There’s nothing like the feel of carpet under your feet – particularly in the bedrooms and the lounge room. Not only is carpet is a practical and stylish flooring option, it’s available in countless colours, blends and textures. Carpet is a natural choice for reinvigorating a room.

Carpet also provides comfort and insulation unlike other flooring options, which makes it a popular choice with many. Choosing the right type of carpet for your home, office or commercial setting is crucial to getting the most out of your investment.

What carpet grade will suit my family’s needs?

Some carpets are graded for their suitability for different applications. Carpet is also available in a variety of fibres and blends, which determine the overall quality of the carpet.

Sometimes, the most expensive option will not be the best choice to meet your needs. For instance, a person living alone in a small city townhouse will have different flooring requirements to that of a large family with a number of young children.

Medium Duty: Suitable for lounge and living rooms with light traffic flows (i.e. not suitable for households with lots of children).

Heavy Duty: Ideal for anywhere where there is a heavy flow of traffic. Suitable for hallways, lounge and living rooms for families with up to 2 – 3 kids.

Extra Heavy Duty: Designed for lots of traffic. Use in hallways, busy living areas. Also suitable for some commercial offices and shops.

We like to get down to the nitty gritty – here’s some info on carpet fibres

Carpet can be made from a variety of fibres, or blends of fibres. Each fibre has its benefits, for instance wool carpet is long-lasting and environmentally friendly, while nylon is stain resistant. As with carpet strengths and grades, the traffic and nature of use of the room(s) you wish to carpet will determine the type of carpet needed. Below is a brief description on the types of carpet fibres available.

Wool, a natural fibre, has been cultivated to meet the demands expected of a floor covering. The superior attributes of wool ensure it is a safe, resilient and long-lasting product. Furthermore, wool’s ability to accept dyes and its subtle luster combine to create unparalleled appeal to the eye and underfoot. Wool is a luxurious fibre, naturally non-flammable, non-abrasive and environmentally friendly.

Nylon is a tough, hard-wearing material. All nylons are treated to incorporate stain resistant properties, colourfastness and long-lasting wear. This will vary depending on the manufacturer and brand, and can be identified by looking at the sample labels or by asking your Andersens sales staff for more information. Nylon yarn varies from premium to commodity, and white to solution dyed. These variations also impact on the performance of the carpet reflected in the warranty terms.

Typically Wool Nylon blends feature 20% nylon, 80% wool. This union combines the durability of nylon with the softness and resilience associated with wool. The main benefit achieved by Wool Nylon blends is the extension to the carpets wear life.

Polypropylene is a closed-cell fibre and cannot absorb moisture. Consequently, this provides superior stain resistance, as any spilt liquids or solids are not absorbed into the fibre but merely sit in the pile for quick and easy cleaning. Additionally, this fibre is more colourfast than white nylon and is an extremely durable carpet fibre. However, it is not as resilient as wool or nylon so does tend to flatten in high traffic areas. Choosing a correct construction with polypropylene yarn is vital if you are to retain the carpet’s attractive appearance over the long term. Advice from a professional is very important.

The traditional benefits of polyester carpet are the softness to hand (or feel) when used in thick cut-pile carpet, the wide variety of bright, clear colours available and the resistance to water based stains and soil.

The best way to find about what carpet is going to suit your needs is to talk to an experienced flooring consultant who can advise which type of carpet is best for your application.

Remember, a carpeting consultant at your nearest Andersens store is trained to help you identify which carpet is suitable for you, so call or drop in at any time.