How to choose family friendly carpet
Choosing a family friendly carpet is such an important decision when finishing your home as it’s a big investment and something you won’t want to be changing regularly.
It can feel overwhelming with so many different choices from materials and weaves to tufted or polypropylene, however, with a little research, you’ll find yourself ruling out certain options, making it easier to choose the right carpet for you.
If, like us, you have a busy household maybe with children or pets, or you’re just searching for a carpet for high-traffic areas like hallways or landings, it’s worth considering a man-made material like polypropylene or a polyester mix. These are popular options as they are more durable (and budget-friendly) than a wool based carpet.
Polypropylene carpets:
Pro’s:
Budget friendly
Stain resistant
Most carpet cleaning products can be used to spot clean (check care instructions first)
Moth resistant
Available in loop, twist or saxony styles
Con’s:
Won’t hold it’s shape and density for as long as wool
Depeding on the style you go for it may not be as soft
It’s not made from a sustainable resource
Fewer colour options
Not as soft underfoot as wool or polyester
Polyester carpets:
Pro’s:
Very soft making them a good choice for bedrooms
Stain resistant
Can be dyed in almost any colour
Very budget friendly
Con’s:
Pile will flatten over time
Needs regular cleaning
Won’t last as long as wool or polypropylene
Can damage quickly under heat (so not one to put in front of your fire if you get sparks now and then!)
If you would rather go down the more traditional and natural route with a wool carpet, here are some factors to consider:
Wool carpets:
Pro’s:
From a natural and sustainable resource
Naturally fire resistant
Longest durability with natural ‘bounce back’ - it will look better for longer
Soft and cushioned underfoot
Con’s:
Expensive
Can be prone to moth damage
Not as stain resistant as man-made fibres and some stronger carpet cleaners cannot be used on wool
Absorb water/liquid more and can take longer to dry (risk of odours)
Colour can fade if exposed to a lot of direct sunlight
Now you know some of the advantages and disadvantages of each material, I hope it will be easier for you to choose which route to take when choosing your carpets. Other aspects to consider are the style and colour of your carpet, like whether you go for something with a fleck or a texture to it (hides marks and and specks of dirt more easily) or if you want to go for a solid colour which you may need to hoover more often.
If you have pets you will also want to avoid anything with a loop as claws can get stuck in it which will damage the carpet.
Nearly all carpet companies will now offer samples free of charge or at a low cost, so even if you have seen something you like in a showroom, please do order a sample to look at within your home. You can then move it from room to room, or place in different parts of the room where the light is different and study them during the day or at night time under artificial light.
If you have a small room to carpet (which you don’t mind not matching with the rest of the house) it’s always worth ringing around to see if anyone has any off-cuts available at a discount. Not only does this save carpet from going into landfill, but it will save you some pennies too.
And lastly, it’s always best to get your carpet fitter to measure up the space. It is a very expensive mistake if you order the wrong sized carpet so it’s best to leave it to the professionals as they will ensure you get the least wastage possible when it comes to making the carpets fit - especially if it’s for multiple rooms.
If you’d like anymore information regarding choosing and buying carpets, I recommend The Carpet Foundation which is a hive of knowledge on this topic.
FAQs
What carpet have you gone for?
I chose the Primo Textures 100% Polypropylene carpet in Pale Linen from Cormar Carpets (pr product). It has a loop to it so doesn’t show up every speck of dirt which I love. It didn’t feel super soft when first laid but has definitely softened over the few weeks we’ve had it.
Top tips for maintaining clean carpets with kids?
No blu-tac! No slime! No food! These are my hard and fast rules but apart from that I try and be fairly relaxed as it’s our home not a show home. As it’s polypropylene, it is easy to spot-clean and we also have a Vax carpet cleaner too.
Where did you get the threshold bars/carpet plates from?
These were sourced by our carpet fitters - sorry! I just asked for something simple and brass and I’m really pleased with the ones they have used as they have a lovely slim profile.
How much did the install cost?
For 4 bedrooms it cost £1200 (Hampshire March 2024) however about £500 of that was for the new underlay. We took the old carpet to the tip ourselves to save a little money but they ripped it up (which you could do yourself to save more money.)
