How to Keep Your Floor in Good Condition

Posted on: 21 December 2020

When installing new carpet in your home, you'll need to consider the various colours, piles and textures to pick the best flooring to match the decor and handle the traffic. To help, consider the following tips.

Room Lighting and Proportions

Carpet offers a wide range of colours in both light and dark shades. Don't forget to factor in the room dimensions and brightness when going for a pale or deep hue. In a compact room or one lacking natural light, lay a pale colour to create a sense of space and light. A dark carpet tends to make the opposite effect, tending to visually shrink a room so that it feels cosier, which may be what you're after in a big area.

Samples

Remember that colours appear differently depending on the light quality and strength in a room. Even natural daylight changes at different times, bathing rooms in a warm golden glow as evening approaches. Thus, to get an accurate picture of how the carpet will look in a specific place, make sure to take samples home before the carpet installation and see if you still like the effect during both day and night.

Wear and Tear

Also factor in the traffic when picking the carpet colour. If children and pets live in the home, choose a dark, multi-toned, or patterned carpet that will help to hide dirt. A pale colour such a light grey, though, will do the reverse and highlight any grime, so such shades are best for rooms or homes without children or pets. Mid-tone coloured carpet lies in the middle of these two extremes. Ask yourself whether you're after a more serviceable or luxurious carpet.

Mood and Atmosphere

Also, consider the mood that you want to create in a particular space and how the carpet will contribute to the effect. Cooler blues, greens and neutrals evoke an ambience of calm in a bedroom or living space, for instance, while oranges and reds give off energy, ideal for children's rooms and TV dens.

Loop and Cut Pile Carpet

You can also pick from various textures when selecting carpets, which generally classify as a loop, pile or a combination of both. Loop pile carpet forms as the fibres loop through the weave creating hard-wearing surfaces. Cut pile carpets have had the top of the loop trimmed, leaving the edges of the fibres facing upwards. Plusher carpets have longer fibres, such as frieze a modern form of 70s shagpile. Cut and loop textures can also combine in the one carpet, to create textured patterns.

For help with carpet installation, contact a local flooring contractor.