carpets tend to run from wall to wall and are often fixed into place by carpet layers who carefully cut the carpet to precisely fit your home. However, rugs – large squares of carpeting, neatly bound and finished at the edges – can also give your home the benefits of a carpeted floor without the expense, and leaving access to some areas of flooring – more about which below. Whether you have rugs or carpets, there are some issues that can arise with carpeting. Let’s take a closer look at these.

Cleaning your carpets is a specialist skill. Using the wrong products, even in a high-end carpet cleaner, can result in your carpet being permanently stained or faded with unsightly blotches.

Carpets can age badly. Choosing a lovely pale carpet may seem sensible when you’re young and enthusiastic during a beautifully dry summer, but given a rainy year, and the addition of a puppy or a baby: suddenly, that wonderful pastel shade begins to lose its attractiveness!

Carpeting a whole room can result in uneven wear, with the areas with highest footfall showing loose or worn threads, while those areas underneath sofas and chairs remain pristine (even if they get a little dusty!)

The ideal is, of course, to have a carpet that’s soft and springy underfoot, while retaining its original colour, and remaining sturdy and durable for years. How can this be achieved?

Choose carefully in the beginning. Decide if you’re buying a carpet or rug to last a year or two, before you move from rented digs into your own place; or if this carpet is going directly into the home where you plan to stay for decades, if not, for life. Invest as much as you can in your carpet – indeed, in all your furnishings and fittings – if the latter is the case. Buying a sturdy, dirt-and-wear resistant carpet is an excellent investment, and will set your home up to look great for years to come. This is where rugs may be a better option. If you can plan to leave high traffic areas – access to other rooms, entryways and so on – uncarpeted, they are easier to keep clean and tidy.

Keep the carpet clean by ensuring that people wipe their feet thoroughly before walking on it, or have them remove their shoes entirely – nothing is more homely feeling than (clean) bare feet on a soft clean carpet! Vacuum the carpet at least once a week, more frequently if you have pets, lots of young children or live in an area that attracts a lot of dust, pollen and wind-borne detritus.

Once a year or so, have your carpet professionally cleaned – a quick Google search of your location, for example, carpet cleaning in Glasgow, will throw up a directory of skilled operatives such as this cleaning company. A professional carpet cleaner can remove depths of dirt and residue that your domestic vacuum cannot touch, plus they can wash heavily soiled areas, then removing most of the water with an efficiency that householders would struggle to match.

There are commercial treatments available that you can apply to your carpet after it’s been professionally cleaned to keep that freshly-cleaned, crisp appearance for longer. Carpet cleaning, once mastered, need not be either expensive or time-consuming in the long run. Speak to your carpet cleaning professional for more hints and advice on how to keep your carpet in great condition for longer.

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Flooring choices – room by room

Thin wooden floor boards in living area

There are many things to consider when choosing flooring for your home. The type of room and its use is the first and most obvious factor. What look or atmosphere are you trying to create? How durable does it need to be? What’s your budget? These are important initial questions. But perhaps you’re also concerned about using natural and or sustainable/environmentally friendly products. Perhaps someone in your household suffers from allergies, some floor coverings are more suitable than others. There are lots of products available on the market to fit all criteria.

Dining area with parquet floor and cow hide rug

Sitting room / dining room / lounge

In houses nowadays, the sitting room, dining room and lounge areas are often designed to be open plan. This means that the flooring is often the same throughout, giving a seamless flow to the space. These areas form the main living spaces of the house so flooring should have a sense of warmth.

Soft surfaces such as carpet spring to mind. It provides the desired comfort and warmth – and is available in an endless array of colours and pattern to suit any decorating scheme. There’s also the option of seagrass, coir, sisal, jute and water hyacinth for a natural look and feel.

Laminate flooring

For this there is a perfect laminated solution that’s been available for decades. There is choice of laminate flooring for all rooms with an increasing range of designs available than any other floor. This material has been continually developing and now offers great flexibility in terms of colour, finishes and price range. It’s very durable too, so great for families or pet owners. With its click groove design, it’s relatively easy to install – whether by a professional fitter or DIY enthusiast.

You might also be lucky enough to find some parquet or lovely old floorboards under a battered, dated carpet. New wood or reclaimed boards could also be installed. These can be buffed, sanded, stained or painted.

Or how about coconut timber? Coconut palm wood is made from matured (60-80 years old) coconut trees that no longer bear fruit – looks great and environmentally friendly too!

Bamboo is another flooring material gaining in popularity. As it’s a quick-growing grass, not a true wood, it is sustainable product.

To soften these harder surfaces or define spaces, lay rugs to break up the expanse of laminate or wood. For safety reasons, ensure that they wont move or slide with non-slip backings, clips or tacks.

Hallway laid with encaustic tile floorcredit

Porch / hallway

The part of the house that receives the heaviest traffic in most houses. The flooring material must be durable and easy to clean. Again, you could consider laminate or wood products. Or perhaps stone or ceramic in this area. A patterned surface such as encaustic tile is ideal as dirt doesn’t stand out as easily as it would on a plain floor. It’s also often the first room you enter, so making a statement is no bad thing!

Natural stone kitchen floor

Kitchen

The kitchen isn’t called the heart of the home for nothing. In many homes, it’s a gathering space – the place where we meet, chat, cook and eat.

Durability and hygiene are key. There are food spills, dirty foot and paw prints to contend with – so cleaning it needs to be a straightforward operation. Again we’d highlight laminate and wood as possible choices.

Natural stones such as limestone, slate or marble are good options for this area too. Also ceramic tiles and composite stone such as terrazzo. If you’re going for naturally cold materials such as stone or ceramic, consider the benefits of underfloor heating being installed at an early stage of the design process.

Vinyl tiles are a very affordable option. They are easy to lay, easy to keep clean, waterproof and are very hard wearing. The range of prints available do a good job of imitating other products such as ceramic tile, stone and wooden floorboards – at a fraction of the cost.

Linoleum has seen a resurgence in recent years. It’s manufactured from flax seeds combined with other natural plant materials. It is an anti-static and hypo-allergenic compound making it a good flooring choice in homes where people have health issues such as asthma or allergies. It’s available in a range of colours which don’t fade and is fire-resistant which is a great safety advantage for kitchen spaces where blazes can start.

Perhaps you like an industrial feel kitchen. You could use reclaimed materials – or introduce materials more normally associated with factory or workplace environments like polished cast concrete, steel or rubber.

Bathroom floor laid with bright yellow rubber flooring

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Bathroom / cloakroom

The first and most important consideration – is it waterproof? Who wants soggy, rotting carpets?!!

Fortunately, there are some excellent waterproof options available. We can sing the praises of laminate flooring here again. It also has the feel of cleanliness that many people like in this area – and even though the material is in itself man-made, the various natural colourways lend themselves to natural decorating schemes that are popular in this room.

You could also opt for painted floorboards in this area which in addition to being waterproof, also allows the introduction of any colour of the rainbow.

Rubber and vinyl are also great choices which can be laid as tiles or sheets. They’re both waterproof and warm underfoot. No shortage of colour or pattern choices here either. Styrene-butadiene (synthetic) rubber is resistant to fading and burning. Just the thing if you’re prone to knocking over your relaxing bath-side candles!

Or how about cork? Natural, fire repellent, noise deadening, non-allergenic, waterproof, warm and soft. It’s eco-friendly too as the material is renewable – harvested every few years from the trunk without actually harming the tree.

Carpeted bedroomcredit

Bedroom

The obvious choice for bedrooms is carpet. It’s soft and warm underfoot – perfect as you relax at night or take those first footsteps of the day!

As with the lounge carpets, you’ve also got all the similar flooring products made from natural materials such as seagrass listed previously.

You could add a touch of opulence to your bedroom by laying leather tiles. Leather is luxurious and warm underfoot – and looks fabulous. However it can be quite expensive – and best for small areas of light traffic.

Carpeted stairway

Stairs / landing / corridors

These are other areas of a house that get quite a lot of footfall. The action of going up and down a flight of stairs can be loud especially if the treads are bare wood or concrete. If you live in a flat with other flats above or if you live in a multi-storey house you can often hear people moving about above your head. It could range from softly creaking floorboards to kids sprinting up and down. Laying carpet greatly reduces the noise and can introduce attractive pattern and colour to an often overlooked area.

These connecting spaces might also allow the introduction of toughened glass panels which allows natural light to pass through into other rooms above or below.

Garden with patio area laid with concrete tiles

Outdoors – Garage, patio, balcony, deck

Obviously, this flooring has to be weather resistant. If your garden gets quite a lot of shade, you need a surface that discourages the growth of moss and mould – or one that it can be cleaned off easily.

Wooden decking is a popular choice for many – maintenance requirements will depend on the type of wood. There are also some ‘wood look’ composites and plastics available. These have the benefit of not requiring further attention once fitted and generally have very long lifespans.

Stone tiles are also an option. These natural material really suits the garden environment. You also have the option of carrying the same flooring out into the garden from the kitchen, lounge or conservatory areas. This gives a wonderful flow and helps bring the outdoors inside.

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