HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR CARPET

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29830, 24 May 1962, Page 9

HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR CARPET

Tr.t perplexing variety of weaves, textures, colours and prices can make the purchase of a new carpet a bewildering task unless you have the right knowledge to guide you. With it. choosing a carpet from the right range to suit your h me can be enjoyable experience.

The first consideration is the amount of wear the carpet will have to stand. The price of carpet is closely tied to its wearing qualities. With the experience of two centuries behind them, carpet manufacturers are able to build these wearing qualities into a carpet to stand up to the amount of usage they will receive in your home.

To put a light-grade carpet into a dining-room or hallway where it will have

to bear heavy traffic is poor economy, because it was not built to stand the wear. Within a few years you would be faced again with the heavy cost of recarpeting the area.

In a bedroom or a spare room, the same light carpet would retain its good looks for two or three times as long. To put a heavy-grade carpet, built for heavy use. in the same room would le spending money need-

If you buy a carpet that is clearly graded according to its wearing qualities, you know you are making a g iod investment in your

Do not be confused by such terms as “Al Axminter." which are often 1 osely applied, and give no indications whatever of the wearing qualities of the ca rpet.

What are good carpets made of? New Zealand carpet manufacturers are in the fortunate position of

having unlimited supplies of seme of the world's best carpeting wools at their fingertips. Wool takes dyes in soft, glowing, permanent colours. It is resistant to soiling and crushing, and has the "comeback” of natural fibres: and there is nothing to match the feel and the warmth of wool.

Synthetic fibres are often blended with wool in carpets to give good use in the medium-price, medium vear range, but for a heavv traffic area a woollen carpet is the answer.

In considering design, first think of where the pattern interest in the room should go—carpet, upholstery. curtains or wallpaper. Pattern is practical and an aid to easy care, so use it wisely. In a home with a family, a carnet will take a lot of hard wear, and a pattern will maintain its appearance longer under these conditions. Plain or textured upholstery would then be selected to contrast, or tone, with the colours through the carpet pattern. Harmony

In a traditional home, one of the curl-pile colour or two-tone carpets could be teamed most happily’ with the designs to be found in linen, chintz, cretonne or brocade Here a carpet is needed which will form a perfect background for cherished furniture and here is an almost unlimited range of new and traditiontai designs from which to choose. For a contemporary home, one of the new Dalton effects may enhance the atmosphere of casual living. The colours and texture- of Dalton carpets are designed to harmonise with the warm colours and functional lines of contemporary furniture and architecture.

A caret is an investment in your home, and an important one to you. With a little knowledge and understanding you can ensure that it "grows old gracefully" and gives little trouble.

First, remember that soft floor coverings are textiles. They are made from many of the fibres used for clothes and often too much is expected of them. They should be kept clean and dry. Remember, too. that the combination of direct sunlight and salt-laden air is subjecting them to the most rigorous conditions. Weaving Wear in flooring is often confused with loss of appearance. All soft floor coverings sooner or later acquire a surface soiling which simply cannot be avoided. This dulls colours, reduces pattern and gives t.he appearance of fading. With pile carpets another natural factor is the gradual crushing and matting of pile, which also reduces colour pattern. Both these processes are far less noticeable the more colour and pattern there is. The secret of maintaining the apnearance of a carpet is regular cleaning. Carpets should be vacuum cleaned daily to remove the dirt and grit which acts as an abrasive in the pile. Occasional shampooing by experts will restore the appearance and give the carpet a new lease of life.

It is impossible to say accurately how long a carpet will last, but it is not evading the issue to say that, like friendship, this depends on how you treat it! The same wool pile carpet could last a growing family 10 years, an adult family 20 years. Quality—ot wear—is in the closeness of weave, depth of pile and fibres used, so the more you spend on flooring, the longer wear you will get.