Carpets in your home won’t be changed on a regular basis and those on the higher end of the market can be very expensive. Therefore, the last thing you want is to rush a decision and make the wrong choice.
Carpets are designed for comfort and up until the last decade were seen throughout the home. However, laminate and wooden floors have made an impact recently, especially in the living and dining room. As such, carpets seem to have been pushed back to the bedroom.
Unfortunately for many homeowners, they make the wrong choice with their carpet and bad experiences include the carpet flattening or discolouring. On top of this, a badly fitted carpet can leave noticeable gaps.
Charles Townsend is a carpet trouble-shooter and speaking to the BBC radio said: “The public is unaware of how carpet fibres and construction make some carpets better than others. Retailers often fail to identify customers’ needs and encourage them to save money, at the expense of quality.”
So how can you avoid falling into the same pitfalls as some of your fellow homeowners?
Wear and tear
Wear and tear is an important area to consider as floors tend to pick up a lot of use over the years. Remember, price is reflected by the quality, so more expensive options will ooze comfort. For a hallway this is impractical as it’ll be used a lot, whereas a bedroom is often just for one or two people. Cheap carpet options such as cordless have high durability so they’re extremely suitable for areas where they’ll be lots of wear and tear.
The future
What’s fashionable now might not be so in five or ten years’ time. This is something to bear in mind when you’re considering a patterned carpet for your home. Remember to also take carpet samples home and compare it with the decoration you’re thinking about, or that’s already in place. With samples you’ll be able to see the contrast of the carpet between day and night too.
Planning a budget
Of course, it’s always easier said than done to plan a budget and stick to it. But with the carpet that’s exactly what you should be aiming for. For a good quality of carpet, the Carpet Foundation say you should look to spend around £20 per square metre. Of course, the cheaper options such as cordless will cost much less. As with anything don’t spend more than you can afford, but investing a little more does make a huge different in quality.
Charles Townsend also gives advice to homeowners that for best results they’ll need to pay for fitting charges plus underlay. He added: “Don’t commit to a specific carpet until the area is measured – similar carpets come in different widths and will affect the quantity required and costs.”