Everything You Need to Know About Carpet Flooring

A well-designed carpet flooring plays a vital role in creating an interior with the perfect blend of luxury and comfort. From contemporary and trendy to classy and timeless designs, carpets have managed to establish a strong decorative footing and paved their way for today’s modern interiors across Australia. An extensive range of carpets are available for homes, offices, and commercial properties of all types that instantly uplift the beauty and add value to the property. Let’s learn about choosing the right carpet, its materials, maintenance and cleaning requirements.

How to Choose the Right Carpet:

The main aspects of choosing carpets are style, warmth, and comfort. When choosing a carpet, there are numerous options in designs, materials, and colour combinations available. Some materials provide comfort, while some need frequent cleaning and maintenance. The price range also varies depending on the material and design of the carpet. Choosing the wrong carpet may easily fade, wear out, or resist your cleaning efforts. These tips allow you to choose the right carpet for your home and office:

Choose the proper padding:

Padding is as crucial for the carpet as a strong foundation for a building. Padding gives support, strength, and a little more cushioning. Picking the wrong padding will lead to early wear and tear of your carpet. Proper carpet padding gives your floor a finished look and insulation to control temperature. Padding keeps your carpet in perfect condition for years and prevents fibres from coming apart. Consult the expert when choosing a carpet with the proper padding; high-traffic areas in your home need a carpet with dense padding, while other areas such as bedrooms that face low foot traffic need less protection.

Browse through the different styles of carpets:

Carpets are available in different styles, such as cut pile, loop pile, textured loop pile, multi-level loop pile, and more. These terms apply to the pile, which is the surface of the carpet, created from yarn tufts that are cut straight across, folded into loops, or both. You should consider your specific requirement while choosing the carpet. Textured carpets are designed to reflect light, which often hides tracks and dirt successfully. Cut pile carpets are made from twisted fibres, giving them a fancier look compared to textured carpets. They also feel soft on your feet and are suitable for hiding stains and dirt.

Compare colours and patterns:

The best carpet for you is the one that you can easily maintain. Understanding the maintenance requirements is essential while choosing the right carpet. Homeowners with children or pets should avoid high-end rugs or hard-to-clean carpets. They should look for the options available in stain-resistant carpets to reduce their cleaning time and effort. Ask the professional about the cleaning requirements of the carpet and whether you will need to use specific tools for cleaning.

Maintenance requirement:

Carpets are available in various colours and designs, making decision-making more difficult. You should narrow your search to the shades and tones that match the rest of the mood of your home’s interior. For instance, you can choose from shades of blue and green to create a calm and peaceful setting. To make a large space feel cosier, go with the shades of red or golden. To make a small room feel spacious, choose from shades of light colours. Also, remember that carpets with dark shades and patterns are good at hiding stains and require less frequent cleaning. And most importantly, examine the carpet sample in natural light before buying.

Different Types of Carpets:

Modern carpets are mostly made from woven fabrics that may be natural or synthetic. Here are a few common types of carpet materials:

Wool:

Compared to other types of carpets, carpets made entirely from wool are a bit expensive. The luxurious carpet is tough, stain-resistant, and extremely comfortable.

Wool Blend:

As the carpets made from completely wool are expensive, they are often blended with other fabrics such as nylon to reduce the cost.

Triexta:

Similar to nylon and polyester, Triexta owes its popularity to excellent density and softness. Triexta carpets are highly durable, easy to maintain, and mess-resistant.

Nylon:

Nylon is popular due to its longevity, stain-resistance, and strength. Nylon is a synthetic fibre and ideal for areas where heavy foot traffic is expected.

Polyester:

Polyester is a synthetic material famous for cut pile carpets.

Olefin:

Olefin carpets are known for their attractive gloss. The synthetic carpet is water and stain-resistant and ideal for outdoor applications.

SD PET:

The extra high twist and stitch make SD PET carpet different from other options. The exceptional softness and extravagant colour options make it increasingly popular across Australian homes.

Which Carpet Material is the Best?

The best carpet for you is the one that makes you feel happy when you look at it and also when you use it. However, to determine the best carpet for your home or office, you need to consider several factors, including yarn type, weaving density, pile height, and a few more. You can choose from carpets made from synthetic and natural materials.

If you want your carpets to be durable, then you should go for the carpets made from polyester, olefin, and nylon. The carpets are more resistant to mould, stains, and water and require less maintenance care. However, these carpets have proved to be disappointing when it comes to softness and comfort.

To achieve premium interior aesthetics through the carpet, you should go with a wool or wool blend carpet. In addition to their comfort, these carpets are softer, natural, and healthier. They have useful features such as being anti-static, sound-absorbing, and non-flammable. Apart from these, the main difference between these two carpets is cost, as wool carpets are costlier compared to synthetic carpets.

What to Consider Before Installing a Carpet?

If you have a DIY approach to installing a carpet, you should be prepared for lots of time-consuming and tiring hard work. However, follow these tips to make the process more convenient.

Removing the old carpet and pad:

Pulling up the old carpet yourself is one of the wisest decisions you can make as it saves you a lot of money. The charges from installers to pull up the old carpet are significantly high. While doing so, you can nail or screw the floor down if there are any squeaks on the floor. It’s also an excellent opportunity to fix pet damage (urine on the floor) if there is any. Hammer down all the staples and ensure they are flat to the floor. To make the floor even, you may need to mend the cracks and edges.

Examining door and moulding heights:

The bottom of the door will rub against the newly installed carpet, and you may need to trim the door. It’s quite common when the padding of the new carpet is thicker than the old. Tucking the carpet underneath becomes problematic when the baseboard is set too low. You need to discuss this with an expert and consider it in advance.

Prepared for the day:

If you are getting professional help, you should be well-prepared in advance. You can send kids and other family members for a day trip as carpet installation will cause lots of noise. Only one adult needs to be present to let the workers in and stay nearby the site to answer any questions.

What are the costs associated with carpet flooring installation?

The average carpet installation cost in Australia is around $65 per square metre. Most homeowners expect to pay nearly anywhere between $55 to $75 per square metre for carpet flooring installation, including all the materials and labour. However, the overall cost will depend on various factors, such as the type of padding and carpet you have selected. The stairs involved will be quoted separately, often higher than the rest of the flooring.

Pros and Cons of Carpet:

Carpet can be one of your best investments when you want to create a perfect interior and need a soft and comfortable surface to walk around. It can instantly transform your home into an aesthetically perfect place. However, installing a carpet also has a few drawbacks. Here are a few pros and cons of having a carpet.

Advantages:

• Carpet provides thermal resistance, keeping warm air inside the room for a more extended period during winter compared to other types of floorings.
• It helps create a beautiful and comfortable place to work, relax, and play.
• Carpets provide cushions for falls and slides, making them beneficial for homes with children.
• You can customise your living area and create your dream home as plenty of styles, and design options are available.
• In addition to helping you create a comfortable living environment, the carpet also works as a sound barrier.

Disadvantages:

• Depending on your lifestyle, you may need a high amount of upkeep, including deep carpet cleaning and vacuuming on a regular basis.
• Carpets tend to gather dirt and stains and require regular maintenance once installed.
• Allergens, such as mildew, dust mites, and pet dander, thrive on the carpet and may cause difficulties for family members with allergies or respiratory problems.
• Carpets are less durable compared to other flooring options, such as hardwood flooring, and require frequent maintenance.
• You may need to invest in a new carpet every few years to keep your interior updated with the latest trends.

How often do you need to replace the carpet?

There is no specific criteria set for when to replace your carpet. The lifespan of a quality carpet is estimated to be around 5 to 15 years, depending on the material, whether it’s installed in commercial or residential properties, and whether it has received regular maintenance care.

Carpet Care and Cleaning Guide:

A few simple habits can help you maintain your carpet’s original look and feel for a long time. Here are a few tips to help you with your carpet maintenance care.

Preventive Maintenance:

• A quality underlay is essential to have an easy-to-clean carpet. Various options are available for carpet underlay, including polyurethane, sponge rubber, crumb rubber, or a felt/crumb rubber combination. It will protect the carpet from damage caused by heavy footsteps and also works as a shock absorber.
• Place a doormat and ask your guests to wipe their shoes before entering your home or office carefully. It will keep the soil away from the carpet and enhance its lifespan.
• Moving heavy furniture frequently will damage the pile by crushing the surface. You can use floor protecting covers for furniture legs to distribute the weight evenly for chairs and tables.
• To avoid premature fading of the carpet’s colours, use curtains in the window and limit the carpet’s exposure to direct sunlight.

Vacuuming:

• Invest in a quality vacuum cleaner for a comfortable cleaning experience every time.
• For thinner carpets, use an upright or barrel-type vacuum. For thicker carpets, vacuums with higher beater bars are recommended.
• For a carpet with thick and soft attributes, use a vacuum with an adjustable height and suction power, efficient airflow, and large wheels.
• Even when there is no visible dirt on your carpet, vacuum it weekly. It’s a good habit for maintaining the beauty and functionality of your carpet for a long time.

Spot Cleaning:

Spot cleaning should be done as soon as you encounter spillage on your carpet, as it will save it from permanent damage. It’s essential to note that the right method of spot cleaning should be determined based on the type of your carpet.

Steam Cleaning:

It’s best to leave steam carpet cleaning to the professionals. You should take their help once every 12 to 18 months to remove any dirt and build-up bacteria that a vacuum cannot remove.

We hope to be successful in providing you with a complete understanding of carpets with the above information. The guide will help you select the right carpet, install it, and take care of it to keep it eternally beautiful and functional. At Mike’s Carpets Flooring & Blinds Centre, we are happy to answer any questions you may have regarding carpets. You can browse through our extensive collection of carpets and reach out to us for more information.