photo courtesy of duPont

Why is carpet a good choice for my home?

Carpet is an extraordinarily versatile medium, offering more styling options than any other floor covering. It will deliver wonderful benefits to your home:

Fashion: With today's wide range of textures and colours, carpet is an effective design tool. Showcase a room with casual simplicity or formal elegance depending on your personal style.

Value: Compared to many other flooring solutions, carpet is one of the most affordable flooring solutions around.

Comfort: Carpet provides a soft, comfortable surface to sit, play and relax on, and as a non-slick walking surface it provides sure footing for toddlers and seniors.

Low Maintenance: Basic care such as vacuuming, fast clean up of spills, and professional cleaning each year is all it takes to ensure a long lasting floor.

Temperature: When it's cold, your carpet will retain the warm air, and in the heat, it remains cooler.

Noise Reduction: Carpet absorbs sound within a room and acts as a sound barrier between floors.

How do I decide on colour and style?

1. Consider the purpose of the room. For heavy traffic areas, or rooms where children or pets will be, a darker coloured, and more durable carpet will be a better choice.
2. Light colours give rooms a larger overall appearance and make a room feel more open. To maximize the visual size of smaller rooms, choose light walls and carpet.
3. Dark colours make a room appear smaller and more intimate. Using dark colours in a study or large bedroom can create a cozier and more comfortable effect.
4. Red and yellow colours have a warming effect in a sunless room. Blue and green tones have a soothing effect in a sunny room. You can create a formal ambience in a dining room using darker colours, or a fun atmosphere in a family room using bright, vibrant colours.
5. Light colours show soil more readily than dark. However, dark shades show lint. Our staff can help you find the right colours for your lifestyle and the purpose of the room.
6. Tweeds, pebbled textures, and patterns also disguise spills and dirt effectively.

What do I need to know before buying?

You need to ensure you're buying a carpet that will maintain its appearance, performance and overall value. Here are some elements of carpet you should understand before purchasing:

Types of Carpet

Loop: Loop carpets have a continuous uncut surface that resist crushing and matting.

Cut: The loops of a cut pile carpet are cut to expose the yarn ends. A bright fiber will show footprints more than a mid-bright because of the difference in colour between the ends and side of the tuft. There are three styles of cut pile:

Plush / Velvet: For a smooth, formal look in a low traffic area.

Saxony: For a smooth but more visible twist to create an informal look.

Frieze: Even more twist for informal rooms and minimized footprints.

Level Loop Pile: Loops are the same height for an informal look in high traffic areas. Berber styles generally use level loop piles.

Multi-level loop pile: Two or three different loop heights to create a pattern effect.

Cut and loop pile: A combination of cut and looped yarns. Great for textured, sculptured effects.

Fiber

Fiber is turned into yarn during the manufacturing process and that yarn is then installed as carpet. There are a number of fibers to choose from:

Nylon: The most popular carpet fiber because of its exceptional durability, versatility, and pricing. Nylon comes in an endless variety of colours and styles.

Polyester: This fiber is soft to the touch but tends to lack bounce so it is used mostly for residential applications in low traffic areas. Polyester fiber has good colour clarity and resistance to water-soluble stains.

Olefin (Polypropylene): Olefin resists fading and staining. It is favorably priced for both indoor and outdoor applications but due to its relatively low resistance, use should be restricted to low traffic areas.

Wool: Wool is a natural fiber with moderate soil and stain resistance. It is a more costly application but provides a beautiful appearance to carpet.

Yarn Twist

The yarn twist is the winding of the yarn around itself. A tighter twist will resist wear, matting and crushing. It will also be easier to maintain and clean.

Pile Density

Carpet pile is the yarn on the face of the carpet. The more yarn a carpet contains, the higher its density, and the greater its resiliency. To check density, press the carpet with your fingers to see how easily you can push through to the backing. The less backing you see, the denser the carpet.

Carpet Undercushion

The purpose of undercushion is to help absorb foot traffic pressure and provide a firm support for the carpet. Carpet undercushion is manufactured in a variety of densities, thicknesses, and weights to meet light, medium, or heavy traffic conditions.

How can I ensure value for money?

Our collection is a range of carpet solutions that we feel represent the most value for quality and price. You can be sure you're buying quality for value when you choose from this range.

If you need further help, come on in. Our salespeople can explain the relative merits of different carpets and help you to choose the best carpet for your home.