Tops Tips on Buying Carpets

Here are our top tips on buying carpets. You don’t buy carpet very often and you will walk on it every day, so it is worth ensuring you buy what is right for you. We recommend you think about:

The room A bedroom, for example, takes far less wear than a stair carpet.
Your colour scheme Are you matching the carpet to a particular scheme?  What is your future decorating plans?
Longevity Is it a quick fix or do you want it to last a long time?
Your budget How much can you afford? Don’t forget to include the cost of fitting and underlay.  Carpet is like most things in life – you get what you pay for.
Plain or patterned A plain carpet gives more flexibility for the use of patterns elsewhere in the room. Patterned carpet provides more colour options.

Other important things to keep in mind:

Measuring the room Leave it to an expert! Doing it yourself you could end up ordering too much or too little.
Samples of carpet Use samples to actually see the carpet you like in-situ with natural lighting etc.
Underlay Just as you wouldn’t buy a new car without new tyres, so you should always buy new underlay with new carpet.
The fitting of your carpet Fitting is a skill – and there is no such thing as ‘free fitting’!  All carpets should be fitted in accordance with BS5325, the British Standard for the installation of textile floor coverings.
Buy from a Carpet Foundation Member Service and ‘back up’ are all important. All Carpet Foundation Retail Members operate under a Consumer Code of Practice approved by the Trading Standards Institute.
Keep the remnants and off-cuts They can be used as doormats in doorways and you never know when they might be useful.