Choosing the Perfect Carpet for Your Home
As a homeowner creating a warm, welcoming, and comfortable space for your family and guests is essential. One great way to achieve this is by choosing the right flooring and carpeting stands out for several reasons.
Carpeting offers a wide range of colours, patterns, and materials, making it easy to find a style that complements your home. In addition to aesthetics, carpets provide sound insulation, making them perfect for living rooms and bedrooms with high noise levels. They also cushion footstep noises contributing to a quieter and more peaceful home environment.
Furthermore, affordability is a significant advantage of choosing carpeting. In comparison to hard floors such as laminate, Luxury Vinyl Tiles and wood, most carpets are more cost-effective and easier to maintain. A simple weekly vacuuming is all it takes to keep them looking fantastic. Moreover, carpeting helps insulate your home, reducing heating costs and creating a cosy and comfortable room.
One of the most appealing aspects of carpeting is its exceptional comfort. The cushioned surface provides a warm and comfortable feel underfoot, making it an ideal choice for bedrooms and living rooms. With a wide array of carpet styles available, you're guaranteed to discover the perfect finish for your space.
When it comes to selecting a carpet, it's crucial to carefully weigh the various types of carpet piles, taking into account their durability, texture, and practicality. Each type of carpet pile offers unique advantages and disadvantages, so it's important to not only touch and feel the different options (rest assured, our Branew Flooring Team is accustomed to customers testing our super soft carpets - it's completely normal behaviour for us) but also envision how they will complement the specific setting. Additionally, you'll need to consider the material of the carpet and the desired pile depth, as each pile type will influence how the carpet feels under your family’s feet. We will thoroughly explore the different carpet types and provide all the essential information you need to make an informed decision.
The primary types of carpet include Loop Pile (Berber) and Cut Pile (Saxony). With the assistance of this guide, you'll be equipped to confidently choose the most suitable carpet type for your home.
Loop Pile Carpets
When it comes to loop pile carpets, there are various types to consider. Loop pile carpets are constructed by looping the yarn through the backing material, resulting in a looped pile. This type of carpet is known for its durability and is commonly used in high-traffic areas. However, it's essential to be mindful of certain factors when choosing a loop pile carpet and it's important to note that the loops are vulnerable to snagging from pet claws.
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Berber​
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Berber is one of the popular types of loop pile carpets and is crafted from thick or bulky yarns of wool, nylon, polypropylene, or a blend of these fibres. This type of carpet offers high durability and a luxurious cushioned effect underfoot. Berber carpets can be either level loop or multilevel loop.
Level Loop Pile
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Is woven with even loops of yarn into the carpet backing at both ends, is highly durable, track-resistant and boasts a natural, casual appearance. It's a great option for high-traffic areas and higher loops create a more luxurious appearance.
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Multi-Level Loop Pile
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On the other hand, this is similar to a level loop pile, except that the loop heights vary, creating an informal, random textured appearance. This type of carpet is very forgiving of marks and stains and therefore ideal for high-traffic areas and family rooms
In conclusion, loop pile carpets are an excellent choice for high-traffic areas, but it's crucial to consider the specific type that best suits your needs and they are prone to pet claw snags. Berber carpets offer luxury and durability. A multi-level loop pile is suitable for high-traffic areas. Level loop pile is durable, track-resistant, and strikes a good balance between luxury and practicality. Keep in mind your lifestyle and requirements when selecting a loop pile carpet for your home.
Cut Pile Carpets
Cut pile carpets, are the best-selling type. These are created by cutting looped carpet fibres at the top to create yarn bundles that stand straight. While they are less resistant to crushing than other types, they are a great option for most areas of the home.
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Saxony Carpets
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These are tightly twisted cut piles that are heat-set straight, providing a soft texture and elegant finish. However, they do tend to show every footprint and vacuum-cleaner mark, so they are best suited for occasional rooms in the home.
Frieze (which is pronounced free-say)
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Frieze carpet features a twisted pile with a thick, curly texture, making it highly durable. Not only does it excel at concealing dirt, stains, and seams, but it also minimizes footprints and vacuum marks. Frieze carpets offer exceptional comfort due to their loose construction, providing a soft underfoot feel. While these carpets are slightly more challenging to clean compared to other types due to their long fibres, their benefits make them a great choice for many households.
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Twist Carpets
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Their yarn is tightly twisted, giving a defined, textured surface, and are heat set. The result is a versatile finish that is extremely hard-wearing and less likely to show footprints or vacuum marks. They are ideal for plain colours and come in two different styles: plain or heathered. Heathered carpet is perfect for busier areas in your home as marks are less likely to show.
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Velvet Carpets (sometimes called valour or plush)
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The sheared surface pile gives a smooth, soft and luxurious finish. The yarn contains very little twist enabling the ends to blend together and further enhancing the overall finish. Velvet carpets tend to 'shade' in places with heavy use due to the fibres lying in different directions. They are a beautiful luxury but perhaps best kept to occasional rooms.
Cut and Loop Carpets
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These are designed by combining cut fibres with looped ones, allowing for a wide range of surface textures and patterns in solid and multiple colours. This type of carpeting is excellent for high-traffic areas as the multi-level finish is effective at concealing footprints and stains.
Shag Pile Carpets
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Offer a plush and luxurious feel, with fibres that can be up to 50mm long. However, it's important to note that shag carpets can flatten easily and may lack durability over time.
All options have their own unique benefits and considerations, so it's important to choose the right one based on your specific needs and preferences.
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In recent years, woven carpets have seen a surge in popularity attributed to their luxurious appearance and intricate designs. Three types of woven carpets, namely, Axminster, Wilton, and Flat Weave, are renowned for their superior quality, durability, and versatility.
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Axminster Carpets​​​
Is crafted by inserting the pile into the backing as it is woven, resulting in U-shaped tufts that create a velvety surface. This process firmly secures the fibre, producing a highly durable carpet with a luxurious finish. The traditional manufacturing method of Axminster carpets allows for intricate designs and a wide range of colours, making them a versatile option for any space.
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Wilton Carpets​​​
These are woven with a continuous fibre that can be cut to produce a variety of cut and loop-textured effects. This classic method of carpet weaving makes Wilton carpets unmatched in terms of quality, luxury, and durability. Similar to Axminster carpets, Wilton carpets also offer the opportunity for intricate designs and a broad spectrum of colours.
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Flat Weave Carpets​​​
Are produced in a similar manner to Wilton carpets, but they consist of loop piles that allow the yarn to be woven across a wider area for a flatter, more textured effect. This type of carpet is ideal for those seeking a more understated look while still desiring the quality and durability of a woven carpet.
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While woven carpets are considered among the most luxurious options on the market, they do come with a higher price point due to the labour-intensive manufacturing process. However, the investment is worthwhile for those seeking a high-quality carpet that can withstand heavy foot traffic and endure for many years.
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Now that we've covered the different types of carpet piles, let's delve into the various materials used to make carpets.
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Nylon
Nylon is a popular synthetic fibre choice for carpets. It's cost-effective, visually appealing, and highly durable. Additionally, it's resistant to mould and mildew, exceptionally stain-resistant, and doesn't fade. However, it does have a tendency to generate static, so it's important to ensure the carpet is treated before installation.
Polyester
Similar to nylon, polyester is a slightly more affordable option. It offers a soft and luxurious feel, along with many of the same qualities as nylon. In addition, many polyesters are made from recycled materials, making it an eco-friendly choice.
Olefin
Olefin, also known as Polypropylene, is primarily made from plastic, making it an excellent water-resistant option for moisture-prone areas. It's a great choice for budget-conscious consumers seeking high value for their money. Olefin is solution-dyed, ensuring it won't fade in direct sunlight, and it's also bleach-cleanable.
Wool
Wool carpet provides a high-quality texture and features carefully woven fibres that resist dirt. The only drawback is its higher cost compared to other options.
In addition to the material types, it's essential to remember that the quality of the carpet is reflected in the density of the fibres. The denser the pile, the higher the quality. If you can feel the carpet backing through the fibres, it generally indicates lower quality. Conversely, when you don't feel the backing through the carpet, it's a sign of superior quality.
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Still not sure?
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If all of this has sent your head spinning, feel free to reach out to us by phone or visit our showroom in Stockport.
Where our dedicated team of experts will be there to assist you with any questions you may have.
We are committed to helping you discover the ideal carpet for your specific requirements.
Woven Carpets
