Carpets help reduce heating bills

According to a recent study by the building society Nationwide, homes could be wasting over £27.50 a month due to inefficient heating systems and insulation. There are many ways to reduce heating bills, including the use of carpets.

It can get very cold in North Wales during the winter. Many residents are spending more time at home due to the coronavirus lockdown, and this increases their heating costs.

Some solutions for decreasing heating costs, including insulation, underfloor heating and heat pumps, can be expensive. Many homes in North Wales were built before 1920 and have solid walls, and solid wall insulation can cost between £7,000 and £13,000. Air source heat pumps cost up to £11,000 and ground source heat pumps cost more, ranging between £14,000 to £19,000.

The Green Homes Grant scheme provides funds that help pay off the cost of energy efficiency improvements, but it may not cover all costs.

There are some ways to make a home more energy efficient that are not too expensive, however. Carpets have insulating qualities and make rooms less expensive to heat, and homes with solid floors can benefit from rugs. Ground floor insulation can cost less than £600, depending on the room size. Gaps in skirting boards or floors can easily be filled with sealant.

Carpets in North Wales homes are a great choice of flooring covering if you want to keep rooms warm and cosy. There is a wide selection of colours and patterns available suitable for all home decor styles.

What are the best flooring solutions for a home office?

An ideal office at home must be functional but inspire motivation. If, like many UK professionals, you’ve been working remotely as of late, you’ll find operating from home can have its own challenges, and a workspace that is practical yet encourages you to spend time in it has many benefits.

While some people have set up a temporary work environment at home, if you’re planning to make your office a permanent fixture about the house, it may be time to make some design choices. While furniture and storage space are important, it can be wise to start planning your new office from the ground up by selecting the perfect floor.

Whether you’re looking for longevity or a sense of style, you’ll find there are a wealth of options worth considering. In the following article, we’ll explore three solid choices that may be an ideal fit for your office floor.

Wood

Among the more expensive floor solutions, nothing says “I mean business” like a hardwood floor. Robust and dependable, wood floors have been known to outlast the homes they’re fitted in and can look refined or rustic depending on your selection.

Solid and engineered hardwood floors alike present practical options that come in a wide variety of colours, textures and woodgrains to create different looks. Lighter woods can make rooms feel bright and spacious, while darker varieties can add a stately elegance to your office at home.

Vinyl

Whether by the roll or in separate tiles, vinyl offers an easy to care for option for your home office and is incredibly durable. Strong enough to stand up to the weight of a sliding swivel chair, it comes equipped with extra protection. The top layer of vinyl flooring can defend against scuffs as well as spilled coffee thanks to its scratch and stain resistant properties.

Additionally, some vinyl solutions boast cushioned backing to absorb the noise of you pacing your office over a problem or contacting clients for a conversation. Vinyl also provides exceptional thermal qualities, ensuring you’ll stay warm while working.

Vinyl is a versatile product, readily available in many colours, patterns and designs.

Laminate

Like luxury vinyl tile (LVT), laminate flooring can be an affordable way to enjoy the look of a stone or wood floor in your office space at a fraction of the cost. Laminate is also readily available in a rainbow of colours and patterns to create an office tailored to your brand.

Hardwearing, laminate is also extremely low maintenance to look after, so you can easily keep your office in good order and focus instead on your overflowing inbox. Another added benefit of laminate flooring is that it can be swift and simple to install by yourself, perfect for when you want to get your office sorted quickly.

Remember, as an extension of your house, your new home office may need to match with the rest of your décor for a more cohesive look. Whether you’re interested in vinyl, laminate or wood, order some samples and start planning your perfect workspace.

What are the advantages of using underlay when carpeting?

While there are many exceptional flooring solutions available for homes around the UK, there’s no doubt that when it comes to luxury comfort, wall-to-wall carpeting can deliver. Carpets can make a considerable difference to the way living spaces both look and feel, but there are more decisions to make when making a purchase than just the colour and pile you’d like. In far too many cases, homeowners overlook the many benefits that underlay can deliver beneath a carpet and the crucial functions it can perform if correctly installed.

Carpet underlay has multiple purposes designed to ensure your brand-new carpet lasts longer and your home stays warmer. In the following sections, we’ll take a look at some of the key benefits of adding an underlay to your carpet installation.

Creating added warmth

Today’s quality underlay does much more than simply create a soft and uninterrupted finish to your carpeted floor – it can also keep the rooms that it’s installed in far warmer. Many premium quality carpeting will come hessian backed, with products featuring pin-prick holes from the specialist weaving process employed to fashion them. These minute holes enable cold air to enter upwards through the boards of wooden floors particularly. However, when you use an underlay, it will provide an effective barrier between the floor below and your carpet, which can mitigate this creeping cold from seeping into rooms.

Noise reducing properties

Having cushioning underlay can also help to cut down the noise of footsteps walking around on the flooring. This makes underlay an exceptionally useful inclusion when carpet is fitted on the upper floors of your house, or when your home is an apartment with others living below you.

It can also work to reduce any noise that travels upwards through your ceilings in lower rooms, making for far quieter and more peaceful bedrooms upstairs. This can be ideal when someone wants to watch television in the living room late at night without disturbing sleepers in the rooms situated above.

Additional comfort underfoot

The comfort level of your carpet is likely the reason why you selected it as your flooring solution in the first place. However, while you may have ordered the softest carpet available, if you try to lay it straight on either a concrete or solid stone floor, you’ll find it feels far harder than you thought it would.

Underlay delivers an extra soft cushion for your new carpet to be positioned on and fitted, making it far softer and springier under your feet. It can also help to even out any bumps and lumps present beneath the floor to create a smoother appearance once your carpet has been laid.

Extended life and a return on your investment

While homeowners that install underlay can enjoy all these benefits, there is one more advantage to be gained. Underlay will also lengthen your carpet’s lifespan, protecting its underside from damage with its cushion-like qualities. If these benefits appeal to you, ensure you opt for underlay the next time you fit new carpet.

How to remove odours from your carpets

During the coronavirus lockdown, people are spending more time at home, which means their carpets are receiving more use. With more use comes the potential for bad odours, which can linger. Here are several ways that stubborn odours can be removed from carpets:

Baking soda or vinegar

To combat the spread of the virus, many are vacuuming their carpets more frequently, but this does not always remove the odours coming from the carpet. The cheapest way to remove odours is to use baking soda or vinegar. Sprinkle baking soda on the carpet and leave for two hours or overnight before vacuuming. Alternately, mix a cup of white vinegar into two cups of water and spray on the carpet using a spray bottle. Vacuum after the carpet is dry. You can also add a tablespoon of baking soda to the vinegar and water solution.

Carpet cleaner

If soda or vinegar fails to remove all odours, use a carpet shampoo with a carpet cleaning machine, which can be hired or purchased. This will help remove odours from deep within the pile, and it will also make sure that all bacteria or viruses are removed. For the best cleaning job, use a professional carpet cleaning company.

Prevention

To prevent odours from occurring, regularly ventilate the room by opening the windows. Clean up spills as soon as they happen, before they can dry and increase their odour. Even if a carpet doesn't smell, it should still be cleaned thoroughly once a week.

Carpets in North Wales and Chester homes are stylish, comfortable and, as long as they are cleaned regularly, safe.

Can you install a vinyl floor by yourself?

Today’s vinyl options offer a versatile flooring solution available in multiple colours and styles, suiting a wide variety of tastes and applications. Sometimes crafted to accurately resemble wood and stone, luxury vinyl tiles can also add a natural look to living spaces, while new water proofing technology makes vinyl an excellent option for both bathrooms and kitchens. However, many considering a vinyl flooring option wonder if you can avoid labour costs and fit it yourself.

The pros of hiring a professional floor fitter

Installing vinyl floor solutions is among the most common DIY projects tackled by homeowners, but this doesn’t mean it’s the right option for you. Using a professional to fit any type of flooring can save you time and energy, and it can be affordable if you do your research. Some suppliers will even offer a free fitting service.

One advantage of having a professional floor fitter take on the job is the peace of mind it brings, as you know that your floor has been installed correctly. A vinyl floor that has a professional installation will typically last far longer than many DIY projects, offering you a return on the investment you stumped up to hire a qualified contractor.

Preparation involved and cost considerations

It’s worth considering all you may need to pay for and the time it will take to complete the job if you handle it yourself. First, you’ll need to track down the following tools or buy them if necessary – a carpenter’s square, a tape measure, utility knife, adhesive, if required by your chosen vinyl, and a floor roller, which can also be rented.

After you’ve selected the style of vinyl you want, your next job is to measure the space and work out how much flooring you’ll need. If a room is an odd shape, break your floor into areas you can measure separately, then add them together to find the total square footage of vinyl tiles you require. Purchase extras to cover accidents.

Before buying vinyl, ask yourself what thickness you will need and if an underlay is required. Thicker floors are suitable for high-traffic areas of your home, with more durable solutions holding up better under frequent use. If you’re adding flooring to a room you use less, such as where you sleep, a thinner option will usually fit the bill.

Not all floors require an underlay. In fact, there are products available designed to fit straight onto the subfloor. Underlay can be useful, however, if you want additional comfort levels or wish to raise the height of your floor slightly.

Full spread, floating, loose lay, glue down and peel and stick are all different approaches to fitting vinyl flooring. When your new vinyl tiles arrive, make sure you follow the manufacturer’s recommended installation method to the letter when you start your project.

In summary, if you’re confident in your DIY abilities and want to fit a floor while you have time on your hands, make sure you’re prepared with everything you need. Otherwise, wait until lockdown lifts and have it professionally fitted to keep life simple.