Carpet Types

These days most carpets sold in the UK are either woven or tufted. Weaving pile yarn and backing fabric together, is the traditional way to make carpets.


The two main types of carpets are Axminster, which is patterned, and Wilton, which is often plain but can contain up to five colours. Woven carpets keep their appearance and last a long time, but are more expensive than tufted carpets. 

Most carpets are tufted – they’re quicker and cheaper to make and more affordable to the majority of people looking to buy carpet. Tufted carpet is manufactured by inserting pile yarn into the  backing fabric and then adding another backing layer. Tufted carpets have a more limited range of patterns and colours than the Axminster carpets.


Picking the right type of fibre for a room is the most important thing to consider inorder to prevent your carpet from wearing out prematurely. Carpets manufactured from wool feel very luxurious, especially those that are manufactured with a high pile. When buying carpet it is important to know that if you are considering buying wool carpets, you must be aware that the quality of wool varies. So make ensure you choose a carpet with the Woolmark guarantee.

Carpet manufactured from nylon fibres are recommended for bathroom carpets, particularly in homes with young children, where the carpet can get wet. It’s often used as a 20% blend with wool for added durability.

Carpets come in a vast range of textures that result in differing  feel, appearance and performance. You should also take into consideration factors such as pets, as pets that have claws are likely to snag loop pile carpet.

In your budget you should always leave sufficient money to buy a quality carpet underlay. Carpet underlay improves the feel and the heat insulation and also the sound insulation of a carpet. A good quality carpet underlay will also increase the life expectancy of your carpet by up to 40%.


The majority of carpet underlay sold these days is either manufactured from rubber or pu foam, with most underlay sold in the UK being either pu foam or rubber. With the Cloud 9 range of underlays being voted by the carpet flooring industry as the best underlay.