How To Choose A Carpet

When it comes to picking out the perfect carpet for your home, there’s plenty of things to consider.

This handy guide will steer you into the right direction when it comes to choosing carpet, whether you’re looking for a full home upgrade or refreshing one room.

How Much Do You Want To Spend On A Carpet

One of the first things you want to consider is how much you want to spend on a carpet. Carpets, like everything, come in a wide range of prices.

If you’re looking to get a carpet for a spare room you may want to look at cheap carpets, while if you’re going for your living room, the heart of your home, you might want to check out wool or saxony carpets.

Different Carpet Types

There’s different types of carpet to choose from. Choosing a carpet type depends on a number of factors, including the usage, room, style and price. Here’s the different carpet types you can choose from.

Berber Carpets

Berber carpets are known for their looped pile construction, creating a distinctive pattern of small, densely packed loops across the surface. The loops are often made with bulky yarns, giving the carpet a textured appearance.

Berber carpets are generally durable and resistant to wear, making them suitable for high-traffic areas.

The tight loop construction can make Berber carpets more resistant to stains compared to some other carpet types.

The pattern can vary, with some Berber carpets having a flecked appearance due to the use of different-colored yarns.

Loop Pile Carpets

Loop pile carpets, as the name suggests, have yarn loops that are not cut. The loops can be uniform or varied in height, creating different patterns and textures.

Loop pile carpets are generally durable and resistant to crushing, making them suitable for high-traffic areas.

There are different styles of loop pile carpets, such as level loop and multi-level loop, offering a range of textures and patterns.

Loop pile carpets often have a more casual or informal appearance compared to cut pile carpets.

Saxony Carpets

Saxony carpets have a dense, plush cut pile with individual yarns standing straight up. The fibers are evenly cut to create a smooth and luxurious surface.

Saxony carpets are known for their soft and velvety texture, providing a luxurious feel underfoot.

They have an elegant appearance, making them a popular choice for formal living areas or bedrooms.

Due to their dense construction, Saxony carpets may show footprints and vacuum marks more prominently than other types.

Cut & Loop Pile Carpets

Cut and loop pile carpets combine both cut fibers and looped fibers on the surface, creating a patterned or textured appearance.

This type offers a wide range of patterns and textures, making it versatile in terms of design.

The combination of cut and looped fibers can enhance durability and resistance to wear.

Frieze Carpets

Frieze carpets have long, twisted fibers that curl in different directions, creating a textured and informal appearance.

Frieze carpets are known for their soft and comfortable feel underfoot. The twisted fibers can help hide footprints and vacuum marks, making it a practical choice for high-traffic areas.

The Differences In Carpet Types

There are some differences in the types of carpets in terms of usage and construction. A few of these differences are:

Construction: Berber and loop pile carpets have looped fibers, while Saxony carpets have cut fibers.

Texture: Berber and loop pile carpets often have a more textured appearance, while Saxony carpets offer a smoother and more formal look.

Suitability: Berber and loop pile carpets are well-suited for high-traffic areas due to their durability, while Saxony carpets are often chosen for formal or low-traffic areas.

Different Carpet Materials

When it comes to picking out a carpet, choosing the carpet material should also be taken into consideration. Different carpets are made from different materials, each having their own advantages and disadvantages.

These are the different materials carpets are made from.

Wool Carpets

Wool is a natural fiber derived from the fleece of sheep. It is one of the oldest and most traditional carpet materials.

Wool carpets often have a luxurious and natural appearance with a soft feel. It is durable and resilient, making it resistant to crushing and maintaining its appearance over time.

Wool provides excellent insulation, both in terms of temperature and sound.

This fibre also has a natural ability to absorb and release moisture, contributing to a comfortable indoor environment.

Nylon Carpets

Nylon is a synthetic fiber that is widely used in carpet manufacturing. It is known for its strength and versatility.

Nylon carpets are highly durable and resistant to wear, making it suitable for high-traffic areas. They often have stain-resistant treatments, making them easier to clean.

Nylon fibers can be engineered to create various carpet styles, from plush to textured.

Polypropylene

Polypropylene is a synthetic fiber known for its affordability and resistance to moisture. Polypropylene carpets are generally more budget-friendly compared to wool and nylon.

It is naturally resistant to stains, making it a practical choice for homes with children and pets.

Polypropylene is hydrophobic, meaning it repels moisture, making it suitable for areas prone to spills.

Differences In Carpet Materials

There are many differences in the materials of your carpet. Choosing which carpet you go for means picking the material you’re happy with. Here’s some of the differences between the carpet materials.

Natural vs Synthetic

• Wool is a natural fiber obtained from sheep’s fleece, while Nylon and polypropylene are synthetic fibers.

Price

• Wool carpets are typically more expensive due to the natural sourcing and manufacturing process.
• Nylon carpets are moderately priced and offer a good balance between cost and performance.
• Polypropylene carpets are often more budget-friendly.

Durability

• Wool is durable and resilient, with good resistance to crushing.
• Nylon is highly durable and well-suited for high-traffic areas.
• Polypropylene is durable, but it may not be as resilient as wool or nylon in high-traffic areas.

Stain Resistance

• Wool may require additional stain treatments, and its natural fibers can absorb stains.
• Nylon often comes with stain-resistant treatments, making it more resistant to stains.
• Polypropylene is naturally stain-resistant and repels liquids.

When choosing a carpet material, consider factors such as budget, desired look, the intended use of the space, and the level of maintenance you are willing to undertake.

Each material has its own set of advantages, and the best choice depends on your specific needs and preferences.

Carpet Pile Length

When it comes to pile length, we’re talking about a short pile or deep pile carpet.

Carpet pile length refers to the height of the fibers that make up the carpet surface. Pile length can vary, and there are generally two categories: short pile and long pile also called deep pile.

Short Pile Carpet

Short pile carpets have shorter fibers that are tightly packed and stand closer to the carpet backing. The length of the fibers is typically around 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch.

Short pile carpets are often more durable and resistant to matting or crushing, making them suitable for high-traffic areas. They are generally easier to clean and maintain, as there is less fiber surface for dirt and debris to become trapped.

Short pile carpets may be a preferred choice for individuals with allergies, as they are less likely to trap allergens compared to longer pile carpets.

Deep Pile Carpet

Deep pile carpets have fibers that are taller and more loosely packed, standing farther from the carpet backing. The length of the fibers can range from 1/2 inch to several inches.

Long pile carpets provide a luxurious and soft feel underfoot, creating a cozy and inviting atmosphere. They often have a more casual and traditional appearance, adding warmth and texture to a room.

Longer fibers may show footprints and vacuum marks more prominently than short pile carpets. They may require more maintenance to prevent matting and to keep the fibers upright.

What Room The Carpet Is For

When choosing a carpet, deciding which room it is for is very important. For many of the reasons as we’ve talked about above, there’s different types of carpets that suit different rooms.

For a room with a lot of traffic you may want to opt for a more hard wearing carpet. This could be a consideration when it comes to your living room carpet.

When it comes to bedroom carpets, you may want something more plush, with a deeper pile. This will feel luxurious underfoot, and if you’re not spending a lot of time walking in your bedroom, it will last for a long time.

For a spare bedroom or a room that’s not in use a lot, picking out a cheap carpet is a good choice when you want to give your room an upgrade on a budget.

Picking A Style And Carpet Colours

One of the most important things you’re going to have to choose is the carpet colour. Carpets come in a huge range of colours, styles, patterns and tones.

Picking out the right colour and style will depend on a few factors, including your own personal taste, as well as the mood of your room and current colour scheme.

Light colour carpets are going to give your room a lighter and more airy feel to them. This is good when you want to create a bright and vibrant room. The downside is that light colour carpets are going to show dirt more easily.

Dark colour carpets give a more intimate feel, creating a mood. These are fantastic for a bedroom, and can hide dirt more easily.

On that Note

Those are the main factors when picking out a carpet. You should consider the price, style, type, material and room that the carpet is going in, along with your own personal tastes.

If you’re in the North East of England we can bring the perfect carpets to you. You can book a carpet measure with us and we’ll guide you through picking out the best carpet for your needs. You can also come in store to sample every carpet style, colour and type at The Carpet Shop in North Shields.