When it comes to using carpet for stairs, carpet tiles present a versatile and practical alternative to traditional sheet carpets. Here’s a detailed look at why staircase carpet tiles are ideal.
This guide will cover the following:
One of the standout benefits of carpet tiles is their ease of installation and customisation. Unlike bulky rolls of sheet carpet, carpet tiles are manageable and straightforward to handle.
This makes them particularly suitable for staircases, which can be awkward and challenging spaces to cover with traditional carpeting. The nature of carpet tiles allows for precise placement and easy adjustments, ensuring a perfect fit on each step.
To achieve the best results, it’s crucial to measure each stair individually.
Carpet tiles can be cut and sized to fit the exact dimensions of each step, providing a clean and professional finish.
For optimal coverage and to account for any wastage or awkward gaps, it’s advisable to purchase an additional 10-15% of tiles. This extra allowance ensures you have enough material to cover all the area you need.
Selecting the right carpet tiles for your stairs is essential for both performance and aesthetics. Here are some factors that may affect your decision.
Quality and Warranty: Invest in high-quality carpet tiles that come with a substantial warranty, reflecting the manufacturer’s confidence in their product’s durability.
Commercial settings, such as schools and offices, experience a high volume of foot traffic. Carpet tiles designed for these environments are built to withstand heavy use while maintaining their appearance and functionality. Investing in higher quality tiles as they are more durable and capable of enduring constant wear and tear.
High-quality carpet tiles offer impressive longevity, typically lasting between 10 to 12 years under normal commercial use. This makes them a cost-effective solution in the long term.
While cheaper options might seem appealing initially, they often require more frequent replacements and can end up costing more over time. High-quality carpet tiles not only last longer but also maintain their aesthetics and structural integrity, providing better value for your investment.
The longevity of the tile can also be improved by using the correctly sized nosing, depending on the thickness of the tile. This will protect the tile edge and ensure health and safety regulations are met.
In a commercial environment, flooring can be subjected to spills, stains, and other forms of damage. Carpet tiles offer a practical advantage in such scenarios, as damaged tiles can be individually replaced without the need to disturb the entire carpeted area. This makes repairs quick and efficient, ensuring that your stairs remain safe and visually appealing with minimal downtime.
Regular cleaning and occasional replacement of damaged tiles are all that’s needed to keep your carpet tiles looking fresh and new.
Carpet tiles are an excellent choice for commercial staircases, offering a range of benefits that include ease of installation, precise customisation, durability, and cost-effective maintenance. They are particularly well-suited to high traffic areas and provide a practical solution that can withstand the demands of a busy commercial environment.
Choosing the right carpet for your home involves considering various factors, and nylon and polyamide carpets are popular choices for their durability and versatility. In this guide, we will explore the pros and cons of nylon and polyamide carpets, addressing common questions about their quality, longevity, and comparison with other materials.
Nylon carpet has a fascinating history, originating from the invention of nylon itself. Developed by DuPont in the 1930s, nylon was initially introduced as a synthetic alternative to silk. The first nylon carpets appeared in the mid-20th century, revolutionising the flooring industry with their durability and affordability. Over the years, advancements in technology and manufacturing have further enhanced the qualities of nylon carpets.
Nylon is a synthetic, man-made fibre sourced from petrochemicals or crude oil extracts. When synthetic polymers are linked with a compound called amide, the resulting material is a thermoplastic polymer, otherwise known as nylon.
Nylon carpets exhibit a remarkable combination of characteristics that contribute to their widespread popularity in flooring. Renowned for their exceptional durability, nylon fibres resist wear and tear, maintaining their appearance in high-traffic areas.
The stain-resistant nature of nylon makes it a practical choice for households prone to spills, as the fibres naturally repel liquids. Easy maintenance is another key feature, with nylon carpets responding well to steam cleaning and requiring regular vacuuming to keep them in pristine condition. Furthermore, the versatility of nylon is evident in the wide array of styles, textures, and colours available, allowing homeowners to customise their spaces with a flooring solution that seamlessly blends durability and aesthetic appeal.
You may be wondering, are nylon carpets good? Well here are a list of pros and cons for you to consider.
Nylon carpets are renowned for their exceptional durability. They resist wear and tear, making them an excellent choice for high-traffic areas. Additionally, nylon fibres have a remarkable ability to bounce back from compression, maintaining their appearance over time.
One of the standout features of nylon carpets is their impressive stain resistance. Nylon fibres naturally repel spills, making it easier to clean up accidents before they become stubborn stains. This quality is particularly advantageous in households with pets or children.
Maintaining nylon carpets is a breeze. They respond well to steam cleaning, a highly effective method for deep cleaning and removing accumulated dirt. Regular vacuuming is usually sufficient for day-to-day maintenance, ensuring that your nylon carpet retains its original lustre.
Nylon carpets offer a wide range of options when it comes to styles, textures, and colours. Whether you prefer a luxurious plush feel, a durable loop pile, or a modern cut pile, nylon carpets provide versatility to match various design preferences and interior styles.
While nylon carpets boast numerous benefits, they tend to be slightly more expensive than other synthetic carpet options. However, many homeowners find the long-term durability and performance of nylon justify the initial investment.
In dry climates, nylon carpets may generate static electricity, leading to occasional shocks. While this is a minor inconvenience, it can be addressed with the use of humidifiers or anti-static treatments.
While nylon carpets are durable, they may not be as soft underfoot as some other carpet materials. Homeowners seeking a plush and luxurious feel may need to consider alternative options, such as wool or certain polyester blends.
Nylon carpets are known to last somewhere between 11-16 years, as long as they are properly and regularly maintained, including cleaning.
Bear in mind this also depends on the quality of nylon carpet you buy, so you should always buy nylon carpet from a proper brand and make sure it comes with a warranty.
The choice between wool and nylon carpets depends on specific preferences and priorities, as each material has its own set of advantages. Wool carpets are known for their luxurious feel, natural insulation properties, and environmentally friendly characteristics. Wool is inherently flame-resistant, hypoallergenic, and biodegradable, making it an eco-conscious choice. However, wool carpets may be more susceptible to staining and can be higher in cost.
On the other hand, nylon carpets are known for their exceptional durability, stain resistance, and more budget-friendly pricing compared to wool. Nylon is also versatile in design, offering a wide range of styles.
Polyester carpet is a good carpet choice that can provide many useful years of use. It’s not as durable as nylon carpet, although it is generally less expensive than nylon carpet. This is primarily because it’s often made from recycled materials.
Where Nylon carpet outperforms polyester carpet on durability, polyester outperforms nylon on stain resistance. Both offer a nice looking appearance and they both are soft and comfortable to the touch.
Whether prioritising durability, stain resistance, or design versatility, nylon carpets stand out as a reliable and stylish choice for your home.
Installation Procedures
To ensure that all JHS carpets perform to the required standard the following installation procedures should be followed:
Surface Preparation
Installation
Unfold the underlay onto the dry tackifier (if it is not completely dry, the underlay will bond permanently to the sub-floor).
Repeat this method with the other half of the underlay. Trim in the underlay neatly around the margins, allowing a gap around the area if a tuck finish is required. The gap will depend on the quality and the thickness of the carpet being laid. All carpet selvedges should be stripped, where necessary, and sealed to prevent fraying. Position the carpet precisely on the underlay before any adhesive is used. All pattern matching, borders and mitred corners should be carefully preplanned. The underlay seams should always be laid at right angles to the carpet seams. Fold back one half of the carpet and apply the adhesive with a trowel.
The size of the notch will depend on the backing of the carpet being laid, but it will be a minimum of 1.2mm x 2.5mm. When double-sticking carpets with non-porous or low absorbent backs (such as action back), it is important to allow the adhesive to pre-air before the carpet is bonded to the underlay.
Unfold the carpet on to the wet adhesive and use a glider to smooth out any wrinkles or bubbles and to ensure a firm bond.
The use of gripper should be considered on all double-stick installations, on account that carpet shrinkage – be it natural, caused by atmospheric conditions or carpet cleaning, may result in movement away from the walls.
Unlike other systems Multi-Fit will lift cleanly and not break up on lifting. The underlay may be re-laid after access has been achieved.
Critical: “Seam Trimming Technique”
All Joseph Hamilton & Seaton products share a common characteristic with regard to “Rows of Face Fibre”. All Joseph Hamilton & Seaton products will have tufting rows that will be straight and not staggered.
Because of the characteristic, Joseph Hamilton & Seaton requires all seams to be trimmed “on the row” and we further state, no pattern carpet will be matchable unless this row cutting requirement is strictly adhered to.
Our procedure is simple and effective if the following points are observed.
Tolerances
The tolerances for Joseph Hamilton & Seaton Carpet are as follows:
| Bowing/Trueness of Edge | 2.2cm in 4m width |
| Skewing | 4cm in 4m width |
| Pattern Repeat | 1.25% or 5cm in 4m or 10cm in 8m |
| Construction Specification | 5% (Industry Standard) |
Other tools and techniques
Having purchased your new nylon carpet, it is natural to want to maintain it. We have put together a short guide to help with this.
Daily Care
It is very important that regular vacuum cleaning is carried out as soon as the carpet is installed two to three times a week – every day if possible, giving particular attention to areas in front of seating, and in high traffic areas, make a minimum of three passes in these areas.
One of the most effective cleaners for a twist or cut pile carpet in one with a strong suction and a revolving beater bar/brush. This will generally be an upright vacuum cleaner. This will not only remove surface dirt, but also opens up the pile to remove loosely embedded soiling.
An upright vacuum cleaner will also remove the excess fibres of a new carpet ensuring that these are not collected within the pile. The beater bar will also ensure that the pile is ‘lifted’ each time the carpet is maintained.
A entrance matting will reduce dirt from outside being spread. Vacuuming them regularly will enable them to keep trapping dirt before it gets to your carpet. Removing Shoes will help to reduce wear and tear.
Seasonal Care
There are several methods available for the seasonal cleaning of carpets including spray extraction (also called steam cleaning), rotary brush shampooing, dry foam cleaning and dry powder systems. The method chosen and the frequency of cleaning depends on the intensity of traffic, the nature of the soiling and the type of carpet. This type of cleaning is best left to the professional.
Stain Removal
No matter how careful a person is, sooner or later carpets will become stained as a result of spillage and domestic mishaps. Prompt and correct treatment will remove many of these stains and leave the carpet in a satisfactory state.
The golden rule with stains is to act quickly to remove the spilt substance before it penetrates the carpet pile. Stains which have been allowed to dry are more difficult if not impossible to remove. Always clean up a spill immediately
Helpful Tips
Here are some things to consider when cleaning a nylon carpet:
Please note – Never use detergents such as dish soap or other cleaners recommended for household use, although they may clean the carpet, they will cause problems such as damage to the pile/backing of the carpet & rapid re soiling. Consult a professional carpet cleaning company if you cannot get stains out of your carpet. Professional carpet cleaners will prioritise maintaining your carpet throughout stain removal.
Having purchased your new carpet, it is natural to want to maintain it. We have put together a short guide to help with this.
Have you signed up to our WOW program? The Wool Owners Warranty is a special after-care service for customers who buy a wool carpet. WOW can last the lifetime of the carpet. Just sign up and have your carpet professionally cleaned by one of their registered carpet cleaners once a year and your warranty will automatically be renewed. Visit the site for more info www.wowwarranty.com
Daily Care
It is very important that regular vacuum cleaning is carried out as soon as the carpet is installed two to three times a week – every day if possible, giving particular attention to areas in front of seating, and in high traffic areas, make a minimum of three passes in these areas.
One of the most effective cleaners for a twist or cut pile carpet in one with a strong suction and a revolving beater bar/brush. This will generally be an upright vacuum cleaner. This will not only remove surface dirt, but also opens up the pile to remove loosely embedded soiling.
An upright vacuum cleaner will also remove the excess fibres of a new carpet ensuring that these are not collected within the pile. The beater bar will also ensure that the pile is ‘lifted’ each time the carpet is maintained.
For loop-pile carpets a cylinder type vacuum cleaner is recommended as it does not have driven, rotating brushes that can cause ‘fuzzing’ of the surface. With most cylinder types, the brushes on the head may be retracted for cleaning carpet (and should anyway, only be used for hard floors). It is recommended that consumers use a cleaner with high suction power (determined by wattage of motor) and with a large head so that a greater surface area may be covered more easily.
Seasonal Care
There are several methods available for the seasonal cleaning of carpets including spray extraction (also called steam cleaning), rotary brush shampooing, dry foam cleaning and dry powder systems. The method chosen and the frequency of cleaning depends on the intensity of traffic, the nature of the soiling and the type of carpet. This type of cleaning is best left to the professional.
The WoolSafe Organisation has been helping carpet owners and suppliers with cleaning advice for over 20 years. Carpet owners can be assured that when they apply WoolSafe-approved D.I.Y. products to treat their carpet for straightforward stains, they can be confident that the products are safe as well as effective. When they wish to have their carpet professionally cleaned, they can entrust their carpets and rugs to WoolSafe certified carpet cleaning companies who use WoolSafe-approved products for cleaning and maintaining them. Find a carpet cleaner – The WoolSafe Organisation
Carpets made from wool and other quality branded fibres are chosen with care and represent a sizable investment both for home owners and commercial establishments. Such an investment can now be protected by the way the floor covering is maintained.
Also, if they need to call upon the services of an independent expert to inspect their carpet in the case of a complaint, they can rely on WoolSafe Registered Inspectors to offer an impartial thorough service.
Visit the site or download the app which includes a handy stain guide to help remove most stains Carpet Cleaning Apps – The WoolSafe Organisation
Stain Removal
No matter how careful a person is, sooner or later carpets will become stained as a result of spillage and domestic mishaps. Prompt and correct treatment will remove many of these stains and leave the carpet in a satisfactory state.
The golden rule with stains is to act quickly to remove the spilt substance before it penetrates the carpet pile. Stains which have been allowed to dry are more difficult if not impossible to remove.
Please note – Never use detergents such as dish soap or other cleaners recommended for household use, although they may clean the carpet, they will cause problems such as damage to the pile/backing of the carpet & rapid re soiling.
For more info on stain removal click on the below links. If you have an urgent cleaning issue / question which we have not been able to answer, please speak to the experts at WoolSafe on 01943 850 817 or pop them an email to office@woolsafe.org, they will be more than happy to help.
Having purchased your new carpet, it is natural to want to maintain it. We have put together a short guide to help with this.
Daily Care
It is very important that regular vacuum cleaning is carried out as soon as the carpet is installed two to three times a week – every day if possible, giving particular attention to areas in front of seating, and in high traffic areas, make a minimum of three passes in these areas.
One of the most effective cleaners for a twist or cut pile carpet in one with a strong suction and a revolving beater bar/brush. This will generally be an upright vacuum cleaner. This will not only remove surface dirt, but also opens up the pile to remove loosely embedded soiling.
An upright vacuum cleaner will also remove the excess fibres of a new carpet ensuring that these are not collected within the pile. The beater bar will also ensure that the pile is ‘lifted’ each time the carpet is maintained.
A doormat will reduce dirt from outside being spread. Vacuuming them regularly will enable them to keep trapping dirt before it gets to your carpet. Removing Shoes will help to reduce wear and tear.
Seasonal Care
There are several methods available for the seasonal cleaning of carpets including spray extraction (also called steam cleaning), rotary brush shampooing, dry foam cleaning and dry powder systems. The method chosen and the frequency of cleaning depends on the intensity of traffic, the nature of the soiling and the type of carpet. This type of cleaning is best left to the professional.
CleanSeal®certification is a testing and accreditation programme for maintenance products suitable for use on carpets, rugs and other interior textiles made from synthetic fibres, and is underwritten and operated by The WoolSafe® Organisation. The organisation has been helping carpet owners and suppliers with cleaning advice for over 20 years. Carpet owners can be assured that when they apply CleanSeal-approved D.I.Y. products to treat their carpet for straightforward stains, they can be confident that the products are safe as well as effective. When they wish to have their carpet professionally cleaned, they can entrust their carpets and rugs to CleanSeal certified carpet cleaning companies who use CleanSeal -approved products for cleaning and maintaining them. Find a carpet cleaner – CleanSeal
Carpets are chosen with care and represent a sizable investment both for home owners and commercial establishments. Such an investment can now be protected by the way the floor covering is maintained.
Also, if they need to call upon the services of an independent expert to inspect their carpet in the case of a complaint, they can rely on CleanSeal Registered Inspectors to offer an impartial thorough service.
Visit the site or download the app which includes a handy stain guide to help remove most stains https://www.cleansealapproved.com/carpet-cleaning-apps/
Stain Removal
No matter how careful a person is, sooner or later carpets will become stained as a result of spillage and domestic mishaps. Prompt and correct treatment will remove many of these stains and leave the carpet in a satisfactory state.
The golden rule with stains is to act quickly to remove the spilt substance before it penetrates the carpet pile. Stains which have been allowed to dry are more difficult if not impossible to remove.
Please note – If bleach is required we recommend it is diluted 25% bleach to 75% water.
Please note – Never use detergents such as dish soap or other cleaners recommended for household use, although they may clean the carpet, they will cause problems such as damage to the pile/backing of the carpet & rapid re soiling.
If you need professional help in spot removal or whole carpet cleaning, you can rely on the services of our network of CleanSeal Approved Service Provider cleaning companies. They are trained to a high standard in cleaning carpets and rugs. They have been in business for a number of years. The listed companies are fully insured and use WoolSafe and CleanSeal Approved products. Only they are entitled to display the CleanSeal Service Provider mark.
As 80% of carpet soilage is footborne, positioning adequate barrier matting at main entrance points is vital – ideally 4 metres deep into the building, to function at maximum efficiency. The JHS Barrier Matting Collection has a range of suitable products including the Barriertex Entrance Matting System which combines shoe scraper and absorbent strips to form an effective defence against the ingress of dirt, grit and moisture into your facility. sorbent strips to form an effective defence against the ingress of dirt, grit and moisture into your facility.
Secondary matting is also effective at crisis points – in lifts, where hard surfaces meet carpet, by vending machines etc.
Matting must be vacuumed regularly and cleaned periodically or it will act as a source of soiling to adjacent areas.