Why Choose Carpets as Floor Coverings?

Carpet is one of the most practical, fashionable and versatile choices of flooring, and accounts for more than half of all flooring purchases that are made each and every year. The benefits derived from selecting good quality carpets in any type of application are many: what other type of floor covering will provide sound insulation, underfoot comfort, energy savings, a safe, non-slip floor, and be easy to clean and install, with good wear and non-allergenic properties, while still providing the consumer with the flexibility for individual creative design?

Surface

Adding carpet to a room can disguise any existing damage to the floor and also hide any other problems such as warped floors. The thicker density the carpet, the more problems it will be able to hide.

Sound Insulation

Noise pollution in houses can have a serious effect on the wellbeing of all its users and in this respect a fitted carpet plays an important role virtually eliminating impact noise through sound absorption. The benefits of noise reduction can be felt throughout the house. In particular, in flats and on first/second floors when noise of hard flooring can be heard most by people on lower floors.

Carpet works to dampen noise in three ways:

1. Reduces surface noise from foot traffic.

2. Absorbs airborne sound.

3. Blocks transmission of sound.

The use of carpet enhances sound absorption, and the conduction of impact noise can be reduced by up to 30dB, as opposed to comparative values for smooth floorcoverings which lay between 5-15dB.

Comfort

Carpet is the best choice you can make for your bedroom, family room, and other areas where you need warmth and comfort underfoot. Unlike hard surfaces, carpet can keep you comfortable if you decide to sit or lay down on it.

Safety

Safety covers two aspects – reduced slippage, especially when wet, and a decrease in stress on joints. Carpet offers a slip resistant surface that will prevent accidents, along with a natural cushion in the event of someone falling. For young children and the elderly, this is very important. The soft resilient fibres of a carpet provide a cushioning effect and excellent orthopaedic properties.

Energy Saving

Both carpet and carpet padding will provide an extra layer of much needed insulation between the floors of your home. Carpets can make a measurable contribution to retaining the warmth in a room and therefore saving energy. Carpets have low heat conduction and are natural thermal insulators creating a heat barrier.

As a result, as much as 10% of the heat in a room which would be dissipated with smooth floorcovering is retained in the room by the carpet.

This, combined with the outstanding underfoot comfort of a carpet, can result in a considerable reduction in the use of heating in the transition from a warm to a cold season. It has been estimated that up to 30 days heating can be saved, resulting in an energy saving of around 4-6% and a consequent reduction in heating bills.

Health

Allergies due to carpeting are unknown. The myth that carpets promote dust-mite allergies is untrue, because these are attributable to the faeces of the house-dust mite - the actual allergen itself. Bedding and bed linen contain up to 70% more house-mites than carpets. Regular vacuuming and cleaning, together with adequately ventilated and dry rooms, means that it is virtually impossible for a carpet to contain, entrap or transmit allergens.

Research has proven that carpet can improve the quality of air by trapping allergy causing dust and allergens if it is properly cleaned and maintained. With their superb dust-trapping properties, carpets are conducive to a healthy living environment. Dust settles quickly and is then securely held by the pile fibres of the carpet until it is vacuumed again.

The dust is not disturbed by incoming air draughts, and this means that the dust content of the indoor air is kept low. This is particularly important since dust particles also act as carriers for germs, allergens and other air contaminants.

Flexibility

Carpet is the primary foundation in almost any room. Because it is available in a variety of different colours and textures, it helps to create an unlimited number of possibilities for decorating. From the rich solids to neutral tones, carpet is the first step you can take to make your home look better than ever.

Easy to Care For

The carpets of today are more stain resistant than they have ever been in the past, which makes cleaning even the worst spills easier than ever. No matter type of spill it may be, there is usually a way to clean it up.

Life Span

The carpets of today are very durable and can outlast most other types of flooring available on the market. All you have to do is select a type of carpet that has a life span of five - 30 years or more, which is very common nowadays.

Low Cost

Carpet doesn't have to cost a lot of money, as it offers an economical alternative to the other types of expensive flooring. Even with professional installation, you won't pay nearly as much as you would for hard surfaces.

Carpet Durability

Other than the fibre itself, there are three qualities of a carpet that will determine its overall durability. Together they contribute to the overall weight of the carpet. Heavier carpets tend to cost more, but will retain their appearance for longer than cheaper, lighter weight carpets.

Density

Density is a measure of how thick each yarn is and how closely the tufts are spaced. This may be measured in stitches per inch, and a greater density will allow the carpet to resist crushing. If you can see the backing when you bend the carpet, it has low density.

Twist

Twist refers to how tightly the filaments in each tuft of yarn are twisted together. This carpet quality is measured per inch, where the greater the number, the more twisted the yarn is and therefore the less susceptible the carpet is to crushing and matting.

Pile

The pile height, or nap, is the distance between the backing material and the top of the tufts of yarn. A deeper pile will provide a plush look, but is prone to crushing so that tracks can be left in the carpet. A shallower pile looks less luxurious but is firmer so will retain its appearance.

Choosing the Right Carpet

When you select a new carpet for your home, you have many things to consider and many different options to weigh up. Carpets are available in many different styles, textures and colours, although when you shop for your carpet, you should attempt to buy the greatest quality carpet you can get for the money. One test of quality is by looking at the density of the carpet: the thickness and closeness of the pile, and of each specific strand of fibre. The closer the fibres are to each other, the better the overall quality will be. Push your fingers into the rub or bend it to see if you can feel or see the mesh. The less you feel or see, the better the quality of the carpet. The density of the pile will affect how the carpet will wear, while the cut of the pile will affect how the carpet looks.

Another consideration you'll have is the colour and patterns of the carpet. Light carpeting colours help to create a spacious effect, making the room appear to be larger. Light colour carpets will of course, show much more soil than dark colours. Your choice will also depend on the room it will be used in; for example, a hallway carpet will need to be much more hard-wearing than a bedroom carpet.