Why is my carpet not exactly the same colour as my sample?
Your carpet was specially ordered for you and is likely to be from a different production batch to the one the sample was taken from. Slight variations between batches are normal and must therefore be expected. We regularly check carpets against the samples to ensure that each batch is a satisfactory match and within the legal tolerance. As well as batch variations, differences may be due to different lighting or the effect of the surrounding décor in your home, or it may simply be the effect that is common to all carpets which makes them look slightly different according to the angle from which they are viewed
Why does my carpet appear to have shaded areas?
The sides of the tufts of your carpet appear a lighter, more silvery shade than when they are viewed end-on. As the pile settles lighter and darker patches will develop where the pile angle varies according to the amount of use each area of the carpet is receiving. It is quite common for the pile to settle in a different direction to the normal pile lay if the foot traffic bends it this way and this can make the contrast very noticeable (sometimes making the patches appear to have distinct borders). This is why the shading is sometimes referred to as “pile reversal”, but this term is only used to describe what has happened and does not indicate that the carpet is faulty. The angle of the pile has no effect on the durability of the carpet and we are confident it will continue to give you many years of satisfactory service.
I already have underlay, why should I buy new underlay?
We strongly recommend the purchase of new underlay with any new carpet because it will give the best comfort and performance, and will also prolong the carpet’s life. Reusing existing underlay will cause the carpet to flatten more quickly in the areas of heaviest wear because the underlay will be less resilient in these areas, and these are the places where the carpet needs the most support.
Why has my carpet got flat patches?
Flattening occurs in the areas which receive the heaviest use. This is perfectly normal and we are pleased to say that your carpet is not faulty. Carpets will always flatten after use and this will show where the carpet gets used more in some areas than in others. Flattening is not wear and is not a defect.
Why is my carpet molting?
The pile yarn of your carpet is made from short lengths of fibre which are spun together to form the rope-like yarn. Whenever this is cut some of the ends of these fibres will be too short to be held in the yarn and over time these will come loose and be picked up during vacuuming. Although the volume of these loose fibres may seem alarming they are only a small fraction of the total fibre weight of the carpet pile.
We recommend the use of an upright vacuum cleaner with beater bars for all cut pile carpets as these agitate the pile and allow the loose fibre to be removed more quickly than with a suction-only type cleaner. You cannot over-vacuum a carpet, and in fact the shedding will appear worse and for longer if an inefficient or suction-only cleaner is used.
You can see footprints on my carpet, is it faulty?
Footprints and compression marks will show where the pile has been disturbed.
The reason why your carpet shows these marks is firstly because the extra-long, luxurious pile will inevitably bend during use and secondly because the sides of the pile appear to be a much lighter colour than when it is viewed end-on. The random disturbance of the pile during use will give corresponding light and dark patches depending on the angle of the pile in relation to where you are standing. This characteristic is an inherent feature of this type of carpet.
