Common carpet FAQs with Carpet Mill

Colour. Type. Weight. Density. Pile height. Cost. Environmental impact.

Choosing the right carpet for your home can be overwhelming. Carpet Mill understands; they work with homeowners asking the same carpet-related questions every day of the week.

If you’re in the market for carpet, chances are you have questions too. Carpet Mill representative Sam White is here to answer some of the most common questions when it comes to choosing the right carpet for your home.

What’s the most important thing I should consider when choosing carpet for my home?

White says performance should be at the top of your carpet wishlist, and that depends on several factors.

“Before you say ‘yes’ to a particular carpet, set the scene first,” White says. “How much foot traffic do you have in the house? Do you have kids or pets? Are you buying carpet for a home you will live in or a rental? What’s your budget? Each of these answers, and others, will determine what you need in a carpet.”

What carpet options are there?

The most common carpet types are nylon and wool, and which one you choose will be determined by the performance you’re after.

“Nylon performs well because it’s strong, stain-resistant, and UV treated so it won’t fade like other fibres, but wool is slightly warmer and naturally fire-retardant,” White says. “Nylon is a continuous fibre so it doesn’t shed like wool, and it’s not susceptible to carpet beetle like natural fibres can be. Which one you choose ultimately comes down to the performance you’re looking for.”

How do I make sure my carpet will last?

If you want your carpet to last the distance, it needs to withstand the pressure of feet walking all over it all the time.

“The best carpet for high-traffic areas is one that’s low and dense,” says White. “The lower the pile (or its level of fluffiness), the less it will show tracking and fading (the marks where people walk through the house). The denser it is, the closer the fibres are to each other and therefore the stronger they are when they work together.”

But doesn’t a longer, fluffier pile feel more luxurious?

“You have to choose what your priorities are,” White says. “A long pile might feel nice, but because the strands in the carpet are long and loose, it will flatten really quickly and lose that fluffy appeal you bought it for in the first place.”

What’s the best carpets for pets?

If you have animals that shed lots of hair, White suggests choosing a colour that matches your pet.

“There’s nothing worse than having lovely white carpet that’s covered with black dog hair,” he says. “Make life easier for yourself by choosing a carpet that won’t show up pet hair as much.”

White also suggests investing in a good quality vacuum cleaner with a high-quality turbo head remove more pet hair from the carpet and keep it in top condition.

What’s the best carpet for allergy sufferers?

Wool is naturally hypoallergenic which is good news for asthma sufferers. But White says a good synthetic carpet can perform well too.

“There’s a misconception out there that wool is the only option for people who suffer from allergies. In fact, synthetic carpet doesn’t fluff up like natural fibres do, which means the fibres aren’t always in the atmosphere, making a nylon carpet a valid choice too.”

What’s the best carpet for garage floors?

More and more people are choosing to install carpet in their garages, which White says is a great way to create more room in a house.

“A garage is a large space that is often underutilised,” he says. “Carpeting your garage lets you create another space that could be used for things like a gym or a space for teenagers to relax away from the rest of the family.”

White says it’s important to choose a good quality garage carpet that has been UV treated and is a good dense weight. And no, you can’t use the same carpet that’s in your bedrooms.

“Garage carpet is made from propolene which repels moisture and rot. You could put a sheet of garage carpet outside in the rain for a month and it would still look like new, but if you did the same with regular carpet it would suffer from significant moisture damage.”

How do I make an environmentally friendly choice?

Wool is a natural fibre that’s sustainable and biodegradable, but nylon can be an environmentally friendly choice too.

“Carpet Mill uses type-6 solution dyed nylon which can be regenerated rather than simply recycled, giving it an infinite life,” White says. “Waste product is sent to an offshore carpet regeneration plant where it is broken down into raw material then turned back into carpet, ready to be rolled out in another home.”

What’s the deal with carpet underlay?

Underlay gives your carpet the cushioning it needs to feel comfortable underfoot. In fact, White says your underlay is almost more important than your carpet.

“We always say you should upgrade your underlay before you upgrade your carpet, because it’s a cheaper upgrade for a better result,” he says.

Make sure you know where the underlay has come from too.

“Carpet Mill uses underlay that’s made from recycled bedding and textiles which is a much softer and superior product. Other imported underlays are made from packaging which means they’re not as sustainable or comfortable underfoot.”

What should I look for in a carpet warranty?

A warranty will generally cover the manufacturer’s faults and defects. But White says it’s less about what in the warranty that’s important and more about what’s excluded.

“Exclusions are what end up biting homeowners,” he says. “For example, many warranties say you have to have your carpet professionally cleaned every year – which no one does – so then when it comes to claiming damage on a legitimate manufacturer’s fault or defect, they won’t replace it.

“It’s also often hard to figure out what’s covered and what’s not. Many warranties are 30 or 40 pages long, written in complicated language, so it’s easy for consumers to miss something. At Carpet Mill, our warranties are one page long, written simply, so you know exactly what’s included and what’s not.”

Choosing the right carpet is one of the most important decisions you’ll make when building or renovating a home. For more information about Carpet Mill and to book a free national onsite measure and quote, visit carpetmill.co.nz or call 0800 255 855.