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Ask The Experts

I want a new bedroom carpet which is very soft and deep, what colour do you suggest and what sort of carpet? My decor is cream brown & gold

The style of carpet you need to ask for is called a Saxony. If you can afford it get a Saxony made from nylon, otherwise polypropylene is now very popular but not as soft to touch.You already have three colours so your carpet should really use one of those. Cream or brown will be easier to source.

Can you advise colours for a large hall and stairwell. there are four beautiful large dark wooden doors and a stairs in the DARK hall.What bedroom colours should i use for four bright large bedrooms. Thanks so much. I am very confused and really want to paint this lovely house in the appropiate colours. mary

Let's start with the bedroom, have a look at the colour combinations of Duck Egg blue and chocolate brown, there are lots of fabrics and wall papers with these combinations available at present. Alternatively go for shades of pink from baby pink to deep rose there are all sorts of combinations that will look superb.The dark hallway would work well with very light walls to contarast with the dark wood than a dark but rich colour on the floor, maybe Claret or Burgundy. Alternatively the duck egg colour could work well in this context as well on the floor.

I have two dogs and I need good looking, but hardwearing and dirt resistant carpet for my living room and hall.Any suggestions would be helpful

A polypropylene fibre is generally the best when it comes to stain resistance and will be hard wearing. You will find a wide selection of such products on a visit to your local retailer.

A polypropylene fibre is generally the best when it comes to stain resistance and will be hard wearing. You will find a wide selection of such products on a visit to your local retailer.
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I want to replace my sitting room & hall & stairs with the same carpet although there are only two of us the hall getts a fair bit of traffic. Would and 80/20 wool mix be better or a man made fibre?

There are pros and cons to each fibre type. The man made fibres do resist staining significantly better however the wool carpets bounce back better hence are less likely to show tracking. If stain resistance is a priority then try to make sure your man made carpet has a low dense pile. If you can afford 80/20 it will keep it looks for longer and has a more pleasant feel.

I live in a one bedroom flat - bedroom, hall, living room all desperately need carpeting. I'm thinking a pale beige berber 80% wool throughout to give the flat some light. (Now it has dark blue & dark green carpet which is terrible)BUT the flat is fully furnished, and the logistics of re-carpeting seem almost insurmountable! Obviously, the whole of the living room would have to be moved into the bedrom while carpeting is going on, and vice versa. The current carpet has terrible underlay which has withered and gone powdery, nightmare. So the whole operation seems daunting. I'd be so grateful for your advice.

You need to find yourself a friendly local carpet retailer who will be accustomed to this sort of problem. If the one you speak to does not put your mind at rest try another one.

You need to find yourself a friendly local carpet retailer who will be accustomed to this sort of problem. If the one you speak to does not put your mind at rest try another one.
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could you please inform me as to the best type of carpet most suitable for a bathroom

There are some carpets made with a specific waffle backing which is designed for use in bathrooms. In addition many people chose to install the same carpet as elsewhere in their house on gripper and underlay. This may have drawbacks if you expect the carpet and underlay to get wet regularly (young children!!!) Your local carpet retailer will be able to advise you of suitable possibilities.

We are currently looking at putting new carpet into our living room but are unsure of the colour, we have a black & white feature wall which has specs of grey/silver in the flowers (wallpapered) and the other 3 walls are white/cream. What colour carpet would you suggest?

Somewhere within this colour scheme you need a strong contrast to lift the room. We would recommend an aubergine or plum shade either in the carpet or the suite. If you go with the suite then try grey, silver or stone shades on the floor.

Hi - Love your designs; can you please tell me where I can buy the bold stipey carpet from???? I LOVE IT !!!

The carpet in question is about to be launched to the general market. Watch out for it appearing at your local retailer.

The carpet in question is about to be launched to the general market. Watch out for it appearing at your local retailer.
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I really like the 'Trendy' stripey carpet I have seen but I want to use it in my hall, stairs and landing. The problem is my stairs curve round at the top. Would this look strange with a striped pattern?

An experienced estimator should be able to make it look right for you. Have a chat to your local carpet retailer and see what he has to say.

An experienced estimator should be able to make it look right for you. Have a chat to your local carpet retailer and see what he has to say.
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I am thinking of buying a silvery mink sofa. Can you suggest what colour carpet would look good with it? I have not decided on wall colour yet trying to decide sofa and carpet first.

One person's silvery mink is another person's light grey! We suggest get a cutting of the fabric of the chosen sofa and take along to compare with the samples available at your local retailer. Once you have selected what you like take both samples home to see in the light of your own room.

What's the best way to care for "Jute"? We're about to rent a property that is fitted with this from top to bottom.

We recommend you get specific care instructions from your landlord as it is unusual for a rented property to be fitted with this style of product.

We recommend you get specific care instructions from your landlord as it is unusual for a rented property to be fitted with this style of product.
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Is there a best sort of carpet and underlay to buy to muffle footsteps in an upstairs flat?

There are specialist underlays which are manufactured for their acoustic qualities. Your local carpet retailer will be able to suggest the most suitable. The thicker the carpet the less likelihood for sound transfer consider a Saxony style.

Moths have eaten a large amount of my carpets. Despite frequent vacuuming, I can't get behind heavy bookcases, piano etc where they thrive. Can you recommend a carpet which is 100% moth-proof?

We suggest a carpet made of man made fibre with a man made backing.Polypropylene, polyester or Nylon for the fibre, avoid a jute backing.

We suggest a carpet made of man made fibre with a man made backing.Polypropylene, polyester or Nylon for the fibre, avoid a jute backing.
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I let a flat and it doesn't matter what we put on the floor the tenants manage to ruin it. Can you recommend a 'tenant proof' carpet for a small hallway with 5 doors off it please? It's on the second floor so doesn't get wet so much as dirty.

Unfortunately in these circumstances the carpets will get dirty, however many carpets are extremely stain resistant and could be cleaned after a tenant leaves. Ask you local retailer about stain resistant carpets.

We have a large lounge with dining area and a door which is the main access to the garden so there is a lot of traffic. What sort of carpet can give us the practical needs of being hard wearing and stain resistant but also with the luxurious feeling we like in a lounge?

You will find such carpets at your local carpet specialist. You will need to strike a balance between your desire for luxury and the practicality of hard wearing as longer pile may be more prone to flattening in heavy traffic areas. However you should have a good choice of products available to you.

What type of carpet do you recommend for a bathroom? I have looked at tiles and dont care for the cold feel on the feet.

There are some carpets made with a specific waffle backing which is designed for use in bathrooms. In addition many people choose to install the same carpet as elsewhere in their house on gripper and underlay. This may have drawbacks if you expect the carpet to get wet regularly (young children!) Your local carpet retailer will be able to advise you of suitable possibilities.

Do carpets need to be cleaned?

Professional cleaning of your carpet can make it last longer, however it is vital, if you try to clean it yourself that all detergents are removed in the extraction process, otherwise they leave a sticky residue which attracts dirt to the carpet. We would recommend a professional cleaner.

I have just purchased a 3 bedroom detached house, how much should I expect to pay for carpeting it all?

We would turn this question back to you, how much do you want / can you afford to pay? There are practical carpets at low prices and there are luxury carpets. We would recommend a visit to your local retailer, advise them of your budget, and they will find you a carpet to suit your needs.

How long should I expect my carpet to last?

As with most commodities this will depend upon the initial quality of the carpet and then the way you treat it. However many carpets will offer a guarantee for a specific length of time and this will be a good guide.

any ideas for carpet for our hall,stairs and landing, we have 2 young children a dog and a cat so it is a high wear area for dirty feet. My husband wants a hard floor as he thinks it easier to keep clean (because I'll do it!!) but I think it will be cold and noisy.Help!

For starters you cannot hard floor the stairs. Many people hard floor the hallway be it with wood, laminate or vinyl tile then go for the carpet on stairs and landing.A short pile twist pile made from polypropylene will be hard wearing and easy to clean with your family.

I'm tiling the kitchen floor and there is not enough room under the door to have tile and then a doormat. I'm thinking of putting down a heavy doormat type of carpeting at the threshold and then tiling the rest of the kitchen. The only problem is that I'm struggling to find any hardwaring carpet that I can use as a doorway type of mat. I hope you understand when I mean. Thank you.

Look for a product called coir matting, it is what they made the old fashioned door mats from, you can have that as a mat well next to the door.

Look for a product called coir matting, it is what they made the old fashioned door mats from, you can have that as a mat well next to the door.
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We have an 80-20 wool carpet in our lounge that has become stained and are wanting to replace it. Our carpet retailer has said that it is difficult to remove stains from a predominantly wool carpet( Lucozade is impossible). What would you recommend as a type of carpet that would be suitable for wear and cleaning properties.We understand that some man made materials have the propensity to track wear.

what carpet should you use for a busy area such as the stairs?thanks

For use on stairs we would recommend a carpet designated as Heavy domestic, and possibly look for a carpet with a low pile height and tight stitch rate. For further advice please speak to your local retailer.

I would like to put a carpet down in the kitchen as it would be warm also my Grandchildren sit on the floorand play it is a very large kitchen with plenty of room but with units allway round and centre one

Carpeting the kitchen is not a problem, there are many suitable alternatives. A visit to your local carpet retailer should provide several alternatives.

Carpeting the kitchen is not a problem, there are many suitable alternatives. A visit to your local carpet retailer should provide several alternatives.
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How long does it take to fit a carpet in an average size room?

Sorry but that is a bit of a "how long is a piece of string " question. It will depend on size, whether a join is necessary, if furniture needs moving etc. Ask your local retailer to give you an estimate of carpet cost, whilst he is there he will then be the best person to estimate the time necessary to fit.

There seems to be a very limited choice of striped carpet on the market. The same thin stripes seem to appear everywhere. I am looking for a bold, multicoloured deck chair or candy stripe carpet to use on stairs. Can you suggest some suppliers I could try please?

Stripes are in fashion and there are some new ranges, launched at the recent national floor show, which are about to be launched to the general market. These include some bold multicoloured stripes as you describe. Watch out for them appearing at your local retailer in the near future.

I'm going to buy a saxony carpet which is 100% polyamide for the bedroom to replace the wooden floor, I was wondering what type of vacuum cleaner I would need?

We would strongly recommend an upright hoover with efficient beta bar so as to ensure the pile is lifted after each use.

We would strongly recommend an upright hoover with efficient beta bar so as to ensure the pile is lifted after each use.
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We have a listed property which has no damp proofing. In the front room we have flagstone flooring and we're thinking of putting carpet on top. Please can you advise what type of carpet and underlay would be suitable?

This kind of advice cannot be given without a proper site inspection. We strongly recommend you arrange for your local carpet specialist to visit and consider the specifics of the installation.

This kind of advice cannot be given without a proper site inspection. We strongly recommend you arrange for your local carpet specialist to visit and consider the specifics of the installation.
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What type of carpet is best for hall and stair case which has alot of traffic?

For installation on stairs we would recommend a carpet designated as Heavy domestic, and possibly look for a carpet with a low pile height and tight stitch rate. For further advice please speak to your local retailer.

I'm looking for a thin striped carpet design, warm colours (bronze, reddish). Can you help as I can't find what I'm looking for anywhere?

Stripes are in fashion and some new ranges were launched at the recent national floor show. Keep watching your local retailer for new additions.

Stripes are in fashion and some new ranges were launched at the recent national floor show. Keep watching your local retailer for new additions.
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Best carpet for the stairs and landing we have 4 dogs and 2 cats, wear and tear.

To avoid plucking select a cut pile carpet rather than a loop pile. Even if the cat does pull at it the tufts are individual and do not create a “run” You will find a wide selection of cut pile carpets at your local carpet retailer. For use on stairs we would recommend a carpet designated as Heavy domestic.

My cats wreak havoc clawing my carpets despite 'toys' for them to scratch on! What is my best type of carpet, particularly for stairs and landing?

I'm replacing normal carpet in the bathroom with proper bathroom carpet. The present carpet has underlay and gripper rods, is this suitable for the bathroom carpet?

If the carpet has waffle backing, then no your present underlay and gripper would not be able to be reused. Your local carpet retailer will be able to advise you of suitable possibilities.

If the carpet has waffle backing, then no your present underlay and gripper would not be able to be reused. Your local carpet retailer will be able to advise you of suitable possibilities.
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My room is an odd shape and I cannot work out how much carpet I require. How do you calculate the number of square metres required?

We strongly recommend that you contact one of our selected retailers and ask them to come and measure your room. Carpets come in different widths and can be joined in different ways. Use the services of a professional!

I intend to close-carpet my stairs and landing. What grades and types of carpet are appropriate? Most of the floorboards are uneven. Do you recommend laying hardboard before the underlay?

It may well be that a quality underlay will be sufficient to prevent the unevenness showing however we would recommend a visit or call to your local carpet retailer and ask them to visit and inspect the specifics of your installation. For use on stairs we would recommend a carpet designated as Heavy domestic.

I have underfloor heating, does this limit my choice of carpets?

Your underfloor heating will have a recommendation as to the maximum insulation it should have above it (tog rating). Specialist underlays allow most carpets to be fitted without exceeding the recommended tog rating. Your local carpet retailer will be able to advise you further.

My daughter suffers from Asthma – what type of carpet would you recommend?

One of the major irritants for asthma sufferers is the presence of dust mites. We would recommend a short pile carpet which should be vacuumed regularly, preferably daily, with a quality vacuum cleaner.

Will the carpet retailers listed on your store locator measure my hall stairs and landing ?

Virtually all carpet retailers will be happy to offer a free estimating service. Feel free to contact by telephone or by popping in to your chosen retailer.

Virtually all carpet retailers will be happy to offer a free estimating service. Feel free to contact by telephone or by popping in to your chosen retailer.
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