Loop Pile Carpets: Selecting the Right Carpet for Your Flooring

Carpets are a good way to create that warm, vibrant and pleasant atmosphere in your home. However, to get the most out of these floor coverings, it’s best to choose them based on the use you have in mind. So, for instance, if you need a carpet for your hallway, you may want to consider a loop pile carpet. It’s hardwearing, and therefore more suited to high traffic areas.

However, before making a purchase for this kind of carpet, there are some things you should factor in:

Style

When purchasing a loop pile floor covering, you’re bound to come across three distinct types:

• The textured loop
• The level loop, and
• The multilevel loop.

Textured loops vary in height and create patterns resulting in the visibility being increased by certain colour variations. Also, the differences in the sizes of the loops determine the texture of the carpet surface. Similarly, the multilevel collections have varying loop heights, but the variations are more pronounced. On the other hand, level loop carpets have loops of equal height, which gives such carpets a relatively smooth surface.

Apart from the style, it's also good to take into account the density of the carpet, because this very much influences how good it will look and how long it will last.

An Underlay

Just like the carpet itself, an underlay is essential; so, it shouldn’t be overlooked. That’s why, when buying a carpet, it’s important to go for an underlay for carpet. The cushion plays a major role in the appearance and performance of your carpet. Once you put it underneath, it will not only help you achieve a softer and more comfortable feel, but it will also keep your carpet from wearing out, fast.

Maintenance

The texture and colour of the carpet you go for determines the level of maintenance that will go into it. For example, if you have small children or pets in your home, it’s probably best not to choose carpets with bright colours and patterns, as they will stain easily, which can mean regular, intensive cleaning that you may not have the time for.

In addition, you should also factor in the maintenance costs of the carpet. A higher grade carpet may cost more, but, they tend to give you a better and longer service in the long term, so you get more value for your money.

All in all, regardless of the quality, your carpet doesn’t have to cost you a fortune. With a little research and a firm idea of what you need, you can get quality loop pile carpets and underlay at great prices.

Five Top Tips for Garden Maintenance

If your garden is an overgrown jungle or a desolate wasteland all is not lost. Whether you are blessed with green fingers or you could kill cress, the following tips should help you keep an attractive, verdant garden without too much effort.

Gardening really isn’t rocket science and with the right gear and a bit of patience and attention, you too can create an oasis of calm and beauty outside your home. Read on and rejuvenate your outdoor area with our help.

1) Treat your plants to a trim
Leave your garden for months at a time and don’t be surprised if it has turned into a world of untamed triffids. The secret to a great looking garden is to trim little and often. This will encourage growth and keep plants in shape and in check.

2) Invest in appropriate equipment
If you don’t have the right equipment for gardening then treat yourself to a few items, such as a Stretch Hose for watering your shrubbery, some secateurs to trim back bushes and a garden fork to help with sowing seeds and keeping your turf in good health.

3) Let water flow
Irrigation is essential in any garden if you want it to be lush and green, rather than dusty and brown. This means creating a simple irrigation system if you have a sizeable garden – especially so if you live in a warm climate. With adequate water your plant life should thrive with relatively little attention paid to it.

4) Whack those weeds
Dealing with weeds as soon as possible is the best way to keep your garden free of these botanical pests. Pulling them by hand is recommended over chemical weed killer and if you keep a regular eye on your lawn, this shouldn’t take up much of your time. If the problem requires more than hand power, there are various weed killers available that could offer a satisfactory solution.

5) Make sure to mow high
Most people wait ages to mow their lawn and then give it a crew cut, chopping low on the grass blades. Rather than doing that just cut the tops off the grass for a denser lawn. And don’t bother with a grass catcher on your mower, just let the trimmings fall onto the grass.

5 Home Maintenance Tips to Save You Money

Keeping a functional and comfortable home isn’t cheap. There are utility bills, cleaning products can be pricey and then there is the cost of home improvements. But of course these things are necessary for a house or flat you can be proud of.

Thankfully there are a number of ways to minimise home maintenance costs, so read on for some money saving tips.

1) Rent tools that you won’t need again
If you need to use a large floor sander or a hammer drill for a DIY project, think about whether you are likely to use it again. If not, opt for tool rental rather than buying a pricey device that will probably just gather dust in your shed for the next 10 years. There are numerous tool hire companies offering an array of strange and wonderful things that could be very useful, but which you probably don’t need to own.

2) Buy appropriate vacuum bags
There is a huge variety of vacuum cleaner bags available for different brands and different models. Often people can’t find their particular bag at the local shop so simply make do with the nearest size they can find. This may seem like a good idea at the time, but using the wrong bag leads to your vac not working efficiently and means you will have to swap it before it is properly full, costing you money. If you have a Hoover, buy Hoover bags; if you have a Miele vacuum, buy Miele bags. They will save you cash in the long run and make sure that your device works as intended.

3) Save leftover materials
If you have assembled some furniture and you have a handful of spare screws or a few pieces of wood, keep hold of them. Collect all your unused home improvement materials and you will find that they will come in handy for future projects.

4) Get creative with unwanted paint
If you are left with half full cans of paint that you don’t want to use elsewhere in your home, consider whether they could be blended to create an interesting new tone. A gaudy orange and magnolia can create a soft sunset yellow, for instance. Of course you are limited by your leftovers: brown and red won’t combine quite as well!

5) Prevention is better than cure
Fixing up your gutters, cleaning your roof or trimming the ivy might seem like unnecessary work if there is nothing currently wrong with your home, but preventative measures like this can save you significant sums which would be incurred by not staying on top of your maintenance. A little effort now saves a lot of effort, and expense, later.

How to make your home more saleable

It seems that the housing market is finally on the up again so this could be an ideal time to prepare your home for sale. If you want to get the best price possible for your property you should take a look around it and think about how you could add value to it, and make it a more attractive prospect to buyers.

There are loads of ways to increase the value of your home with simple home improvements. Read on for our list of top tips.

Quality conversions

If you have a room in your home that is doing very little other than storing junk and gathering dust, you should consider a conversion. Converting a basement or an attic into an extra bedroom can add significant value to a home and will certainly make it more appealing to buyers.

Insulate your space, add carpets and attractive internal doors and you will start to see what kind of transformation is possible. Skylights and light tubes are also recommended to add natural light to cellars and lofts.

A lick of paint

A simple lick of fresh paint can make a big difference to the impression potential buyers get of a home when they look around. Neutral tones such as white or magnolia are the best plan, as people like to see a property as a blank canvas on which they can create their own style. So, to make your home more saleable for very little money get on your painters overalls and grab your brush and roller.

Fabulous flooring

Quality wooden flooring is another great way to make a home more attractive and desirable without incurring great cost. Bamboo flooring has a pale, natural appearance and looks great in any room or hallway, perhaps accented with a statement rug or two.

A gorgeous garden

To make the most of your property you should spruce up your garden too. Whether you have an expansive lawn or a snug patio you should make the most of this space. Do a little weeding, add some extra plants, hanging baskets and maybe a table and chairs if you don’t currently have one and viewers will see the potential of your outdoor area.

How to improve every room in your home

Home improvement is all about adding value to your home, and it really can if you know what you are doing. Revamping your property is a great way to make it more attractive, more comfortable and more appealing to buyers, if you are considering selling.

It is about making the most of where you live and to do this you should look at ways to improve each and every room. If you look hard enough ideas will strike you as to how you can make a bathroom more pleasant, a bedroom cosier or a kitchen fresher. For more inspiration, simply read on…

Living room

A living room can be upgraded with stylish furniture such as leather sofas, or for a more dramatic change you could add a fresh wall treatment. This could be a new coat of paint, kitsch flock wallpaper, wood panelling or crown moulding.

Kitchen

Kitchens have endless potential and what you do should be based on your taste, of course. Replacing a standard worktop is a great way to spruce up your kitchen. Simple stone gives a lovely finish, as does treated reclaimed wood if you are going for a rustic aesthetic.

Bathroom

A stunning bathroom must have a wonderful bath. There is nothing better than an extravagant freestanding bath as a focal point in your room. If you have the skills and the right tools you could plumb it in yourself and save some cash while creating a luxury bathroom.

Bedroom

While the bathroom is all about the bath, the bedroom should be focused around a fabulous bed. Getting out your toolkit will allow you to construct a flatpack bed and there are some very nice ones available. If you have a little more disposable income a solid wood sleigh bed would most likely improve your space considerably.

Cellar

If you have a subterranean space then add some extra lighting to make it more pleasant and appealing as a place to spend your time. Spotlights are a good idea in basements as they do not compromise what may already be limited headroom.

The list of things you can do to improve your home goes on and on, so embrace your creative side and add real value to your property.

Engineered Flooring in a Kitchen or Bathroom

One thing you don't see so often in the world of wood flooring is a wooden bathroom or kitchen floor, this finish is generally avoided for one simple reason.. moisture.

Despite the natural beauty of solid oak flooring and the durability a solid oak floor can offer it still has an inability to cope when laid into areas of high humidity as the natural wood can act a little like a sponge. This can in turn cause the floor to expand and contract as the moisture levels rise and fall.

Solid oak flooring when sealed correctly with the right finish can cope most admirably but in some cases mainly due to being poorly laid or badly finished, the flooring can let in moisture either through high humidity or when liquid is spilt onto the flooring.

What Makes Engineered Flooring Different?

To combat these problems engineered flooring is designed to keep the inherent natural beauty and durability of it solid oak flooring counterpart, while offering increased stability in bathrooms and kitchens. This is achieved by having a solid oak flake usually 4mm or 6mm thick as a top layer, laminated onto a thick multi laminated plywood backing.

Cross lamination of the ply gives the flooring its structural strength and greatly reduces the effect of humidity and moisture levels normally found in bathrooms and kitchens.

Engineered flooring can be fitted exactly the same as its solid oak flooring counterpart either by laying as a floating floor, nailing or glued down with flexible adhesive. It will give the same finish and feel to the touch, under foot and the difference won't be noticeable when comparing the look.

This post was provided by Heritage Doors and Floors LTD who are experts in engineered flooring and can take your flooring product from concept to completion, they can offer a wide variety of finishes to seal in the look of the floor which will provide a stunning canvas for any room including the once troublesome bathroom and kitchen.