Today's wide range of textures and colours make carpet an effective design tool. Showcase a room with casual simplicity or formal elegance depending on your personal style. Compared to many other flooring solutions, carpet is also one of the most affordable flooring solutions around.

You need to make sure you're choosing a carpet that will maintain its appearance, performance and overall value. Here are some elements of carpet you should understand before purchasing:

Types of Carpet

Loop: Loop carpets have a continuous, uncut surface that resists crushing and matting.

Cut: The loops of a cut-pile carpet are cut to expose the yarn ends. A bright fibre will show footprints more than a mid-bright because of the difference in colour between the ends and side of the tuft.

Level Loop Pile: Loops are the same height for an informal look in high traffic areas.

Multilevel loop pile: Two or three different loop heights to create a pattern effect.

Cut and loop pile: A combination of cut and looped yarns. Great for textured, sculptured effects.

Fibre Comparison

Fibre is the building block of any carpet, its basic ingredient. The type of fibre used and the way the carpet is constructed will finally determine how well the carpet will stand up to spills, pets and daily traffic. There are four basic types of carpet pile fibres:

Nylon: The most popular carpet fibre because of its exceptional durability, versatility and pricing.

Polyester: This fibre is soft to the touch and is an excellent choice for many residential applications.

Olefin (Polypropylene): This fibre is naturally stain/fade resistant. It is favourably priced for both indoor and outdoor applications and resists static electricity. Due to its relatively low resistance, olefin should be used in low-traffic areas only.

Wool: Wool is a natural fibre with moderate soil and stain resistance. It is a more costly application but provides a beautiful appearance.

How do I decide on colour and style?

• Dark colours make a room appear smaller and more intimate.
• Light colours show soil more readily than dark. However, dark shades show lint.
• Tweeds, pebbled textures and patterns also disguise spills and dirt effectively.

If you need further help, visit one of our stores. Our salespeople can explain the relative merits of different carpets and help you to choose the best one for your home.