Carpets

Carpets are a hugely popular preference of flooring, especially in rooms of the house where comfort is important, like living spaces and bedrooms. Carpet refers to a variety of flooring in which a material is either woven or tufted to a backing cloth. Carpets can be purchased in a large range of colours and designs to complement any style of interior decoration, as well as in a wide variety of different types of fibre and piles. Some of the more popular examples of fibre materials include the artificial fibres polypropylene and nylon, and the natural fibres wool, sisal, or jute. These types of carpet are normally available in short or deep pile and can be made by using a variety of manufacturing methods, such as twist, Saxony, loop pile, Berber, cut and loop, or velvet. Carpets may be found in patterned, plain or striped designs. All of the diverse types of carpet are scored according to their performance and how successfully they stand up to different amounts of traffic. They are usually specified to be either medium domestic, meaning bedrooms or studies, heavy domestic, specifying living and dining rooms, and very heavy domestic, suitable for utility rooms or hallways. It is always recommended to fit carpet with a layer of underlay underneath, as this can increase the appearance of the carpet, as well as extending its life and providing better sound and thermal insulation.