CARPETS: Anyone bought a LOOP carpet and wish they hadn't?

[culturemulcher]

We're replacing almost all the flooring in the house. I like loop carpets but the three quotes we've had done have all said that loop carpets aren't very hard wearing and that we should go for twist ones, especially on the stairs and landings.

We've also been told that the best possible carpets are 80% wool, 20% man made, rather than 100% wool... but we can't seem to find an 80% wool loop, just either 50% or 100%.

hmmm.

Anyone got any experience?

and I don't even LIKE carpets

ive got berber- loop in my ds room- 3 years and it still looks like new
ive got twist on stairs ,only because i have a dog -which might pull it,

That's good to know, wfrances as one of the ones we're eyeing up is a berber.

I've been advised that loops aren't great for stairs - we don't have pets but I'm still a bit worried. Not sure if I'm brave enough or if we should do what you've done and go for twist.

I wanted to get a loop carpet but was told the threads could be pulled by the hoover (if you have a very overzealously strong one like my dyson) and if that happened there was nothing that could be done to fix it other than a new carpet so I grudgingly chose a twist one. Although this was for the playroom and so we were looking at cheap carpets - I'm not sure this would happen in higher end loop carpets.

80/20 wool nylon is one of the most popular and hard-wearing carpets, I'm surprised you can't find one.

But "twist" is used in synthetic carpets, especially polypropylene which is very hard-wearing, to help the fibres stand up and not get flattened. Look for 80/20 "cut pile" and see if you like it.

You can have a look in big chains like Carpetwrong but I have been very pleased with a small independent who has a small warehouse and not much of a showroom, who mostly supplies trade fitters and people who do refurbs. He tells me you can get a good 80/20 or a cheap 80/20, though. I got an 80/20 Wilton for the hall, landing and stairs in one of the better grades.

Thanks piglet. I'll take a look at cut pile rather than twist. I'm going for as high a grade as I can afford - at least 32 but 40 if possible, and we've been getting in quotes from a local indep., carpetwrong (love that) and a more high end shop.

I don't seem to be able to find an 80/20 loop carpet anywhere - not sure they exist.

We have berber loop in the living room, been down 4 years and looks like new with reasonably heavy traffic. Its 100% wool.

Definitely find your local independent carpet place and rifle through some samples.

Thanks Pascha. Can I ask, are you a shoes on or a shoes off at the door household?

Mostly off but its by no means a rigid thing. Probably three quarters of the time I suppose.

We got loop. One pull appeared during fitting - the fitter was careless with the teeth on the knee kicker.

Read the stories about some vacuums causing damage a week after fitting and nearly had hysterics. Have had no problems though, although....Another isolated pull appeared the other day - cause unknown although I presume cats
Vertical of bottom step on both staircases utterly destroyed after 6 months of cat ownership.

I love that it's so flat and dense that it doesn't get that trodden on look other carpets do. I think loop is v hard wearing unless attacked by pets.

Shoes off household.

Thanks sereneswan. We're doing all the bedrooms, 2 flights of stairs and all the landings so I really need to get it right.

If it pulls, does it pull along the whole width of the carpet as I've been warned, or is this a bit of a carpet-seller's myth?

We have 100% wool Berber in our bedrooms and 2 reception rooms. It's cream and has been down for 3.5 years and we have had no problems at all. We do take off our shows but I'm not terribly precious about it. I sourced it off eBay after having an independent local firm in who gave me a much higher quote for the exact same carpet. I would highly recommend having the thickest, best quality underlay you can, we went for the foam. I would have liked stripped floor boards but past experience says they are too hard and cold. Go for it I say

Shoes not shows!!

We have loop and it's flat as a pancake now.

I lust after 3tog wool underlay, you can source it off eBay.

Mil has a velvet pile carpet that looks great but she is shoes off, as are we.

A hoover with rotating brushes can catch the tops of the loops and fray them. The carpet will end up looking sort of felted.

Otherwise loop pile is generally hard wearing I think.

Good to know. Thanks everyone.

I'm going to have to get on and make a decision in the next few days. Gulp.