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Flooring Guide: Carpet



Carpet is normally bought in widths of 3.66 metres – referred to as broadloom metres. In this website pricing is shown in square metres to help you compare with other floor coverings, which are also priced in square metres to keep things simple.

As a guide, carpet normally costs between $40 to $100 per square metre to fully install. And like most other durable purchases, the more you pay, the better the quality and the longer the product will last.

At Flooring Xtra you will also be spoilt for choice. We source our carpets from New Zealand's best known manufacturers - Cavalier Bremworth and Godfrey Hirst , and all the leading carpet brands. We also stock the latest  imported carpet fibres and styles.  




CARPET STRUCTURE


CUT PILE

Cut pile carpets are made by cutting the tops of the loops so the pile stands upright with an even smooth surface. They give a very soft, luxurious look. It is the most popular style of carpet purchased.

LOOP PILE

A loop pile carpet is made by forming a loop in the thread. This style of carpet is hard wearing, durable and doesn’t tend to show tracking (footprints) as you will often find with other carpet styles. Loop twills are made by blending different colour yarns, making them better for wear with high traffic.

TEXTURE

Texture carpets are a type of loop pile carpet. Usually made using a single colour, carpet manufacturers continually work on developments to maintain a contemporary look for this type of carpet. Designs range from high and low thread ups, to level loops.

CUT & LOOP

Cut and loop textures, or level loop and cut pile are carpets which have a combination of cut and loop pile. They often have a very fine and luxurious finish giving a prestigious finish to living areas.












warm in winter

cool in summer





















carpet technology

has come a long way













CARPET GRADINGS


Carpet Gradings are a useful guide to let you know the quality of carpet you are buying, but you have to be careful in making comparisons. Gradings are usually either Medium Duty, Heavy Duty or Extra Heavy Duty. If you have stairs look for a stairs grading on the carpet.




NATURAL WOOL & WOOLRICH CARPET


Wool is a natural carpet fibre. In many quarters it is regarded as the best quality fibre to make carpet. These carpets are warm in winter and cool in summer and bounce back well from foot traffic.

Wool is a preferred choice environmentally due to it being a natural fibre and therefore decomposes better when recycled. Wool is also naturally fire retardant. Also when you buy a wool carpet , the chances are you are supporting our local carpet manufacturers - Godfrey Hirst , Feltex , Cavalier Bremworth and Norman Ellison Carpets.




NEW TECHNOLOGY CARPETS


Carpet technology has come a long way. Non wool carpets are completely synthetic, for sufferers of asthma or allergies, these are a real help. This new style of carpet offers a plush luxurious feel, in a highly contemporary product. Feeling is believing! Plus stain and fade resistance are second to none!


SOLUTION DYED NYLON

Solution dyed nylon carpets have superior anti–stain characteristics, are extremely fade resistant and the piles do not shed, which mean most manufacturers back them with extensive warranties. Anti – static features are common in most solution dyed carpets, and yarn memory ensures cut pile fibres hold their twist and appearance for longer.

PET POLYESTER CARPETS

These carpets use recycled plastics - plastic bottles, making better use of our natural resources. The fibre tends to have deeper and richer colour holding its appearance for longer. It is also has a luxurious handle and is resistant to water soluble stains. The yarn is great for asthma sufferers




ECO CARPET

Derived from natural corn sugar, the polymer in our eco+ carpet places less reliance on non-renewable resources than other synthetic fibres and generates less greenhouse gas emissions to produce. The fibre is commonly known as triexta yarn.

A world first for residential homes, only eco+ carpet combines this polymer with ColourSmart dye technology. This provides new levels of stain, wear and colourfast performance plus enriched softness. Available in a range of the latest colours and styles! The fibres are usually very soft to touch.You will find the latest triexta yarn carpets manufactured by Godfrey Hirst and Feltex in our stores.




CARPET CHARACTERISTICS


 

Shading:

Cut pile carpets, particularly those that are plush or near plush, may develop lighter or darker areas depending on the angles from which they are viewed. This phenomenon is generally referred to as “Shading” or “Watermarking”. The causes of shading are not understood and it cannot be accurately predicted or prevented. Shading does not affect the durability of the carpet and is not caused by the manufacturing or installation process.


Textured Carpets:

It is common to find that the texture lines (both up and down and sideways) may be slightly irregular. These irregularities are not a manufacturing flaw, but appear naturally in the production of these products.
 

Cut pile carpets:

particularly “plush pile” will in some circumstances show the condition known as “Shading , Watermarking or Pile Reversal”. This condition is characterized by random light and dark patches appearing some weeks after installation , caused by permanent reversal or bending of the carpet pile fibres with consequential different light effects. It can neither be predicted nor prevented. It does not affect the wear or durability of the carpet. It is beyond the control of the manufacturer and is not recognized as a either a product defect or a manufacturing fault. Tracking is caused by imprints left in the carpets , primarily from feet walking on the carpet . This is not a defect or manufacturing fault, but an inherent fibre characteristic. Most carpet styles and textures show some effect from pile flattening or a change in pile lay due to frequent walking or other forms of traffic. You are advised to consider these characteristics before purchasing.
 

Carpet Seams:

In order to properly install your new flooring cutting and seaming are quite common. Today’s heat-bond seams are very strong. The thickness if this tape may cause seams to peak by 2-3mm, but this will settle down over time as the seam beds in to the underlay. Our installers pride themselves in making these seams as inconspicuous as possible, however as with all products installed in lengths such as formica or  wallpaper no seam is entirely invisible.