Carpet choices – making the right decision

Making the correct choice when it comes to choosing the right carpeting is extremely important. Carpeting does not come cheap – neither does the laying or fitting – so you want to make sure you get it spot on. It is – after all – something that you are going to be looking at every day, and your choice of carpeting will have a profound effect on your entire home décor.

If you do get it right, then the rewards are obvious. More and more people are choosing alternative flooring, such as laminate or vinyl, but nothing genuinely beats the feel of carpeting under your feet, and especially your bare toes!

Additionally, the best carpeting is very hard-working and as long as you take proper care of it, a carpet will serve you well for a long, long time.

So, it’s important to make the right choice. The question is how do you make sure you make the right choice?

There are several aspects of your home and your carpeting that you need to consider. For example, you need to think about in which room your carpeting is going. Lust, deep-pile carpets are really no good for kitchens and bathrooms for example, whereas cold vinyl won’t be very nice if it’s the first thing your feet touch on a chilly winter morning. Deep-pile carpets, such as Saxony carpets, are great for bedrooms and lounges, but are impractical for stairs.

You also need to consider how much traffic your carpet is likely to have to cope with. Again, deep or twist pile carpet is not suitable for busy hallways, corridors or landings. You are going to need carpeting for those areas that will not become flattened, or wear away easily.

Pets are another consideration. Small animals are generally fine, but cats and dogs shed hair all the time, so you are not perhaps going to want a carpet that is difficult to vacuum. If you have a pet bird then feathers and down are other things to think again, as well as the little ‘messages’ that free-flying birds are prone to leave. Polypropylene carpets can easily be cleaned even as far as using bleaching agents, so these are a great choice if you have pets or children. Loop pile carpets are hard-wearing, but can cause issues with pets due to snagging.

You may also have a preference for natural fibres such as wool over man-made fibres such as nylon. Natural fibres do feel better to the touch, but they tend to work out more expensive. You need to set a definite budget, and only choose what you can genuinely afford.

If you get stuck, then the best idea is to contact a carpeting company. They will be able to advise you and help you to come to the correct decision, including a few suggestions on how best to make sure your new carpeting choices fit in with the current décor of your home.