1. Look at the way you live and those living with you
Are you a couple? Do you have family & kids? Do you have pets? These are questions to ask yourself when considering the type of carpet that is best suited for your home, or carpet that you plan to install in particular areas of your house.
- No kids? Plush pile carpets add a touch of opulence and luxury to your home.
- Young family or pets? Opting for a carpet that can stand up to & endure the high traffic in your house – consider a hard-wearing carpet suck as loop, textured loop or a durable hard-twist carpet.
- Underlay is important. Not only does underlay provide extra comfort, it also provides insulation, adds noise absorption & can help minimise furniture indentations. We recommend using a good quality underlay that is at least 10mm thick. More importantly, using the right underlay for your carpet can save you money by helping extend your carpet’s life & helping insulate your home
- Understand the maintenance needed to keep your carpet fresh
Depending on your individual requirement, homeowners with young children or pets may want to steer clear from hard to clean carpets, such as shag or plush type carpets.
- There are lots of stain resistant carpets our there which can cut down cleaning time.
- It’s always good to chat to your supplier about the cleaning and maintenance requirements before you commit.
- Things to consider: How often do you think you will need to clean? Are there any special products that are needed? Any special equipment needed?
- Unless you have the time to be able to clean a high maintenance carpet, we recommend avoiding carpets that have extensive cleaning requirements.
- Light or Dark? Understand how carpet colour will affect your room
The carpet colour you choose for each room is important to consider when understanding how the carpet will make the room feel.
- Darker colours of carpet help make the room feel smaller & cosier.
- Lighter colours of carpet make a room feel and appear larger.
- Choosing carpets that are more neutral and combined with two subtle colours can be more forgiving for high traffic areas and stains.
- Your carpet will fade
Over time, carpet tends to fade. This is mostly due to exposure to the sun plus traffic and cleaning can also impact how quickly carpet can fade.
- Carpet will be darker when it is newly installed.
- Opt to choose a share or two deeper to meet the fade at a shade you are happy with.
- Keeping blinds closed when you are not in the room will help reduce the effect from sunlight
- Using good quality cleaning products on your carpet will also help reduce how quickly the colour fades (always do a spot test first!)
- Get down on it
If you are a family who enjoys lounging on the floor or have children who prefer to play on the ground, you should consider buying a dense, heavy carpet.
- Step on it, lie on it, give it a feel.
- You can get an idea of how dense a carpet sample is by how heavy it is. The heavier the sample, the more yarn & fibres it is likely to have.
- Warranties
Carpeting a house can be quite a long term, large investment. Understanding the manufacturer’s warrantees to cover for particular situations is a must. Always speak with your supplier to ensure you are covered for your particular situation.
Some warrantees will not cover stairs. In the event that you are carpeting your stairs, look for warrantees that cover stairs and that have stair ratings.
So where to start? Budget carpets will help you choose the best carpet by taking the time to understand you, your home, your wants, your needs and your family.
The team at Budget Carpets will assist in navigating the ins and outs of flooring to ensure that the best possible solution has been found based on your requirements, at an affordable cost.
Give us a call today on 02 9627 2177 & let’s have a chat!