Carpet expected to sell for over £1 million

An Iranian silk carpet that is 400 years old is expected to sell at auction in London for between £1 million to £1.5 million.

The carpet was once owned by the Rothschild family and was made in the 16th or early 17th century in Persia. Carl von Rothschild, part of the Rothschild banking family, owned the carpet in the 19th century, and it still has the original label that confirms his ownership.

After von Rothschild died, the carpet was passed on to Adolphe von Rothschild. The carpet then left Rothschild ownership in 1968, when it was sold in Paris to a German family, which currently still owns the carpet. The family is now selling it in a London auction at Christie's.

The carpet is woven in silk with silver and gold thread. It is vibrantly coloured with an ornate foliage and arabesque pattern. In a statement, the Head of Carpets at Christie's London, Louise Broadhurst, said that the carpet is:

“A rare and remarkably well preserved survivor from the Golden Age of Safavid weaving.”

Carpets made in the Safavid period – between 1501 to 1736 – are highly attractive to collectors.

Carpets in Chester and North Wales properties cost considerably less than £1 million. For more modest budgets, a quality wool carpet is ideal to make a room feel warm, cosy and luxurious – and you don't have to worry about spills spoiling an expensive antique, as wool carpets are much easier to clean than delicate antique silk.

Demand for machine-made carpets grows

Handmade carpets are premium-quality floor coverings that consumers pay a lot of money for, and many believe they are better quality than machine-made carpets. However, a carpet exporter in Pakistan has claimed that modern carpet machines can make weaved carpets whose knots are as good as those made by artisan carpet makers, and that the demand for machine-made carpets is growing.

The Chief Executive of a major carpet exporter in Pakistan, Mian Attiq-ur-Rahman, is moving from exporting hand-knotted carpets to machine-woven ones. Speaking to Bol News, he said that the total value of handmade carpet exports from Pakistan has fallen to around $60 million annually, compared to the much higher value in the 1990s of $350 million.

Attiq-ur-Rahman said that Turkey had a similar fall in handmade carpet sales, which it addressed by importing new carpet-making machinery so that it could export more quality machine-made carpets. He wants Pakistan to follow the Turkish model, saying that:

“The global trend is changing. Machine-made carpets are now in huge demand. High-tech machine weaves are as good as knots made by an artisan. The government should facilitate exporters in shifting from hand-knotted to machine-weaved carpets.”

Carpets in North Wales and Chester rooms are a popular floor covering. Some believe that a handmade carpet is superior to machine-made ones, but they can be a costly investment for many households. A premium-quality wool carpet made by a machine is a suitable alternative. Wool carpets are available in a wide range of patterns and colours that make them look similar to handmade ones.

Report explores best carpets for entryways

The appearance of the entryway floor in a home is important, from how it feels when walked upon to how the floor looks. A recent report on the website Homes & Garden has looked at the top carpet ideas for the entrance to a home.

Sophie Warren-Smith, the author of the report, recommends carpets in neutral colours to create an atmosphere of calm. A neutral shade is versatile and goes with most hallway furniture, particularly natural wood side tables and coat stands. Carpet designer Jodie Hatton told Warren-Smith that carpet is a top choice for:

“High traffic areas like entryways and stairways due to its ability to withstand natural wear and tears.”

Entryways have a lot of foot traffic, and so a quality hardwearing carpet is recommended. For the feel of luxury, people can choose a wool carpet that is soft and hard-wearing.

An alternative to a wall-to-wall carpet in a hallway is a runner, which provides an attractive focal point to the entryway. Though neutral colours are still recommended, a bold statement can be made with patterns or stripes.

Jon Flannigan, a product manager at a carpet manufacturer, said:

“Stripes add visual interest to the floor and for those tight on space, it is worth remembering that linear stripes can help to enlarge the appearance of a room.”

Though carpets in Chester and North Wales homes are popular in entryways, some prefer hard surface floors. If this is the case, households can add a touch of warmth and softness with the addition of one or two rugs.

Is engineered hardwood pet friendly?

Choosing the right flooring for your home is never simple, as there are so many options available. The situation becomes still more complicated if you are someone who has a pet that will be walking the floors of your home as well. Not only do your new floors need to please you, but they also have to be able to withstand the scratching, staining and other damage that pets can accidentally cause.

Will engineered hardwood floors be suitable?

Wood floors of any sort will never really be the most practical choice for someone who has a cat or dog. This is because it is a type of floor material that can scratch quite easily, as well as suffering damage from water and other staining. Sadly, for all of their many virtues, cats and dogs do not tend to be very careful when it comes to these matters.

On the other hand, practicality and pet-friendliness are not the sole considerations when you are deciding on new floors for your home. It is also important that you choose a type of floor you really like, as you will be living with it too.

Benefits of engineered hardwood floors

Most flooring firms will offer both engineered and solid wood floors. If wooden flooring is what you want despite having a cat or dog, then engineered hardwood is the choice to make every single time. This is because the manufacturing process generally gives this sort of surface a veneer that is tougher and more able to resist damage from scratches and stains made by your furry friends.

By contrast, solid wood flooring uses ordinary natural wood, which is very much not pet-friendly. If you go to a reputable and friendly family firm to have your floors put in, they will make sure you only get wood that can cope with your pets.

Pet-friendly alternatives to wooden flooring

If you are not committed to the idea of having wooden floors fitted in your home, there are alternative options that any good provider will offer. The two main ones are carpeting and vinyl flooring.

Opting to have carpets will make walking on the floors very easy and comfortable for cats or dogs and will ensure that you do not have to deal with scratch damage. Stains created by pets that require specialist cleaning can still be a problem though.

Vinyl floors are a very pet-friendly choice. Vinyl is easy to get fitted and extremely durable, while also being resistant to pet stains and scratches. Furthermore, unlike a surface such as laminate flooring, vinyl is not slippery underfoot – so there is much less risk of your cat or dog sliding on the floor and suffering an injury.

In conclusion, although wood floors are not the ideal choice if you have pets, engineered hardwood will be the type to go for if wood is what you really want. If you are willing to be more flexible with your flooring, vinyl is the most pet-friendly surface of all.

What is a vapour barrier and when is it needed?

One of the purposes of carpeting or flooring is to help insulate homes, and in areas of the UK such as Chester, Wrexham or North Wales, where temperatures can vary wildly, insulation to help keep heat in is very important. One part of this process that is crucial but not always understood is the role of vapour barriers.

What are vapour barriers?

Before the chosen floor material is put in place, whether it is carpeting or something like vinyl flooring, wood or laminate, the floors of a house must have a layer of insulation put down. This is usually screed, polyurethane foam or boards. Insulation helps to stop heat escaping from the rooms of a house or flat, but warm rooms create vapour that turns to moisture, which is referred to as condensation.

A vapour barrier is a piece of material that is designed to prevent this moisture from getting through into your home’s insulation. If such a barrier is not present, there will be nothing to prevent these drops of condensation from penetrating into the material used to insulate the rooms. The water will cause the insulation to rot and can even spread to damage the flooring or carpets eventually. The material that is most commonly used to create a vapour barrier is polythene or some other form of plastic foil. This should have a thickness of 0.2 millimetres at the absolute minimum.

When is a vapour barrier required?

Vapour barriers should be installed as a matter of course in every room of a home or other building that is being insulated. The ideal time for them to be put in place is when the structure is being built, rather than later, when furnishings such as carpets or flooring are being added. The task of installing one once the actual construction has been completed will be harder, more disruptive and time consuming.

The only situation where a vapour barrier will not be needed is if the material chosen for insulation purposes already comes with its own layer of vapour resistance. Should that be the case with your home or commercial space, it does not mean you can forget about the problems caused by condensation.

Something that is known as vapour barrier tape should be used in this sort of situation, as it will act to close up any gaps within the insulation, as well as the seams. The parts of a building that are most vulnerable to damage from vapour turning to drops of water are its ceilings, and these should be the priority if you are looking to install vapour barriers.

However, if the building in question is a house, then the bathroom and kitchen should be next on the list. These are the other areas of the home that are particularly at risk of damp and the damage that it can lead to.

If you want further advice about vapour barriers and whether they are something you need, speak to a specialist flooring company.