Carpet Buying Guide
As a well-established carpet retailer of over 95 years we understand how important your choice of carpet is for your lifestyle and selecting the best option can be a daunting task. That is why we have built up a strong portfolio of leading brand suppliers to ensure that when our customers make their decision they have all the help they need to get it right first time!
Our trained staff will be there to take the stress out of it, offering expert advice on each carpet we sell to ensure you make the best choice to last you for the years to come.
To help you get started see below our customer buying guide and don’t forget you can book your free at home estimate service at any time with the following link - Booking Free Estimate
Room by Room Guide
When selecting your carpet, it is important to consider what room it is to go in. This can affect what carpet style and texture you opt to go for.
Living Room Carpet
The Living Room, as the name suggests, is often the ‘hub’ of the household so, here a hard-wearing carpet is needed. However, it is important to maintain an element of warmth and softness underfoot as this is one of the main rooms in the home for relaxing. A deep pile or twist carpet will work well in this room as they offer a good balance of comfort and practicality. We would suggest either an 80% wool / 20% nylon mix or, if you have a young family then stain resistant polypropylene might be the answer.
Dining Room Carpet
The Dining Room is often the focus of much effort and expenditure as a showcase room for hosting diner parties but equally it can be the centre of regular family meals. For this reason, the choice is entirely yours when it comes to the carpet – plain, patterned or loop pile. We would recommend selecting from one of our stain-resistant carpets to help safeguard against any accidental spillages with wool rich carpets being some of the easiest to clean.
Bedroom Carpet
In the Bedroom, there is nothing like getting out of bed and your feet touching the warmth and comfort of carpet. In terms of wear, it is the room that will take the least so you can have less focus on selecting a practical carpet and may not necessarily need to buy the heavier weight as it will not be subjected to heavy wear. Naturally we spend a lot of time bare foot in the bedroom which is why you can allow for a more luxuriously soft feel. So be unashamedly decadent; be sophisticated – the choice is yours!
Hallway, Stairs and Landing Carpet
The Hallway, Stairs and Landing are the highest wear areas within the home and are subject to the greatest amount of footfall. A more practical hard-wearing carpet is the obvious choice but also consider incorporating a pattern or stripe to contrast against a contemporary plain. This is a clever and practical way to add interest to a functional area. We would recommend a wool rich carpet for these areas as this offers the greatest durability.
Bathroom Carpet
It is a common misconception that you cannot have carpet in the Bathroom. With a wider selection of carpets than ever before we can cater for every room. Like the Bedroom it is another area of the home where we will often be barefoot, so a soft, plain carpet will help create a warm inviting space.
Carpet Styles
There are a variety of carpet styles and surface texture options available, all of which affect the appearance, feel, and importantly, performance of your carpet.
Shorter pile carpets will be best in heavy wear areas and keep their appearance for longer whereas longer pile carpets will give the most luxurious finish.
Twist Pile Carpet
These carpets are hard wearing with a coarse, rugged finish. Particularly suited to areas of the home with heavy traffic or equally suitable for family homes.
Velvet Pile Carpet
Have a smooth luxurious appearance, rather like suede while maintaining a low pile. This carpet works very well in bedrooms or living rooms due to its exceptionally soft and cosy texture.
Loop Pile Carpet
These replicate the look of natural flooring such as coir and sisal. We would not recommend this carpet to customers with pets that have long claws.
Saxony Carpet
Has a deep pile with a pronounced sensuous feel. This carpet has always been extremely popular for bedrooms and living rooms due to its beautifully soft texture underfoot
Carpet Design
By now you should have an understanding of the area in which the carpet needs to go and also the carpet style that best matches it. So, time for the fun part, picking your design of carpet!
The three choices to begin with before selecting your colour are Plain, Pattern or Stripe. There is a wide variety of options within each design so whichever one you choose it can be adapted to fit a traditional or contemporary look.
Plain Carpet
Plain carpet is safe and stands as the most versatile of all the designs. It will give great flexibility when piecing together your décor, whether you go for a neutral tone or add a dramatic colour to lift the room, the choices are endless. Top Tip: Using the same colour throughout will give a feeling of space and is a nice way to link rooms.
Patterned Carpet
A patterned carpet can provide a distinctive look to your room and add new character which you never thought possible. There are a wonderful variety of patterned carpets, from small scale well defined designs to larger scale geometrics and plaids and tartans.
Striped Carpet
Striped carpet is a very popular choice, particularly in hallways and on stairs. Stripes can introduce a dynamic design to your living space and, on a practical note, make a small space seem larger. They also co-ordinate well with plain carpet. Top Tip: Striped carpets are ideal for well walked areas as they can conceal dirt and wear better than any other design
Underlay and Flooring Accessories
The final piece of the puzzle but one of the most vital is to select a good quality underlay to accompany your carpet. Underlay will enhance the lifespan of your carpet reducing wear and tear, it will also provide an even softer feel to your carpet and give you the best possible result when fitted. In addition to underlay Ward Brothers also provides a selection of carpet grippers and door bars for that finishing touch.