Viewing 22 posts - 1 through 22 (of 22 total)
  • New carpet
  • molgrips
    Free Member

    Need super heavy duty carpet for our 2x stairs and landing because it gets far more traffic than usual. This is because the living room and kitchen are on different floors.

    1) I was looking at loop pile carpets. Better than twist?

    2) Any reason not to go to Carpet Right? I’m suspicious of these big chains, will I get a better deal at a local place?

    3) Is it likely to be worthwhile buying online then having someone fit? Can you even do that?

    northernmatt
    Full Member

    Loop, more hard wearing allegedly

    Go local, same price, nicer people.

    Don’t know didn’t look into it. Would rather deal with actual bricks and mortar companies for things like carpets.

    globalti
    Free Member

    Go to a couple of local places and look at contract loop pile carpet. It may be 100% synthetic but it will be hard wearing, cheap and easy to keep clean. All suppliers will have their own fitters and I would buy from them rather than an internet firm because I like to support local companies and I want to be able to call them back when something comes unstuck.

    dooosuk
    Free Member

    If you need underlay, it’s much cheaper to source that yourself online than buy it from them.

    As an example Cloud9 Cumulus 11mm underlay can be had for ~£45/roll online and it’ll cost >£100 instore.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    Planning to re-use existing underlay.

    Re loop pile, it needs to not look like an office. The stuff I found in Carpet Right was 100% wool. I really liked the look and feel, but it was only glued onto the backing, which makes me a bit nervous. Cheap tho, £18/m2

    footflaps
    Full Member

    Our hallway / stair carpets are 100% wool, wears very well even with two cats attaching it for hours each day….

    molgrips
    Free Member

    Any more info about those carpets FF?

    bonchance
    Free Member

    Std minimum 80/20 wool/poly twist – will be relatively hardwearing. The ‘oz’ rating is relevant and you will see a relationship between this and the wear rating for room suitability. Loop or berber might do, it’s often lower quality and wears less acceptably – some would say – and you would probably not find it in many hotels as an example.

    If your budget allows look at an Axminster or Wilton from a brand; like the ‘standard’ Brintons range in 40 oz. Something like Bell twist will be rated for ‘extra heavy domestic’. The brands like Brinton’s are generally extra for the colours and consistency.

    Brintons upper ranges are Kind of things you may find in the house of commons, hotel contracts etc. But all sorts do get used.

    Polyxxx carpet is servicable, colourfast and steam cleanable, but not necessarily pleasant.

    Do you really want a relatively costly carpet that lasts 15yrs though? Maybe a cheaper one and a plan to redecorate after 6yrs works better with young kids about – less to worry about (the expensive carpet I mean!)..

    molgrips
    Free Member

    Well that’s a good question. I quite liked the appearance of the loop pile but you’re saying it gets flattened out more easily?

    Carpet Right reckoned that at £18/m it would cost around £550 or so to do a hall stairs and landing, inc underlay. I’d hope to be able to do 2x stairs and landing for that kind of money or a little more, without underlay. I’m guessing I need to keep it around £25/m or so.

    Rockape63
    Free Member

    just remember you get what you pay for Moley in carpets. I’d recommend the Westex 80/20 range with a cloud nine underlay (don’t re-use ) and it will last very well. Mine has been on the stairs (cream) and has coped with a family of five for 9 years and still looks good.

    Remember that you get stain resistance in better carpets etc.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    As bonchance says though – how long do I actually want it to last? I’m on a budget atm, so I can’t really afford to buy for the next 20 years. We’re hoping to move within 5 anyway.

    matttromans
    Free Member

    How about seagrass – super hardwearing and looks a lot better imo.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    I looked at hessian or similar, not a bad idea tbh.

    deadlydarcy
    Free Member

    I’d probably go with Sisal or Coir (tight weave rather than loose) – John Lewis do nice ones. Needs a fitter who knows what he’s doing. We had some (but I can’t remember if it was coir or sisal…I think sisal) in our first place which had a stairs as the entrance hall! It was hard as nails.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    The rest of the house is tiles or wood, so I think sisal or coir would be pretty good. They do nice golden hues too which would help boost light a bit.

    bonchance
    Free Member

    Sisal or seagrass (and to a much lesser extent Coir) may best be used with caution on heavy traffic stairs – the former can easily become slick with wear..

    It may be partly fashion related – but I have known ppl replace it due to slips/falls.

    I know some people are happy with it though – and mfrs often avoid the question.

    br
    Free Member

    Go local and pay for an all-in job.

    That way any issues you’ve at least got somebody to complain to – and based on your previous posts’ where you know best, you’ll be complaining about something.

    And:

    Planning to re-use existing underlay.

    Only if it’s top quality, otherwise go top quality.

    My folks only bought the best, and the carpets/underlay they had put down +20 y/o is still in perfect condition. And that is after rebuilding the house around it plus grandkids/dogs etc

    molgrips
    Free Member

    The underlay was the most expensive on offer from the builders (Wimpey) when we specced it, so I was under the impression it was decent.

    br
    Free Member

    The underlay was the most expensive on offer from the builders (Wimpey) when we specced it, so I was under the impression it was decent.

    Take some up and have a look at the labels/weight?

    http://www.mrcarpetunderlay.co.uk/knowledge-centre-advice-on-buying-carpet-underlay.html

    Rockape63
    Free Member

    I wanted to use seagrass on the stairs when I did the house as I have oak floors on the ground floor and carpets on the first floor, but my (trusted) carpet fitter strongly advised against it as he said it gets very slippery.

    Still like the idea of it though.

    footflaps
    Full Member

    Any more info about those carpets FF?

    At a guess I think it was similar to this one:

    https://www.carpetright.co.uk/carpets/super-mansion-house-twist-plain-carpet

    bristolbiker
    Free Member

    As ever, there are clearly more knowledgeable people than me passing on their wisdom above…..

    the only advice I can add is don’t ever buy anything from Carpet Right; a more dishonest and dyfunctional set of clowns masquerading as a customer facing retail business I have yet to find. Used them once when also ‘on a budget’ and will never do it again. As above, for our last carpets went to the local independent shop who were a joy to deal with and turned out to be no more expensive overall, even without factoring in the complete lack of hastle and great customer service..

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