What sort of carpet?

milliebear00001

Hi there

Last time I bought a carpet, I was young and poor, and chose the very cheapest option. It looked good for about five minutes before needing replacing. Now I am older, and slightly richer, I want to buy a carpet I can put right through a house (including stairs and landing) but still have no idea what sort of carpet I should be buying.

Essentially, I want something that will withstand heavy tread and still look relatively good, but will clean easily. What sort should I consider?

Sexy_Legs

A lot of carpets these days are treated so that they are stain resistant but how good they are I don't know.

We have bought quite a bit of carpet frm Carpetright and it is wearing well. We have put down really good underlay (friend is a carpet fitter so got us really good stuff at trade price).

I would have thought something with a high percentage of Wool would be good, and a long guarante.

Hope this helps

milliebear00001

bumping this.

daveyjp

Go for an 80:20 wool/nylon mix and you won't go far wrong. Expect to pay for it though, but look out for offers.

Our lounge stairs and landing carpet was £17 sq m about 15 years ago, it was reduced from £34 sq m. Same carpet today is over £50 sq m.

It has been cleaned constantly, has never shrunk, is not stained and still looks excellent.

Go to a good independent carpet store where they have lots of samples and look at the extremes of prices - cheapest and most expensive they do. This will give you an idea of the difference in quality.

wallbash

Go to Carpet Right , lots of samples and big difference in prices .

You have a choice , stain resistant or hard wearing . Your choice depends on your life style.

bryanb

wallbash wrote: »

Go to Carpet Right , lots of samples and big difference in prices .

You have a choice , stain resistant or hard wearing . Your choice depends on your life style.

Our neighbour is carpet fitter for carpet right, told us to steer well clear of them. Go to an independant, identify exactly what you want, buy on the net and pay a fitter.
Underlay is almost more important than the carpet.

LandyAndy

If you go to one of the big carpet 'sheds' take a calculator and the measurements of your rooms and be prepared to bargain hard. You should be able to get significant reductions off the advertised prices.

You have two choices with carpets.

1. The 'old' approach. Treat it like a kitchen or bathroom and see it as an expensive long term investment.
2. The 'newer' approach. Treat carpets as part of the decor and buy with a view to renewing every 3-4 years as you redecorate.

babyblooz

I have always bought an 80/20 wool/nylon mix and have never regretted it. I tend to get fed up of the carpet before it looks shabby or worn! However, I did buy a man made carpet for the lounge because I couldnt find a wool one to go with my new furniture and suite.... BIG MISTAKE... it looked good for about six months but then started to get grubby looking, so we cleaned it and then it looked dirty about a couple of weeks later, and now IT IS DRIVING ME MAD because every little spill or dirt seems to look ten times worse. We are not scruffs, but we do have little grandsons who spill stuff etc. no dogs or stuff like that, but I am so fed up of it I am getting a new one before Christmas and I can't wait.

It was an expensive one, almost as dear as a mid price wool and nylon mix but was not money well spent! It was also treated to stop it getting dirty apparently!!!

Another point that I didnt think about at the time was the man-made smell when it was new. Made me worry about what chemicals I was breathing in day in and day out!

A note about CarpetRight - they tried it on with me. tried telling me that their carpet was a much heavier weight than the identical one (with a different name) from a small independent shop. He obviously thought I was a right drip but the laugh was on him as I got the self-same carpet for three quid a square yard less and the underlay was tons cheaper. When I told the carpet fitter he laughed his socks off and told me to avoid Carpet Right like the plague!

milliebear00001

OK, so I'll look for something 80/20 wool/nylon and go independent rather that big firm. Underlay - what's the deal with that then? I didn't even know you could get different 'qualities' - what/where to look (for)?

wallbash

See we have some Carpet Right Knockers here . Have always been treated well at our local branch. The call .... go to the local independent does not work, they are far too expensive , have a limited stock / samples.

Yes I know that Carpet right advertisers
50% plus an extra 10 % plus etc but it s the figure that you actually pay which is important .
Wish we had an independent carpet shop near us , but here in the SE the rates that are charged means that a shop has to have a high volume of sales/profits to survive.

And remember the Carpet fitter , fitting your Carpet Right carpet is independent. He could be fitting a carpet from John Lewis tomorrow.

milliebear00001

wallbash wrote: »

See we have some Carpet Right Knockers here . Have always been treated well at our local branch. The call .... go to the local independent does not work, they are far too expensive , have a limited stock / samples.

Yes I know that Carpet right advertisers
50% plus an extra 10 % plus etc but it s the figure that you actually pay which is important .
Wish we had an independent carpet shop near us , but here in the SE the rates that are charged means that a shop has to have a high volume of sales/profits to survive.

And remember the Carpet fitter , fitting your Carpet Right carpet is independent. He could be fitting a carpet from John Lewis tomorrow.

I will compare! Lucky enough to have a CR and a few independents here so will see which is cheapest for same quality!