Carpet Ratings
Information Guide

These days, there is a carpet type available for every different area of your home.

I really think that a carpet in the bedroom is a luxury no-one should do without. Sinking your cold toes into a gorgeously warm, fluffy carpet is such a good feeling.

Fluffy luxury is right for the bedroom, but in kitchens, hallways and stairways you will need something much more hard wearing and practical.

It's not always easy to work out which carpet is best for your needs - there is such an array out there.

So, have a look at this basic carpet ratings information guide, to give you some very useful hints and tips, so you will know what to look for when you go out shopping for your new carpet.

• Wool carpets are considered to be the best quality carpets - but they are more expensive.


• Cheaper alternatives usually have a mixture of wool and synthetic fibres. To be honest, you can hardly tell the difference, and they are very hard wearing.


• Don't worry too much that your synthetic carpet might end up ugly, shiny and full of static - modern carpets are much better quality now, than they used to be.

The Pile

• The pile is actually more important than the fibre, when judging the look and feel for carpet ratings.


• Carpets can be 'tufted' or 'woven'. 'Axminster' and 'Wilton' are both types of 'woven' carpet.


• In general, tufted carpets are less durable than woven pile.


• To see if the carpet you are considering is good quality and will be hard wearing, try this quick and easy test, and do your own carpet ratings!

  Fold a sample of the carpet (fold with the two sides of backing facing each other).

  You should not be able to see the backing of the carpet through the folded pile, if it is good quality.

The British Carpet Classification Scheme

The British Carpet Classification Scheme classifies floor coverings as to their durability and 'hard wearing-ness'.

These are the categories of carpet ratings, with guidance on which rooms they are suitable for:

• Light Domestic -- Suitable for bedrooms
• Medium Domestic -- Suitable for light traffic only - dining room or well-used bedroom
• General Domestic -- Suitable for living rooms
• Heavy Domestic -- Suitable for hallways and stairs

Carpet Ratings Guide for Underlay and Backing

• Foam-Backed Carpet -- Supposedly, foam-backed, or rubber-backed, carpets do not need a separate underlay. They are seen as a reasonably cheap option, and even fairly good quality foam-backed carpets tend to be quite thin.

  This means they will soon show up any imperfections in the flooring underneath, or even just the lines of the floorboards.

  It is certainly worth laying sheets of brown paper, or even newspaper, down first, whether or not you decide to use a separate underlay.

  This will help to stop dust and grit working its way into the carpet, and will help will stop the rubber or foam backing from sticking to the floor.



• Hessian-Backed Carpet -- This is considered to be better quality than foam-backed carpet.

  It needs gripper rods, and a separate underlay, to be fitted properly.

  (It is usually a good idea to get a professional fitter in too, who can stretch the carpet properly and attach it securely to the gripper rods.)

  Once you have put the extra effort and expense in, to purchase and fit a hessian-backed carpet, you will usually find that your carpet is much softer and more cushioned underfoot.

Jane asks about hessian-backed compared to felt-backed carpet

• Carpet is ideal for bedrooms, hallways, stairs and living/dining areas. Do consider carefully before deciding to put carpet in kitchen or bathroom areas.

  Even if you use the special, water-resistant types of carpet, your carpet may always seem dirty, and cleaning will be more of a chore.

  Carpet in the bathroom is certainly not seen as the modern way to do things these days, so consider using flooring instead.

  Why not install underfloor heating if you are worried about getting cold feet?



• Always make sure you obtain a sample of your chosen carpet, that you can take home to check out the color and feel of it in your own home, and against any existing (or new) furnishings.

  Remember that colors can look very different in the shop, than how they might appear once you have got them home. Once we bought a carpet that looked a 'rust' color in the shop - when we got it home and put it in the bedroom, it actually looked pink!



• Consider a new rug to liven up your flooring. It can break up a large, plain expanse of floor or carpet, and can really warm up a wood or laminate floor.

  Choosing a rug to match your decor can really make a neutral flooring work with your current home decor scheme.

  Pick fluffy, textured rugs in areas where you want to feel relaxed and cosy, such as in the bedroom or in the living room.

  Pick a flatter, hard wearing rug for areas that receive more traffic, such as hallways, also for areas that might need regular cleaning, such as in a dining room.

  Use sticky, non-slip pads under your rugs, if you are worried about them slipping, or gradually creeping around your room.

I hope this carpet ratings information will be useful to you, as you shop for a new carpet.

It is not the most exciting part of the interior design process, that's for certain, but if you take your time to choose a carpet that is of good quality, and of a fairly neutral color, it can form the back-bone of your interior design schemes for years to come.

Have you considered a real wood, or wood effect, floor instead? Read this laminate vs wood flooring, information guide.

How about tiles? Or vinyl flooring? Read tiling and flooring information and advice.

Why not try something very new, hardwearing and totally versatile? Have a look at this concrete flooring idea - concrete is not just for outdoors these days!

Return from this carpet ratings info guide page to the main flooring information page.





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