News
Wool Week
Wool Week is nearly upon us, the focal point of the Campaign for Wool, the brainchild of HRH Prince Charles. Designed to reignite the UK’s love affair with ‘all things wool’ it is now a global phenomenon. With the patronage of HRH, it does, not surprisingly, get a lot of publicity during Wool Week. Stunt driven, this year’s activity includes a bike ride around London and an Interiors Exhibition at Southwark Cathedral. Quite what the strategy behind the Campaign is remains unclear - a series of ad hoc stunts would appear to be...
read moreCarpets In The Media
Keeping carpets in the media is one of the key objectives of The Carpet Foundation. This is the way we can ensure that carpet remains on the radar for consumers and does not become the Cinderella of household goods. Having said that, the value from appearing in the press comes from appearing in the ‘right’ and most ‘appropriate’ press. For us in the carpet industry, that is home interest magazines and ‘interiors’ sections of the national press. This is what people interested in their homes read. It may not be what retailers...
read moreCarpet Cleaning
Regular carpet cleaning keeps your carpet looking better for longer . When the inevitable spills and accidents do occur, don’t panic but act quickly. The sooner a spill is tackled, the less chance of a lasting stain. Always blot and never rub a spill. Work from the outside in. Solids should be scraped up. Apply cleaning agent to a cloth – never directly onto the carpet. Carpet care treatments used should be Woolsafe approved Dry a spill with a hair dryer. Your new carpet should be maintained regularly and we suggest you vacuum at...
read moreCarpet Underlay
Underlay is vital for a new carpet to sit properly and wear evenly It improves the feel of the carpet underfoot and helps with that ‘luxury’ feel It increases heat and sound insulation and can reduce energy costs It reduces pile compression and so enables a carpet to retain its appearance for longer Noise insulation. Acoustics are considerably improved with carpet and underlay while impact noise is reduced New underlay can increase the life of your carpet by forty per cent Just as carpet may wear more in certain areas, so does the...
read morePlain Or Patterned Carpet
Plain or patterned carpet? The choice is entirely yours! Plain carpet is safe and will suit any room or decorating style. It also gives you greater flexibility with wallpaper and soft furnishings so can be easier to build schemes around. Using the same colour throughout does give a feeling of space and link rooms. Plain carpets come in just about every hue. Deeper colours create a mood of intimacy and sophistication while lighter colours make a room feel airy and spacious. While most of us have plain carpet, there are a wonderful...
read moreCarpet Fibres
How carpets look and perform depends largely on the fibres they are made of. When it comes to carpet fibres, wool has long been recognised as the best. It is soft and warm, resilient, naturally flame retardant and doesn’t ‘ugly out’, so looks better for longer. It is also an environmentally friendly and sustainable fibre and is biodegradable. It is often blended in an 80/20 or 50/50 mix with other ‘man made’ fibres to enhance performance. Synthetic fibres tend to be cheaper than wool and are certainly hard wearing although...
read moreTypes Of Carpet
There are essentially two types of carpet sold in the UK - Tufted or Woven carpet. Tufted carpet is much quicker and easier to make. Imagine a very large sewing machine – and you have Tufting! It is suitable for all types of yarn and you can make a variety of finishes. The overwhelming majority of carpet sold in the UK is Tufted. A Woven carpet can be either an ‘Axminster’ or a ‘Wilton’. Axminster carpet is predominantly patterned with unlimited colour potential. Wilton tends to be plain but can use up to 5 colours. The...
read moreCarpet Styles
There are a variety of carpet styles and surface texture options available, all of which affect the appearance, feel, and importantly, performance of your carpet. By and large, the more luxurious the surface, the more care it will need. Shorter pile usually wears better than long pile carpet but is not as luxurious. It all comes down to personal taste and room usage. The most common styles are: Twist Pile Carpet – These carpets have a coarse, rugged finish. Velvet Pile Carpet – Have a smooth luxurious appearance, rather like...
read moreRoom By Room Carpet Guide
Bedroom Carpet In the Bedroom, there is nothing like getting out of bed and your feet touching the warmth and comfort of carpet rather than chilly floorboards. It is a very personal space and you can do what you want here. i.e be unashamedly decadent; be sophisticated -the choice is yours! In terms of wear, it is the room that will take the least so you can save money here. A bit of carpet buying advice here is that if, for example, your preferred carpet comes in more than one weight, you don’t need to buy the heavier weight as it will not...
read moreTypes Of Carpet
There are essentially two types of carpet sold in the UK - Tufted or Woven carpet. Tufted carpet is much quicker and easier to make. Imagine a very large sewing machine – and you have Tufting! It is suitable for all types of yarn and you can make a variety of finishes. The overwhelming majority of carpet sold in the UK is Tufted. A Woven carpet can be either an ‘Axminster’ or a ‘Wilton’. Axminster carpet is predominantly patterned with unlimited colour potential. Wilton tends to be plain but can use up to 5 colours. The...
read more