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Carpet
Buying a carpet can be a big challenge for many people as they do not understand the different types of carpets available, and almost everyone in the past has had the experience of going into a carpet store and being greeted by a high pressure salesman. Because of this experience many people are frightened to go any further than a plain beige carpet, and even then it is often not a pleasant experience when you are faced with hundreds of confusingly similar carpets and a salesman that you don't have trust in.
At Dickinsons we ensure that our team are there to listen to you first and foremost, and then using their knowledge and experience to genuinely give you impartial advice as to the best solution for your requirements. As a recognition of this approach, Dickinsons are one of a select number of retailers in the country to be awarded Carpet Foundation Registered Specialist status, which means that we abide by an OFT-approved code of conduct, on which we are regularly independently vetted.
Dickinsons can supply all of the top brands of carpet including Carpet 1st, Brintons, Axminster of Devon, Ulster carpets, Cormar carpets and Crucial Trading.
Top Ten Carpet Tips for your best approach to buying a carpet
- Consider which room the carpet is for, and how much wear it will receive.
Carpets come in many different wear grades and weights, so if you are going to lay carpet in a heavy traffic flow area it will need to be of a suitable quality. - Buy new underlay.
Even underlays come in different materials, thicknesses and densities. Regardless of which one suits your requirements, a new underlay will prolong the life of your carpet by up to 40% as well as giving you added comfort under foot. An old underlay will have become compressed and will not deliver these benefits, so it is a false economy to try to re-use existing underlay. - Get your room professionally measured.
Carpets come in standard factory widths that then have to be cut to fit your home. Having your home professionally measured will not only pass the risk to the retailer, but could also save you money as a professional estimator may be able to re-use wastage off one room to use in another area. - Consider how much you want to spend
Many people get hung up on the price per metre of the carpet and forget to include the gripper, underlay and fitting. It is the on-the-floor price that is the most important financial consideration. - Matching the carpet to your existing fabrics and furniture
Too many people forget to consider how everything will look together in their room. Take fabric samples and furniture samples (for instance a drawer) with you when you go to look at your carpet choices. - Are you looking for a plain carpet, a patterned carpet, or some inspiration?
If you have a patterned fabric sofa or patterned curtains, you will need to be careful not to choose a patterned carpet that may fight with them. If you have a plain sofa an plain curtains then you can be more adventurous with your carpet.
If you are unsure, that why you need to come to Dickinsons for some impartial advice and inspirational ideas! - Consider how long you want your new carpet to last
If you are looking to buy a carpet to enjoy living with and to last for many years then you should buy a carpet that is appropriate. If you are going to sell your house in the next couple of years and simply want to make it look fantastic in the short-term, then yo can buy a lower quality carpet to fulfil your needs. - Ensure that you see a sample of your chosen carpet in your home before you buy
It is vital that you see the colour (and pattern) in your home before you buy, because the natural light in your rooms will not be the same as looking at carpet samples in a retail store under fluorescent lights. Ask to take a sample home or for the estimator to bring samples out with him. - Always have your carpet fitted by a reputable, professional carpet retailer.
It is a false economy to buy a good quality carpet which can then be ruined by poor fitting. Buying from a retailer you can trust will ensure that even if there are rare occasions when things go wrong, you can rely on the retailer to come back and put things right. - You will get the quality of carpet that you pay for
Some people will pay lots of money for a beautiful new sofa but then put down the cheapest carpet they can because "it is only for walking on". Good carpets are soft, tactile and beautiful, but if you buy a very cheap carpet you will not enjoy living with it, and it can spoil the whole look of your room.
The Carpet Foundation Registered Specialist Code of conduct
Dickinsons are Carpet Foundation Registered Specialists, and abide by the following OFT-approved code of conduct for your peace of mind:
Key Features of the Code
The Code of Practice approved by the Office of Fair Trading incorporates the highest retail selling standards and gives you absolute reassurance when purchasing a carpet from a Carpet Foundation Member.
The key features of the Code are:
- It applies to all carpet sold by a Carpet Foundation Member (excluding rugs)
- Written terms of business must be given prior to the purchase
- Consumers who cancel an order "on reasonable grounds" should not be penalised
- Verbal estimates of the cost must be supported by a written quotation which will show the total cost
- All deposits are protected so in the unlikely event of a business failure, the order will be fulfilled without loss of the deposit
- Free extended 2 year guarantees are provided by Carpet Foundation manufacturers for manufacturing faults and pile reversal
- There is an agreed complaints resolution process and timetable
- A free conciliation service is provided by the Carpet Foundation
- Low cost arbitration is provided
- Carpet Foundation Members are regularly monitored to ensure they do deliver the right service
- There is a non compliance arrangement to deal with those retailers who breach requirements of the Code
