Welcome to your online guide to every type of flooring available. Carpet is no longer
the only option for floorcovering and even if it was, the choices, styles and types of carpet are vast.
At the end of this guide you will have enough ‘insider’ knowledge to make an informed decision on the
perfect flooring choice for you and your home and the confidence to purchase your flooring online.
There are a number of reasons why carpet remains the number one choice for floorcovering; it’s easy to lay,
minimises noise, is warm underfoot and is a great way to hide any imperfections.
In order to get the best from your carpet, ensure you're buying the right type for your floor.
Twist-Pile carpet
Loop-Pile carpet
Saxony carpet
Velvet carpet
Woven carpets
SUITABLE FOR:
Living room, Dining room, Bedroom, Halls, Stairs and Landing.
A twisted fibre which creates a slightly textured surface that’s springy underfoot.
It doesn’t show up the scuffs or vacuum cleaner marks, due to the slightly mottled effect.
The ability to bounce back makes a twist pile ideal in heavy traffic areas and are one of
the most popular types of carpet.
SUITABLE FOR:
Living room, Dining room, Bedroom, Halls, Stairs and Landing.
The yarn forms fibre loops on the surface of the carpet, usually made from wool, nylon,
polypropylene or a blend of these fibres. Either in uniform height, creating a level
pile or with differing heights to create a texture the double density of a loop pile makes
this a good option for high-traffic areas, because it doesn’t show up the footprints.
SUITABLE FOR:
Living room, Dining room and Bedroom.
Made of twisted yarns, which are usually heat set, a saxony has an elegant end result.
It has a long pile and feels sumptuous and decadent underfoot. However the long pile of a
Saxony flattens easily and can show footprints and is therefore ideal for low traffic areas such as the bedroom.
SUITABLE FOR:
Living room, Dining room, Bedroom, Halls, Stairs and Landing.
A dense, low pile, smooth luxurious pile also known as velour. The finish is
achieved by the yarn only having a slight degree of twist and cut very fine to give a
very soft and luxurious feel underfoot.
Toes just sink in to this velvety texture, but the smooth finish does show footprints, so use in an
occasional room or bedroom.
SUITABLE FOR:
Living room, Dining room, Bedroom, Halls, Stairs and Landing.
Are some of the finest carpets which create a prestigious look and feel, however they can be
expensive and are therefore not as popular. They are available in two weaves - Axminster and Woven.
Both are hard wearing and high quality with unrivalled durability.
The majority of carpets are constructed from four fibres or a blend of; Wool, Nylon, Polyester and Polypropylene.
Each fibre has different qualities and the fibre should be an important consideration when choosing the right carpet
for each area of your house.
Wool is a durable, luxury carpet fibre that has a natural resilience, recovering quickly from foot traffic and
furniture marks. British and New Zealand wools are the most popular choices for luxury carpet construction.
It’s an environmentally friendly choice as it’s a sustainable fibre. Blends of wool and manmade fibres are usually a
blend of 80% wool, 20% manmade fibres. As wool isn't the most hard wearing carpet fibre on its own, it is often
blended with a synthetic fibre like polyamide or polyester to give added strength. The results produce a luxurious,
resilient and hard wearing carpet.
Polyamide/Nylon is hard wearing synthetic fibre and is often blended with other fibres
to improve its durability. It’s one of the most versatile fibres as it can be dyed or printed after tufting.
This is a good option if you have pets or small children as it’s very easy to clean and will retain its look and style
longer.
Polyester is a good all rounder offering the warmth and softness of wool, with a
luxurious look. It also has a excellent stain resistance and good durability.
Polypropylene is the most popular manmade fibre. The colour is locked in during
the manufacturing process which means that it is stain resistant, hard wearing and easy cleaning. This is a very practical
solution for those on a budget or with children and pets.
Natural flooring such as coir and sisal are an environmentally sound choice, as well as a fashionable one.
The clean, distinct lines of natural flooring are now available in a range of colours and textures. Natural floor
coverings are known for their texture, coming in a vast range from chunky weaves to tightly woven fibres.
Seagrass is fairly water resistant but prolonged damp may cause mould to grow and
could make the natural fibres of seagrass become slippery, so it’s best to avoid bathrooms or wet
areas.
Sisal is really hard wearing and can be woven into really intricate shapes.
It is suitable for most rooms, except kitchens because food can easily be caught in the fibres.
As sisals are not water resistant they should not be used in bathrooms or wet areas.
Coir is made from the beautiful husks of coconut. It’s the most economical of all
natural fibres and hard wearing. It’s perfect for areas such as the stairs as it’s slip resistant.
SUITABLE FOR:
Living room, Dining room, Halls and Bedroom.
SUITABLE FOR:
iving room, Dining room, Bedroom, Halls, Stairs and Landing.
SUITABLE FOR:
Living room, Dining room, Bedroom, Halls, Stairs and Landing.