CARPETS
Carpet Buying Guide
Capitol Carpets offer a wide selection of carpets from all leading manufactures, although with so many different options available choosing the right carpet for you can be overwhelming. With the help of our carpets buying guide below, as well as our knowledgeable and friendly sales team we can help you navigate through the choices and advise you of the benifits and limitations of different products to help you choose the best carpet option for you and your space.
Things To Consider
When choosing your new carpet you should take into consideration both practical and design factors when making your selection.
Practical Points to Consider
Carpet Fibers
– Which carpet fibers are going to be most suitable for your requirements? Which attributes and benefits meet your needs?
Carpet Tone and your Lighting
– What type of lighting do you have and how much natural light do you have in your home?
Carpet Styles and Designs
– Are flecked, heathered or patterned carpets going to be suitable for your home over a plain carpet?
Area and Room Usage
– What area or room of your home is your new carpet for? How many people live with you? Do you have pets? (Cat or Dog). How long you are planning on staying in your home?
Hoover Type
– Your hoover type do you have? Does your hoover have a beater bar or can the beater bar height be adjusted?
Moths
– Do you suffer from moths?
Budget
– What budget have you allowed for your purchae?
Design, Style and Aesthetics Points to Consider
Carpet Fibers
– Which carpet fibers do you prefer? Different fibers have different apperances.
Carpet Styles
– Do you know if you favour twist pile, saxony, velvet, loop pile, flatweave or natural carpet? How do you want your carpet to look?
Carpet Designs
– Are you looking for plain, flecked, heathers, stripped, herringbone, patterned, floral, tartan or geometric shapes designs? Are you considering a stair runner?
Carpet Colours and Tones
– What colours and tones are you interested and how will compliment your decor?
Different Carpet Fibres
Carpets are made of one, or a combination of these 5 different fibres. Polypropylene, Polyester, Wool, Nylon and Natural. All these fibres are hardwearing, however it is important to understand the different attributes of each fibre and how they perform with use and time so you can select the best option for you.
Explore the different carpet fibres available, their defining attributes and carpet styles they are available in.
Polypropylene Carpets
There are lots of different options of polypropylene carpets from budget to high end, as well as different styles. The common feature of all polypropylene carpets is they are bleach cleanable, which means you can use cleaning products that contain bleach chemicals which won’t change or take the colour out of the carpet, making them easy to care for, although always follow the care instructions for your specific carpet.
Polypropylene carpet styles include:
- Twist Pile
- Saxony
- Loop Pile
- Flat Weave
Polyester Carpets
Polyester carpets are very similar to polypropylene in terms of there appearance however will retain their shape better than polypropylene options. Some are bleach cleanable some are not. Polyester carpet styles include:
- Twist Pile
- Saxony
- Loop Pile
Wool Carpets
There are also lots of different styles and qualities of wool carpets. The main attribute of wool carpets is they retain there shape for longer than other carpet materials as they have a natural spring in then due to the wool content and will look better for longer. Wool carpet styles include:
- Twist Pile
- Velvet
- Loop Pile
- Flat Weave
Nylon Carpets
Like wool, nylon carpets will retain their shape better over time and as a result nylon carpets will maintain their apperance longest out of the man made carpet material options. Nylon carpets are also moth resistant being a man made fibre. They are not bleach cleanable. Nylon carpet styles include:
- Twist Pile
- Saxony
- Velvet
Natural Carpets (Sisal, Seagrass, Coir and Jute)
Natural carpets are made out of plant fibers and have a unique look to them. Please note at Capitol Carpets we only install Sisal and not any of the other natural carpet options. Natural carpet styles include:
- Loop Pile
Benefits and Limitations of the different Carpet Fibers
Below is a brief overview of the different carpet fibers attributes however its is important to note and read further about the different types of carpets and other variations and contributing factors towards the performance of each options.
| Polypropylene | Polyester | Wool | Nylon | Natural | |
| Price Point | Low to Mid Range | Mid Range | Mid to High Range | Mid to High Range | Mid to High Range (Fitting Costs are Higher than other options) |
| Flatterning (all carpets flattern with use and time) | Flatterns quickest out of all options. Will retain its pile for the shortnest period of time. However flatweave options have lowever tigher piles and flatterning is less noticeable. | Will retain its pile better than polypropylene. | Will retain its shape well over time, althought there are lots of different qualiaties. | Will retain its shape well over time. | Has a low pile so flatterning is less noticeable. |
| Bleach Cleanable? This means you can use cleaning products that contain bleach. Other options are still cleanable just with cleaning products suitable for the material. | Yes |
Yes and No. Some options are some arn’t. |
No | No | No |
| Moth Proof | Yes | Yes | It depends. Wool as a product is not moth proof, however many manufactures use different methods to create moth resitant options. | Yes | Yes |
Different Carpet Styles
There are lots of different styles of carpets all with their own unique apperance.
Twist Pile Carpets
Available in Polypropylene, Polyester, Wool and Nylon Materials
Saxony Carpets (Deep Twist Pile Carpets)
Available in Polypropylene, Polyester, Wool and Nylon Materials
Loop Pile Carpets
Available in Polypropylene, Polyester, Wool and Natural Fibers
Velvet Carpets
(Smooth finish twist pile carpet)
Available in Polypropylene, Wool and Nylon Materials
Flatweave Carpets
(Low Level tight loop pile carpet)
Available in Polypropylene and Wool Materials
Sisal (Natural) Carpets
Loop Pile and Flatweave
Available in Natural Materials – Sisal, Seagrass, Coir and Jute
Different Carpet Designs
There are also lots of different designs of carpets from plain to florals, each with different apperance and benifits.
Plain Carpets
A plain carpet is a solid colour with a clean and versatile apperance.
Flecked Carpets
A flecked, heathered, mottled, or two-toned carpet blends two or more colours to create a multi-dimensional appearance that helps disguise dirt.
Patterned Carpets
Currently the most popular patterned carpets are herringbone, although there are lots more different patterned carpet designs including striped, floral, tartan, plaids, geometric, motif, pin dot, spotted, animal print, abstract and spotted.
Carpet Accessories
In addition to your new carpet you should consider what accessories you may require.
Underlay – Underlay is laid underneath all carpet for cushioning & to increases carpet longevity. Underlay comes in different qualities & thickness.
Padfelt – A paper lining laid beneath the underlay to prevent dust particles travelling through the underlay caused by updraft & appearing as black marks on the surface of the carpet.
Gripper Rods – Wooden batons
Door Thresholds & Door Bars – Door bars are used to separate rooms & come in a variety of different finishes from anodised gold & silver to polished brass or chrome & can be used to separate different carpets, woods, tiles or any combination.
Click here for a list of manufactures & suppliers available through Capitol Carpets.
Our carpet shop is located on Beddington Lane in Croydon, where our showroom features hundreds of carpet samples from leading manufacturers. Customers can browse a wide range of styles, colours and materials in store, and our experienced team are always available to help you choose the right carpet for your home.
We supply and fit carpets across South London and Surrey, including Battersea, Wandsworth, Clapham Junction, Putney, Clapham, Wimbledon, Fulham, Chelsea, Tooting, Streatham and Richmond. From our Croydon branch we also cover Croydon, Sutton, Wallington, Beddington, Waddon, Purley, Epsom, Banstead, Ewell, Coulsdon, Addiscombe, Selsdon, Mitcham, Carshalton, Thornton Heath, Addington, Beckenham, West Wickham, Warlingham, Whyteleafe, Chipstead, Tadworth, Caterham, Worcester Park and surrounding areas of North Surrey.
We can supply and professionally fit your new carpet, with installations carried out by our expert fitters who have worked with Capitol Carpets for between 10 and 30 years. Their experience ensures every carpet is fitted to the highest standard.