There is no better feeling than wiggling your toes through a luscious new carpet or the lovely smell straight after it has been freshly laid. If you no longer get this feeling under foot then you may well be over due a change of floor covering!
Carpets can have a 5 – 15 year lifespan if they are well maintained but unfortunately the toll of a very busy life and little time to vacuum means often our carpets get neglected. It is quite easy to tell if you are needing to change your carpet by its appearance but some other signs to look out for are: Matting, odour, mould and carpet moths! Even professional cleaning services cannot salvage your carpet if the fibres have been penetrated by mould or foul odours from pets.
If your carpet has passed the point of no return or even if you are just looking for a change, we have comprised our ‘Top Ten Tips’ for buying a new carpet from Gillies.
One of our longest serving carpet and flooring advisers Kevin Milne – who has over 25 years’ experience in the trade! – has shared his expert advice and insight on what you should consider when buying a new carpet. If you would like to meet him in person, and put his expertise to the test, then you can find him in our Broughty Ferry Store.
1. What Room Do You Need the Carpet For?
The area that you need a carpet for makes a huge difference to the criteria you may have for picking the right carpet for you; as the different rooms and areas of your home are not all used the same. For example, it is sensible to pick a carpet for your staircase that is durable and resilient as this is an area that is walked on daily and that you are not likely to replace regularly. Whereas, a bedroom carpet is more likely to get less use and therefore a carpet could be chosen for comfort to provide that soft luxurious feeling under your feet when you wake up in the morning. So, let us know where your carpet will be situated so we can make recommendations accordingly.
2. Know your Space
If you are able to give your room a guide length and width measure prior to visiting our store, we will be able to give you a rough price guide based on a number of products. Although, we know that this measuring process can be a bit tricky, so Gillies have expert carpet estimators who can do a home visit free of charge to avoid any setbacks!
3. What Kind of Carpet do you Want?
We suggest that you come in store with a rough idea of what you are looking for in terms of the characteristics, colour and even budget. Letting our sales advisors know your needs will give them the ability to recommend various products for you based on your requirements. If you have pets or young children it is best to let us know as you will probably be needing something both durable and stain resistant… better safe than sorry!
4. Performance
A part of knowing what you want in a carpet is understanding that there are different properties of carpets that provide different performances.
These are the main fibres used in carpet production:
Wool – Natural Fibre (Often from British sheep!)
Jute – Natural Fibre
Sea Grass – Natural Fibre
Sisal – Natural Fibre
Polyester – Man Made Fibre
Poly Propylene – Man Made Fibre
Nylon – Man Made Fibre
If for instance you were looking for something for the lounge where you have a high amount of foot traffic and the potential for spillages you will need something both durable and stain resistant so one of your best options would be to go for a solution dyed Nylon carpet that is treated with stain protection.
These are the main carpet textures:
Twist - Tight, Cut Pile
Loop – Loop Pile, Varied Height
Saxony – Luxury, Deep Pile Height
Velvet – Luxury Feel, Dense
Choosing the texture of your carpet can be based on personal preference or performance. If you like a soft and luscious carpet then you are best looking at Saxony’s; whereas, if you prefer a neat and low-lying carpet you are looking for a twist or loop texture.
5. Colour Matching
Carpets are often the last thing considered when redecorating and therefore you may need to consider the new colours and tones of your room when choosing the right carpet for your room. It is always a good idea when choosing colours in our showroom, to bring a swatch of some of the colours you have in your room so that you can narrow down your options and pick a carpet that would either blend or contrast in a complimentary way to your room’s décor.
6. Samples
In-store we have over 1000 different carpets and we would always recommend that when your choosing your dream carpet you take home samples of your top favourites. Your opinion of them may change when they are placed in your room at home as the lighting in your home is vastly different from the lighting we have in our showroom; which can make the carpet look a different colour. Furthermore, the surrounding furniture and décor of your room may suit one carpet better and make your choice a little bit easier. It’s also a good opportunity to let family or friends help with your decision.
7. Underlay- Out of Sight, But Not Out of Mind!
Underlay is a padded barrier that lies underneath the carpet and provides a wide range on benefits including: support, comfort, insulation, noise reduction, hygiene and longevity. There are several types of underlay, some of which are recommended to enhance certain carpets or to suit different floor types. For example, if you are planning on putting carpet on a concrete floor then we recommend that you use a crumb rubber and felt underlay as this adds extra support.
Paying a little extra for a better-quality underlay will increase the lifespan of your carpet as well as feel much more comfortable underfoot!
8. Carpet Fitting- It’s Not as Easy as You May Think!
When considering the costs for your new carpet you must consider various fitting option that are available to you. At Gillies we pride ourselves on providing a quality service and our carpet fitters are a testament to this; all of out fitters are highly skilled trades men who fit carpets to a very high standard. Different fitting options available include standard fitting which is based on a completely ready and empty room, premier fitting whereby no furniture is present but existing floor covering needs removed and recycled, or our ultimate service where we can more your furniture too.
9. Only Buy from A Carpet Foundation Member
All carpet foundation retail members operate under a consumer code of practice meaning that even once fitted we will take care of any concerns you have about your new carpet. It Is not easy to become a member of the carpet foundation as you need to show a professional, quality service and products. However, you needn’t worry as Gillies have passed the test and been a member for a number of years.
10. Utilize Your Sales Person
All of our carpet and flooring sales specialists have had extensive training so they can answer any queries you have about any of our products. But most importantly our staff have valuable personal knowledge on what the best and most suitable carpets and flooring are and can advise you based on their own experience.
After all Kevin should know carpets pretty well after a brilliant 25 years’ experience!
