The Comfort of Luxury Carpet

20th October 2017

With the advent of beautiful-looking LVT and quality, affordable wood, carpet as the go-to flooring choice began to fall a little out of style. However, as the old saying goes, you can’t keep a good thing down, and today’s modern carpet choices are as stylish and luxurious as they are durable and hard-wearing.

Throw in the added extras of sound-absorption, green credentials and overall comfort and you will begin to see why carpet is having a bit of a revival moment.   

Here at Perthshire Flooring, in Perth City Centre, we stock an unrivalled selection of the UK’s leading carpet manufacturers and with a whole host of options available. Colours and styles, pile weights, fabrics, underlay and price points should all be considered when you make the decision to invest in new flooring for your living room, stair or bedroom.

So, with all of this choice, how do you find the one that will perfectly suit your lifestyle, interiors and budget? Follow our top five tips to buying the perfect carpet and you’ll be enjoying the luxury of underfoot comfort before Christmas!

Perthshire Flooring’s Top Five Carpet Buying Tips

BUDGET: Take our advice and set yourself a budget from the start – it is so easy to get carried away once you’re in the mood! As with most large purchases, spend as much as you can afford and you will reap the rewards longer-term.   If your room is smaller than average, you may find a great quality roll-end to fit which is an excellent way of stretching your value for money.

You should also think carefully of where you spend your budget. For example, stain-resistant carpets will be worth paying extra for in a busy family living-room but you may want to spend less on low-traffic carpeting for guest bedrooms. Underlay is also a consideration when buying and we recommend you look at a good quality product to give support, strength and a bit of extra cushioning - you'll enjoy far longer wear out of your new floor and the overall aesthetics will be superb.

A good reputable business will always be able to offer a measuring service and will quote you in full for carpet, underlay and install.  Moving neatly on to point two….

DURABILITY OR STYLE: The good news is, with modern carpets you can have both!  We advise you start from the point of durability – what room will this carpet be going into? How heavy is the traffic in this area? Does it need to feel luxurious underfoot?  These are all questions you should ask yourself in order to determine the best type of carpet for your room.  

Let’s start with durability: Plush, Saxony, Berber, Textured and Frieze are all terms that our team will chat about when helping you choose a carpet.  This is the pile or surface area, created from yarn tufts that are either folded over into loops, cut straight across or both.  Here are some points to consider:

- Plush carpeting is made from tightly twisted pile, and is thick, soft and inviting. It can sometimes show footprints and areas that appear shaded because the normal direction of the carpet fibres has been reversed – this is best for bedrooms or low-traffic lounges.

- Stairs are one of your highest traffic areas and that means a cut-pile carpet is a better choice than a looped pile which can snag at seams or transition areas. If you can afford it, the ideal choice is a woven wool carpet.

- In high traffic areas such as family living rooms, look for textured Saxony, level loop or high-density loop carpets.  These are all more resistant to every day wear-and-tear and are easier to clean overall.  

When it comes to style, the choice is endless.  All of the above carpets come in any number of colours, patterns and designs, and with so many out there it’s often helpful to have some idea before you arrive.  Why not bring a paint sample or furniture fabric swatch if you have it?

We will be delighted to offer you a carpet sample wherever possible and we recommend you take this home and look at things in natural light before you buy – particularly if you’re carpeting a large space!

Cool shades such as pale blues or greens will create a calm, peaceful setting, while reds or golden colours really do make a large space feel warm.  If you have a small room, go for a lighter colour to open up the space.

Most people like to go for a neutral shade but this doesn’t just limit you to cream.  Pale grey, biscuit beige and soft tawny shades will all help you achieve that ‘blank canvas’ look to show off bold walls, statement furniture or look-at-me artwork. 

Dark shades or patterns, tartans, tweed and paisley designs will give a real WOW effect to any entrance or large room. As well as looking great they also hide a multitude of sins making them perfect for high-traffic areas.

INSTALLATION: Choosing a reputable fitter is every bit as important as the carpet itself. Here at Perthshire Flooring our team of experts have years of experience and will leave your home tidy, clean and looking even better than when they arrived.  A poor fit can result in obvious seams, lumps, bumps and other issues so do allow for install when you set your budget. Many of our carpets can be delivered and fitted in less than two weeks, so you can enjoy your new carpet in next to no time.

MAINTENANCE:   Our team will always be happy to help with advice on long-term cleaning and maintenance.  It’s important to know these things before you commit to buying so please do tell us if you have young children or pets, particularly high-traffic areas or are prone to muddy boots or spills!  Stain-resistant carpets can eliminate the frustration associated with spills and may cut your cleaning time so it’s always worth asking about these extras.

PERSONAL CHOICE:  Some extras are more relevant to your personal choice or circumstance meaning it’s always worth discussing them at point of purchase.  Looking at warranty – many come with five, ten or twenty-five year options with guarantees against stains, wear and even overall appearance. In general, the better quality the carpet, the more coverage you're offered via warranties.

Allergies are another consideration for some of our carpet buyers and with advances made all the time in carpet materials; you will find an excellent choice of fabrics suitable for allergy sufferers. Old style or cheaper brands can come with VOCs such as formaldehyde which may contribute to health problems, including asthma. Protect your family by choosing carpet made from natural products, including wool or jute.

Your choice of carpet can also affect the environment and if going green is important to you then ask our experts for ranges that come with specific environmental accreditation.  You will be pleasantly surprised at the fantastic choice and excellent quality available.