I have been asked this question many times and my answer is always the same... So I hope that if your are thinking about buying a new carpet, this may be of interest.
Obviously it all depends on budget, the old saying 'you get what you pay for' is very true. WATCH OUT, I've found most of the big carpet retailers will price a certain item at 50-70% more than it is worth in order to bring the price down to it's correct value in their MASSIVE DISCOUNT SALES! I haven't seen many carpets sold for lees than they are worth, so please bear this in mind when you are comparing prices.
So, bearing in mind you can't stretch to the highest quality carpet, I'll answer with a good middle range item that is very practicable for the average family.
- Go for an 80/20 Twist Pile. (80% wool / 20% nylon)
- The highest weight you can afford. - This is how dense the pile is - the heavier the better. They are measured in Oz per Sq-Yrd. So, 30 oz per sq-yrd is the lowest quality, 60-70 oz per sq-yrd is very good quality. 40-50 oz per sq-yrd is a good average to go for.
- Avoid plain White, Off-White's or cream colours etc... you can get very nice pastel colours like greens, blues, Burgundy's, reds etc that still look very bright and modern. If you want to be un-modern but very practicable, choose a patterned carpet!
- Have your carpet protected with a stain guard treatment and a stain guarantee if you can get it. - I visit so many homes that have just had a new carpet fitted and a cup of hot drink has just gone all over it!!! It happens... If you didn't do this, contact me and I can arrange/recommend a very good stain protection treatment.
Kevin Goodwin
www.directcleaners.com
