What is the best type of carpet?
When you’re considering purchasing a carpet there are some questions that you need to ask yourself first. Once you have answered the below you’ll be able to browse carpets and make an informed decision on what will work best for your home.
- Do you have a budget?
- Who will be walking on the carpet?
- What is the purpose of the carpet?
- Is it in a high or low traffic area?
- What looks and feel would you prefer?
There are a few other things that might interest you when purchasing a carpet. We’ve put together some information below.
Why choose a carpet?
It might be that you’ve still not completely decided on which type of flooring you’d like for your home. Whilst laminate has some great properties, here are the things we love about carpets:
- Great for soundproofing. Dogs and children can make a lot of noise when running around on hardwood floors. Carpets soften the noise and stop a room from becoming echoey.
- Adds a non-slip surface, especially useful on stairs to stop it from being slippery. Also really useful for pet owners so that their pets don’t skid around the house.
- Less likely to damage an object when dropped
- Easy to put over uneven surfaces, it can disguise the problem a lot better.
What pile should you choose?
Pile is where describing the individual fibres when making a carpet. In general, short, dense, heavy carpets are more durable and hard-wearing than loose shaggy fibred carpets. You can test a carpet’s durability by pressing down on the carpet and seeing how quickly it recovers.
Shaggy, soft and luxurious carpets are fantastic for rooms with less traffic but make the room feel exceptionally comfortable
What’s the difference between woven and tufted carpets?
The difference is in how they are made. Woven carpets are labour-intensive and therefore cost more, while tufted carpets are easier to make and are therefore cheaper.
1. Woven carpets
Woven carpets are made using traditional methods. These methods date back to the 16th century. They are generally high quality, rich coloured and durable. Woven carpets are often popular in hallways and living rooms because of the durability they can provide.
2. Tufted carpets
The more popular choice across the UK as they come in a wide range of prices. These are machine-made carpets and can be looped or cut pile. They are available in a large range of styles.
Types of carpet
- Saxony
Soft, deep, luxurious, cut pile carpets.
Popular in bedrooms and living rooms - Twist
Smooth, hard-wearing, durable carpets
Popular in hallways, high traffic areas and with pet owners - Loop
Hard-wearing carpets
Popular in high traffic areas - Berber
Hard-wearing and affordable carpets
Popular in hallways - Cut and Loop
Cosy and practical carpets
Popular in living rooms - Velvet
Dense, short pile, smooth and luxurious carpets
Further Info
To find out more about our types of carpet and to get some helpful advice from our friendly team please contact us.
FREEPHONE 0800 731 0953
Where We Offer Carpet Fitting
Our team is available in many counties including Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire and the outskirts of South West London (we do cover London and the whole of the South East of England depending on the scale of the project). Some of these areas include towns such as Banstead, Elmbridge, Epsom, Ewell, Guildford, Mole Valley, Newbury, Reigate, Runnymeade, Spelthorne, Surrey Heath, Tandridge, Waverley, Winchester and Woking. We have been established for over 50 years providing Carpet Fitting.
Main Coverage Area
Downs Carpets & Beds have a fantastic team of carpet fitters working alongside our in-store teams. Get in touch for a quote or visit one of our stores below for more information.
Explore our range of carpets, flooring & beds
Customer Stories
Once an order is complete we always encourage customer feedback. Here’s a selection of different projects and customer comments.
Flooring for complete house
We have used Downs in the past and once again the salesperson was very helpful, answering all my queries. The fitter was equally helpful and able to give knowledgeable advice for a future product. I highly recommend Downs as a local business.
Marian G
Carpet order
From the first enquiry to the fitting of the new carpet, we were warmly welcomed by friendly staff, which helped to make our choice and decisions easy. Carpet came much sooner that originally told but that was great as it meant we could get on with the other changes in the particular room. Many thanks for an excellent service.
Richard M
Kitchen/diner
Customer service is top notch. We have used CMS for all of our flooring requirements to date and will continue to do so throughout the renovation of our house.
Vicky B
Bedroom carpets
The sales team were really efficient and helpful, taking into consideration our requirements. The fitters worked well, efficiently and cleared up afterwards a real blessing. The choice of flooring was great and the prices very competitive. Recommend CMS carpets and would use them again. Thank you.
Karen P
The Downs Difference
At Downs Carpets & Beds, we stay true to our original core values. Take a look at why our customers choose us for their beds and carpets time and time again.
Free Measuring Service
We can visit you with carpet samples at a time to suit you. We will check your sub-floor, measure, plan and provide a free no-obligation quote.
Leading Brands
We aim to offer the largest choice of products at the very best prices, with all the leading brands of beds and carpets in one shop for your convenience.
Running For Over 50 Years
All Fitting Guaranteed
Every home or office carpet installation we undertake is covered by our one year Fitting Guarantee for complete peace of mind.
Specialist Expertise
We specialise in great quality carpets, flooring and beds at the very best prices, with friendly, knowledgeable staff to provide expert advice.
Speedy Fitting & Home Delivery
Most of our popular carpet, bed and flooring ranges are held in stock to ensure that we can offer competitive pricing and fast delivery times.
Our bespoke service
-
Design consultation: Working collaboratively with you, your designer helps you select the right products.
-
Technical consultation: We will conduct a technical survey, checking all measurements and any unusual angles.
-
Supplying the product: Your chosen product will be ordered and delivered to you in the time frames discussed.
-
Professional Installation: Our expert installers precision fits your product for an exceptional finish.
What Our Customers Say
James AvisonKev, Ash & Mark, our fitters, have been brilliant. Working at light-speed, they've been thorough, meticulous and professional. It's not every group of tradespeople that you'd be happy to recommend, especially in a predominantly female office environment but these three were respectful, thoughtful and good company to have around. We'd be glad to have them back and the quality of their workmanship is excellent. Thank you.
peter brunsdenExcellent job done, good price and very professional at all times. recarpet of first floor of period property, tricky job well handled. Highly recommended
Debbie AshworthI knew what I wanted when I went in and had the measurements as well. The person serving me was very helpful and we were able to get everything sorted easily.
Ian Fewtrell-SmithGood. There was a small hiccup but quickly resolved.
Carole HornerWe have found this company to be excellent with their service and with great recommendations for carpets in relevant rooms. So our latest purchase for lounge and 2 flights of stairs and landings. Process was well explained and nothing seemed too much trouble. The fitters were exceptional !
Yvonne HossackCarpets and vinyl lovely. Dave the fitter was so accomplished, he fitted the stair runner brilliantly. Both Dave and his assistant Andy were courteous and helpful
Katherine SingletonHi Simon, Thank you for getting all the carpets all sorted, you have been brilliant Simon, its been a pleasure and I appreciate you always being quick to communicate and answer any questions. I am very pleased I came back to you after 18 years! Stress free process and quality carpets and good honest prices! Barry the carpet measuring guy was prompt and has a nice friendly and polite manner. The fitters Kevin & Paul are nice chaps too. All in all a great team from start to finish. I wish all companies operated like you do. Well done and thanks again. Best Regards K
Yoshihiro SunbeamHad a superb experience when we went in recently looking for a carpet quote. Spoke to Simon and he was very helpful and accommodating, explaining how the prices worked and what the best underlay was for our particular situation. Would highly recommend if in the West Berkshire area.
Judith CursonVinyl for a small space fitted well and at much shorter notice than we expected
