Although flooring should be both practical and hard-wearing, we also want it to have the wow factor. There’s nothing like walking into a room and seeing beautiful hardwood flooring, or a stunning pattern. Here’s our guide to flooring that will never fail to impress.
Gorgeous natural wood
You’re always guaranteed the wow factor with a hardwood floor. This beautiful, warm flooring is an investment which will last you for a lifetime if you maintain it well.
Whether you want a traditional look or the on-trend parquet, hardwood adds both character and depth to any room. Choosing the species and colour allows you to get the perfect look for your home. Hardwood can be refinished up to seven times over its lifetime, which means you have the choice of altering it. When you have it refinished, you can change the colour if you would like something different to fit in with a change in interior decor.
Not only is hardwood a stunning, durable investment, it is also easy to keep clean. Hardwood floors even improve indoor air quality as they do not harbour allergens or dust.
If you buy sustainable wood, it is one of the best eco-friendly floors, as it is made from a natural material and has longevity. You can also buy reclaimed wood to be ultra sustainable, as it is has been used and repurposed. This tends to have real character, as it has a tight grain.
Another option is engineered hardwood, which is made with plywood and a top layer of solid wood. It is a very stable type of wood flooring which conducts heat well and can be used with underfloor heating.
See original image here…
Just as good as the real thing
If you don’t want to have hardwood in your house, or you want a lower cost alternative, luxury vinyl tile (LVT) is a fantastic choice.
This stunning flooring is incredibly versatile and hard-wearing. You can choose from a wide variety of design options from realistic stone or wood finishes (with the pattern of a wood grain), in herringbone, tile or plank formats.
LVT is slip and spill resistant, as well as scratch and water proof, making it an ideal option for busy family homes and bathrooms. It has a strong core which makes it durable and long lasting. Properly maintained, it should last up to twenty five years, giving great value for money.
Cleaning LVT is easy, as you can use warm water and liquid detergent. It doesn’t warp so it can be left to dry with no issues. This makes it easy to scrub clean and get rid of dust, dirt and allergens.
This is gorgeous flooring that is comfortable underfoot, keeps its beautiful finish and will stand up to family life over the years.
See original image here…
How to do open plan flooring
With an open plan house, it’s usually best to use different types of flooring for each area according to how it will be 
used. You can still have a great flow through the house, by choosing from the same colour family.
For example, you could have LVT or engineered hardwood in the kitchen for durability and hardwood in the hallway or study areas. The lower the contrast, the less the change between flooring types will be noticeable. It’s a good idea to use level changes such as steps to start a different type of flooring, especially if they are of varying thickness.
Bringing in some patterned LVT tiles in areas like the laundry allows you be even more individual. Make sure the undertones match the other flooring and it will flow perfectly. Natural stone tiles also provide a great contrast to wood flooring.
Flooring in neutral colours with plenty of texture is an easy way to make sure flooring in a open plan house both flows and looks amazing.
See original image here…
Whatever look you want to achieve in your home, we can help with all your flooring and carpet needs. Contact us here to book a free estimate with our friendly and professional Herts Carpets team today!
https://ift.tt/3s28EB2
soft, cushioned feel underfoot on a winter day.
Once you have your perfect carpet installed, you want to keep it looking and feeling like new. Carpet is easy to maintain with regular vacuuming, at least once a week. Make sure you have a vacuum cleaner with decent suction, so it has the power to suck dirt and dust out from the carpet fibres. Use a vacuum cleaner with a beater bar and/or brushes for a cut pile carpet, but for a loop pile carpet, you need one without a beater bar or brush.
idea to have a carpet cleaner and stain removers ready as well, so you can start dealing with the problem immediately. Make sure any cleaner or remover is suitable for your 
If you have wax on your carpet, scrape up what you can first with the edge of a blunt knife. Then place a clean white towel over the wax. Set your iron to a low heat setting and iron over the towel. This will melt the wax and it will be absorbed into the towel. You may need to do it a few times in order to get rid of all the wax.
There are plenty of tips online for dealing with stubborn stains. They are easy to find with a simple Google search, or try Pinterest or Instagram cleaning pages.
The first things to consider are what the carpet will need to stand up to. If you have a busy family lifestyle, young children and/or pets then you need a durable carpet that can keep its appearance without too much 
Synthetic carpets are the most popular on the market, as they are highly durable and often very budget-friendly. The most popular type of synthetic carpet is nylon, as it robust, resistant to stains and fading and also keeps its appearance and colour well. Ideal for a family environment, nylon is also crush resistant so it keeps its original look for much longer. It is also a great choice for allergy sufferers, as it repels allergens.
If a beautiful appearance with a 
loops.
don’t cost the earth.
for a lifetime and even add value to your home. Engineered hardwood is also a great choice, which is more stable due to its layered construction, so is also very practical for the kitchen.
and it is recyclable. Many manufacturers, like Ted Todd, use sustainably sourced wood from forests that are environmentally conscious, responsibly managed and socially beneficial. Check for FSC certfication, as this guarantees the wood is sustainably sourced. Not only is wood eco-friendly but it is also a great investment for any home and one of the most beautiful types of flooring.
environment. Wood is a great option, as it is not only a natural material, but because it is so long lasting and it can be recycled.
or PEFC certified, and they have been FSC
floorboards are taking a backseat as we make our space homely and inviting.
toxic chemicals and what it is made from.
design in 2022.
It has great insulating qualities so holds warmth in well, and it is soft underfoot. For workers who are on their feet a lot, this makes a real difference. Another important benefit of carpet is that is absorbs sound well, so reduces general noise levels. This is perfect for meeting rooms and open plan areas.
kitchens, break rooms and open plan offices as well as meeting rooms.
office. They are ideal for meeting rooms, lobby and reception areas that need to give a great first impression.
Use a 
have is right for your carpet, especially if you have a wool one.
plastic sheeting underneath the tree can easily be covered up with wrapping paper and will prevent any water getting into your carpet. You can buy a special Christmas tree mat to protect against water stains.
Synthetic fibres are manufactured using a variety of chemical compounds like nylon, polypropylene and polyester. It is a similar process for each, involving oil and natural gas.
which is usually made of 80% wool and 20% synthetic materials.
planks, which are laid in repeating patterns like squares, triangles and lozenges. Herringbone and chevrons patterns are the most common.
materials and melamine resin, an image layer and a transparent wear layer. It is both scratch and scuff resistant as well as being budget friendly, ideal for a busy family household.
friendly
lot more of this type of flooring. Patterns like hexagons and drips are gaining traction, as they give a great sense of character and individuality.
during the winter. It will warm up faster and keep the heat in better than any other flooring. The softness under foot also makes a big difference during the cold winter days and nights.
resistant.
waterproof as it is made without wood, so it can be used in any room.
This is one of the toughest types of flooring you can get. The wear layer is difficult to pierce, so it is very scratch and scuff resistant. Laminate flooring is the ideal choice for a busy family home, especially one with pets.
Laminate flooring is one of the easiest to keep clean. It is hypoallergenic, it does not absorb moisture so no mold or bacteria can grow in it.
finishes. Almost every type of hardwood species can be imitated, giving you a budget friendly, easy to maintain option. There is a variety of styles and colours including on-trend designs available, so you can find the perfect fit for your home.
Firstly, measure the length and width of the room in metres (carpet is almost always priced per square metre). Measure to the back of the door frame so you have enough carpet to fit underneath the door. Then multiply these numbers together and you have the square footage of the room.
buying a new carpet. They can take care of everything for you, saving you the time and worry.
If you want a natural look but at a lower cost and with the added advantages of being waterproof and scratch resistant, LVT is the ideal flooring.
usually of limestone or PVC, mixed with plasticisers to give added protection and strength. As the tiles are laid next to each other, they need to be installed correctly to make sure no water can seep through the seams. They can last for decades as they are so resilient.
LVT flooring works in every room of the house, as it is both comfortable and warm underfoot and quiet. It is resistant to moisture, heat and scratches, so is a great choice for bathrooms and kitchens. It’s also ideal for the conservatory as it is slip and spill resistant, making it safer for coming inside in bad weather. It gives you the option of a real wood look without the cost or maintenance, or a stone look without the cool feel underfoot.
This flooring is resilient, low maintenance and waterproof, so it’s easy to