As carpets are an expensive purchase, you'll want to be aware of the differences between wool or synthetic carpets, so you can make the right decision.
Wool is a brilliant natural fibre which is obtained from sheep and other certain animals, including cashmere and mohair from goats and angora from rabbits. It's the wool from sheep, that is the most commonly used fibre used in carpets and rugs. Wool offers excellent resilience to wear, hence it being used in carpet manufacture.
"One thing that we have today, that we didn't have a few generations ago, is - choice" says Chris Twinn, from Newnham Street Carpets in Ely. "There is such an abundance of carpets to choose from and all you have to do is decide on whether you have wool or synthetic carpets."
Chris has such a wealth of information and knowledge about carpets. He started his career in 1972 at Eden Lilley in Cambridge and in 1981 he moved to Penthouse Carpets and then 18 months ago he joined Peter at Newnham Street Carpets.
"The benefit of a wool carpet is, it's a natural fibre and maintains its look through its lifetime, is easy to hoover and has a natural built in resilience to dirt which means it is easier to care for. The wool which is used in carpets comes from the rough end of the wool. The softer wool fibres goes into the making of jumpers and other clothing,"
At Newnham Street Carpets, they like to assess each customer's situation on an individual basis and really find out what they are looking for.
"Some customers have come in and said we have the grandchildren coming over and we want something stain resistant.
"Today, such carpets as Westex are a 80 wool /20 nylon blend carpets and will last for ages and another benefit of Westex is all their carpets are moth proof. So, as we're living in homes with more natural fibre furnishings and central heating, infestations of moths are an increasing concern.
In previous years, there used to be a huge difference in the cost of natural fibre carpet with synthetic carpets but the cost gap is narrowing and synthetic have improved greatly in style and substance.
I've noticed the synthetic carpet manufacturers have delustered some of the yarns, so they have a better appearance and are a lot softer and as the fibres are stain resistant, liquids such as teas, coffees or fruit drinks will just roll off like a ducks back".
When looking for a carpet, here’s Newnham Street Carpets handy hints for choosing a wool or synthetic carpet:
* Think about where the carpet is going
* Style and appearance
* What is your budget?
* Easy care
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