Carpet Buying Guide - Still the King of Floor Coverings

Carpets are still the UK’s favourite floor coverings, despite the expanding choice of flooring.  97% of UK homes have some carpets; and current figures show that carpets account for about 60% of flooring sales, much greater than any other country in Europe (Carpet Flooring Retail, 2007).

Carpet has clear advantages over other floor coverings: it is comfortable, warm, quiet, slip-free, easy to look after, quick to install or replace, and available in unlimited styles and colours.  It will last for many years, as long as it’s been selected well, professionally fitted with modern carpet underlay, and looked after properly.

Buying carpet is a major expense, so it’s very important to think clearly about what your room needs as well as what you like the look of.  Before you set out for the carpet store, make sure you’ve thought about these questions.

• How much wear will your carpet get?  Stairs need heavier wearing carpets than bedrooms, and your kitchen will get far more use than the bathroom.
• What’s your budget, and how long does this carpet need to last?  Always buy the best carpets you can afford, and remember the cost of proper carpet underlay and professional fitting.  Buying cheap carpet is a really false economy.
• What are your decorating plans?  Have you got a colour scheme in mind?  Take some samples of wallpaper, paint and fabric while looking at carpets.  Do you want a natural colour that blends in, or a dramatic one that reflects your personality?  (Bear in mind it’s going to be there for YEARS – some quirky rugs might be better!) 
  
  Remember that lighter colours will make a room seem larger, but will also show more stains; cool greens and blues have a calming effect; reds, yellows and browns produce a warm atmosphere. 
• What style and design do you want?  Wool carpets are the most popular, both soft and hard-wearing; 80% wool/20% nylon or polypropylene mixes are extra durable.   Good quality nylon carpets can look as luxurious as wool, and are stain-resistant. 
  
  Twist piles, loop pile, berber, cut-and-loop and velvet are all available – but don’t be blinded by science!  Describe your ideal carpet in everyday language – ‘dense’, ‘thick’, ‘springy’, ‘soft’, ‘easy to clean’, ‘no electric shocks!’ is the sort of language that a good carpet store will translate into exactly the right carpet for you.
• Have you got the right measurements?  It is a good idea to get your room measured professionally, to avoid unnecessary expense or awkward joins. 

There are a lot of carpet stores to choose from.  It’s worth looking for a specialist soft furnishings store, so that you can see carpets and rugs in their natural environment – with chairs, curtains, lights and so on -  in room settings that might give you new ideas for your own house.  They will have fully trained, expert staff to advise you.  These stores will provide you with carpet samples, so you can see them in your own home.  They will also have quality carpet underlay.

If you’re based in South-West England or South Wales, it’s a short drive to a Cheltenham store that’s likely to have the right carpet for you.  S.Rouse & Co have been furnishing homes in and around Cheltenham since 1938, and are unusual because they design and make furniture to your exact specifications. 

It’s an ideal place for buying carpets, rugs, curtains and fabrics as well as made-to-measure sofas and chairs, all at competitive prices.  They provide “everything you have ever dreamed of and at a price you can believe in.”

Browse our website now.  There’s an online enquiry form as well as our phone number and address.  We’re easy to find in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.