How much should I pay for a new carpet?

Pammieh

hi
We haven't changed our lounge carpet for about 21 years! It was an Axminster and well worth it - buy expensive/lasts longer - but REALLY needs replacing now (3 boys/3 cats later). However we are not expecting to still live here in 21 years time! How much per metre should we expect to pay for a 'decent' carpet? We've bought carpet for the boys' bedroom in the past and been disapointed (probably just didn't pay enough?) when it's flattened so quickly and obviously there is much more traffic downstairs. Prices seem to vary so much (and would £25/30 in a carpet warehouse be better/worse than the same price spent in John Lewis?) I just wondered what price others would expect to pay for a carpet that looks good past the 2nd or 3rd year?
Thanks

wallbash

You will soon get a flood of posters writing .......avoid the 'warehouse'
go to a small independent m etc etc.........thats complete rubbish.

Look at the label , if it says ..Axminster , it will be an axminister wether you buy from CarpetRight or John Lewis or the local small independent, so buy on price.

AND like Heinze beans , you are likely to buy cheaper at a larger store.

A lounge carpet lasting 21 years with kids and animals , you have done well. I personally go for a cheaper carpet and change more often , mainly because fashions change. Nothing looks worse ( well for me) than a dark carpet with a old fashioned BOLD style.

To get back to your orig question , I think I spent under £20 per metre at carpet right for the downstairs, 2 grown up kids , no animals , still looking good after 8 years.

SailorSam

Almost as important as a good carpet which often gets forgotten is a decent underlay. The carpet lasts a lot longer with good underlay.

cattie

For a really decent carpet you'd be looking in the region of £30-£40 or upwards. For longevity & quality I'd advise going British made or perhaps wool from New Zealand.

You need to decide on what type you prefer as there are various carpet types on the market. Personally I've always preferred an 80/20 twist wool mix as it will keep it's good locks for many, many years if looked after. 100% wool doesn't wear as well, so isn't so suitable for high traffic rooms.

The weight of the carpet is very important too. The heavier the weight, the better the quality & suitability of it for high traffic areas such as living rooms, halls etc. I myself recently bought new carpet & chose a 60oz weight, which is extra heavy domestic & I know in years to come it will still look as good & feel as springy & luxurious as it does now.

Some carpet prices seem reasonable until you look at the weight, you'll see 30oz, 40oz, 45oz, 50oz & 60oz for the most part. The lower weights are only really suitable for bedrooms, you need to go for at least 50oz for a room that is used often to be sure of it being able to stand up to it.

Underlay too is very important. The 2 current market leaders are Cloud 9 Cumulus & Tredair Dreamwalk. Shop around on the internet for your underlay & any accessories such as gripper rods & door bars etc. as you can save an absolute fortune compared to buying from a carpet shop.

It is possible to shop around online for carpet if you know exactly what you're looking for & are prepared to find your own carpet fitter.

You mentioned carpets from John Lewis, well one of the main suppliers of carpets to JL are a British company called Victoria Carpets, You will find their carpets in most of the decent independent carpet shops if you want to do a price comparison. Of course in JL they are just sold as John Lewis carpet. Of course there are other highly thought of manufacturers out there too, a local independent carpet store should be able to give you all the info you need prior to making a decision on exactly what to go for.

Avoid places such as CarpetRight if you can. Barely any of their carpets are British made & most are made from synthetic materials. They rename their carpets so it isn't easy for customers to do price comparisons with other shops & their so called sales with ploys such as 60%+70% off is pure hogwash. Once you know the actual manufacturer's trade name of any of their 'sale' carpet, you will be able to track down shops selling it at exactly the same price or lower.

wallbash

Avoid places such as CarpetRight if you can. Barely any of their carpets are British made & most are made from synthetic materials. They rename their carpets so it isn't easy

Renaming there carpets?? Really.
Carpetright selling an Axminster that wsas NOT an Axminster ??
Like to prove that , would be against so many laws .

As I posted , compare like for like.

stebiz

Do people really still buy carpet? :eek:

We are getting some for the stairs but all other 10 rooms in the house have wooden flooring. So much more hygienic.

lee111s

stebiz wrote: »

Do people really still buy carpet? :eek:

We are getting some for the stairs but all other 10 rooms in the house have wooden flooring. So much more hygienic.

I like carpet for the stairs, upper hallway and bedrooms personally. Makes them cosy! Hardfloor for sure downstairs.

Amontylado

If you live in a flat it's much more considerate to your neighbours to fit carpet to reduce noise. Drop something on a wooden floor and it resonates throughout the building. Not everyone lives in a '10 room' house.

DRP

stebiz wrote: »

Do people really still buy carpet? :eek:

We are getting some for the stairs but all other 10 rooms in the house have wooden flooring. So much more hygienic.

Carpet for bedrooms, stairs and cosy lounge.

Wood or tiles for kitchen, bathroom, lounge-diner, playroom.

Any floor should be regularly cleaned so I'm not sure being 'hygienic' is a factor when choosing floor coverings!

stebiz

DRP wrote: »

Carpet for bedrooms, stairs and cosy lounge.

Wood or tiles for kitchen, bathroom, lounge-diner, playroom.

Any floor should be regularly cleaned so I'm not sure being 'hygienic' is a factor when choosing floor coverings!

Are you saying a carpet is as hygienic as laminate?

DRP

stebiz wrote: »

Are you saying a carpet is as hygienic as laminate?

hygienic in what sense?

I wouldn't eat my dinner off either of them....

but both can be cleaned as to make no difference in a normal domestic context.