Five carpet mistakes to avoid

If you’re considering installing carpet in your home, here are five common mistakes people make when installing carpets to avoid.

1. Too bold colours and patterns

According to Homes & Gardens, Designer Katie Raffetto warns against carpet patterns that are too bright or bold. An over-the-top combination of a bright-patterned carpet and colourful print curtains overwhelms the senses. She says:

“A neutral wall to wall will give a soft beautiful background, as you may tire of the pattern or colour.”

An exception to this is a children’s playroom, which can be vibrant and cheerful.

2. Wall-to-wall carpeting of the whole home

Most rooms look great with wall-to-wall carpeting, but not every room. Laminate, vinyl or tiles are better for wet areas, including kitchens and bathrooms.

3. Weight doesn’t always equal better quality

Some believe that a heavier-weight carpet is better than a lighter-weight one. However, this is not always the case. The density and twist of the pile both affect the carpet quality.

4. Choosing the wrong underlay

A common mistake people make when installing carpet in their homes is to use the wrong underlay. Some people wrongly believe that a heavy carpet needs no underlay. A good underlay makes the carpet feel comfortable and last longer.

5. Using the wrong carpet staples

People should also be wary of using the wrong staples to secure the carpet, as if chosen incorrectly, they may come loose and need replacing.

To avoid these and other mistakes when buying carpets for Chester and North Wales rooms, people can seek the advice of a professional carpet installer.

What are the benefits of carpets?

A few years ago, some people believed that carpets in North Wales homes were not fashionable. Now, this has changed, as consumers become aware of the many benefits of carpets.

Sound insulation

In a noisy world, it’s good to have a quiet space to relax in. Carpets, especially deep-pile ones, are good at absorbing sounds. That’s why carpets are often seen in music recording studios. A room with a carpet reduces sound from neighbours, other rooms and your own feet walking on the floor. In large rooms, carpets prevent annoying echoes.

Easy to clean

Carpets rarely look dirty, as the pile hides dust and small particles. Daily vacuuming takes little time and keeps the carpet clean. At least once a year, carpets should be deep cleaned with special carpet shampoo or by professionals.

Hide flaws

The floor beneath a carpet does not have to be in pristine condition. A carpet hides scratches, chips and other damage. Stains and scuff marks are covered, and any dents in the floor left by the legs of heavy furniture can be concealed by carpets.

Child friendly

Carpets are very child friendly. If young children trip or fall, they are less likely to be injured on carpets compared to hard floors. Carpets feel soft, warm and comforting for children.

In addition, carpets absorb dust, preventing airborne particles that can cause respiratory problems for some children. This dust can easily be removed by vacuuming.

Look good

Carpets are available in a wide range of colours and patterns to suit any decor style.

With so many benefits, it’s no surprise that carpets are becoming more and more popular.

Can carpet tiles be used on stairs?

Many home and business owners in both Chester and parts of North Wales like Wrexham choose carpet tiles as a floor surface. That is because this material can be fitted simply and quickly and is not expensive.

Stairs are a part of a home or business that will see a great deal of traffic. People walk up and down them every single day and the flooring used to cover them must be able to withstand that. So are carpet tiles suitable?

Durability

Stairs tend to get a lot of use in both residential and commercial properties. Almost everyone living or working within the building will probably use the stairs to get from one place to another a minimum of two times each day.

That is a lot of footfall, so the material used as flooring must be extremely hardwearing. Good-quality carpet tiles are highly durable and can be expected to last for over a decade once they have been fitted. That will suit the needs of most business or home buyers.

Cost

Carpet tiles are a much less expensive option than hard or engineered wood, not least because the process of installing them is easier and quicker. That makes them a good choice for the staircase in either a home or a business.

Furthermore, if one part of a stair carpet becomes worn or damaged, a single tile can be replaced rather than the entire thing. That will save further money.

Maintenance

Keeping staircase carpet tiles clean is typically just a matter of vacuuming them. They generally come with low piles, something which helps to prevent dirt and grime from becoming trapped in them.

This means maintenance costs for businesses are kept to a minimum, while homeowners do not have to spend long periods of time each week keeping their stairs looking clean.

Fitting

When it comes to fitting carpet tiles to stairs, the best way is not to cut sheet carpet rolls for every step and nosing. Instead, individual tiles should be fitted into place on the stairs, before being trimmed to ensure they are a perfect fit.

That might seem like a lot of work, but it is actually quicker than trying to fit standard sheet carpeting. Getting a professional to do the job will be better if you want top-quality results though.

Carpet tiles are ideal for either commercial or residential staircases. Look to a firm with plenty of experience to get them fitted quickly and perfectly.

What questions should you ask when buying flooring for your business?

There is more than one reason why a business might need new flooring. It could be to replace floors damaged due to flooding, or it might just be part of an overall refurbishment of an office or commercial premises.

However, as with home flooring, there are lots of different materials available, so it makes sense to ask yourself these questions to ensure you get the floor type that you need.

How often will it be walked on?

The amount of traffic passing over a floor will be one of the biggest factors determining what type of material is required. If the room in which the floor is being fitted will have lots of people walking on it every day in boots or shoes, then it needs to be a hardwearing and durable material.

A good example of that would be the floor of a shop or supermarket. This will experience large volumes of traffic and will also have heavy equipment moved over it. In that situation, luxury vinyl tile (LVT) floors will be a good choice.

Where traffic is a little lower, such as in office spaces, carpet tiles will look good and offer the option of replacing individual tiles rather than the entire floor should damage occur.

How easy will it be to clean?

The floors of a business have to be cleaned even more frequently than those of a home – usually every day – so choosing ones that are quick and simple to maintain will reduce costs and save time.

This is another reason why LVT floors are great choices for commercial premises, as maintaining them is a very simple task. Both the North West of England and North Wales get a lot of rain, which means that customers bring water and mud with them, and LVT is highly resistant to water damage.

The need for low-maintenance floors is greatest for hospitality businesses. Commercial kitchens will see regular spills and tile flooring can be wiped free of grease and other stains.

What will the floors look like?

Although practicality has to be the first consideration, the floors of a business still need to fit in with the overall design scheme. Many businesses favour LTV flooring because a range of different styles, textures and shades are available.

That makes finding a floor that blends with the rest of the decor much easier.

When you are getting new floors for your business, look to a company with over 50 years of experience in fitting commercial flooring.

Report says carpets and neutral colours making comeback

According to a report by Livingetc, neutral colours and carpets are making a comeback in the bedroom.

Whilst wood and laminate flooring may be more practical in high-traffic areas, many residents of Cheshire and North Wales prefer the soft, luxury feel of a carpet, especially in the bedroom.

Interior design expert Jodie Hatton loves rooms with neutral colours such as light grey, beige or cream. She says that the texture of a carpet stops the neutral colours from appearing flat:

“Where an alternative flooring like wood or tiles might make a room feel stark and bare, a soft woven wool carpet, layered with accessories in cashmere, mohair, and linen will all work to soften a look to create an inviting space.”

There is a trend for more natural materials, which is why there is increasing demand for natural fibre carpets made from plant-based sisal or jute. These are not as soft as deep-pile carpets for bedrooms, but adding a soft or sheepskin rug adds a comforting texture to the room. Alternately, people can purchase a decent-quality wool carpet for a natural floor covering that is also exceptionally soft and comfortable.

Hard-surface floors may be easier to clean and maintain compared to carpets, but the Digital Editor of Livingetc, Hebe Hatton, said in the report that the feel of a carpet in a bedroom cannot be beaten.

A superior-quality carpet in a Chester or North Wales home, if it’s regularly vacuumed and deep cleaned at least once a year, will last a very long time.