Common carpet installation mistakes and how to avoid them

If you are considering installing a new carpet, avoid these common mistakes if you are an inexperienced carpet installer. If you have never fitted a carpet or are not confident in your fitting skills, it's better to use a professional carpet installer.

Incorrect measurements

Before buying a carpet, measure the room's width and length. Add at least 10cm to the length and width measurements to account for waste. If you make a mistake and don't order enough carpet, you will need to purchase more to fill in the gaps.

Most carpets need to be cut to fit the room size and fit around doorways and alcoves. If you make a mistake in measuring how much to cut off, the carpet won't fit properly. If you have cut off too much, there will be unsightly gaps. Poor measurements can cause unnecessary waste.

Accurate measuring will prevent you from buying more carpet than you need. To ensure that you buy the correct amount of carpet, use a carpet retailer who will measure your rooms for you and then quote for the exact amount of carpet you require.

Improper carpet stretching

If a carpet is not stretched and secured properly when installed it may develop wrinkles after a while as it cannot expand and contract in response to humidity and temperature changes.

The best way to stretch a carpet when installing is to use a carpet power stretcher tool. A professional carpet stretching tool can cost several hundred pounds. You may be able to hire one or you can buy non-powered ones for a lot less. Alternatively, an inexpensive carpet knee kicker can be used.

Stretching a carpet requires some skill. There are YouTube videos that show you how to do it, but mistakes can still easily be made.

Improper pad installation

Both the carpet and the padding have to be installed correctly, otherwise the carpet will be uneven and have bumps or wrinkles.

Carpet padding or underlay should be installed on a clean subfloor and laid perpendicular to the direction the carpet is installed. Secure with padding adhesive or staples and use duct tape on the seams. If using tack strips, leave a half inch gap.

Forgetting carpet acclimation

If the carpet has been stored in a cold warehouse, and then delivered to a warm room, the changes in temperature may cause the carpet to be slightly smaller. This is why it is important to acclimatise the carpet by leaving it in the room, where it is to be fitted for 24 to 48 hours.

Lacking the proper equipment

Like most do-it-yourself jobs, using poor or incorrect equipment to fit carpets diminishes the chances of doing a decent job. You will need at least the following tools and equipment: utility knife, pliers, straight edge ruler, carpet knife, knee kicker, carpet stretcher and carpet tucker. It is best to use premium quality tools, but it will be expensive to buy them all if you don't have them. It could work out cheaper to use a professional fitter.

Improper seaming

If the carpet is stretched perpendicular across the carpet seam, it may cause the seam to be more visible. Instead, stretch the carpet parallel to the seam.

Make sure the seam edges are sealed to prevent them from unravelling. If using a seal iron, it must not be too hot otherwise the seams may be discoloured.

As carpets are sold in fixed widths, seams are inevitable in larger rooms. Try to position seams away from windows or intense light sources where they will be more visible. If possible, seams should be positioned in low-footfall areas where they are less likely to be caught in shoes.

Trimming mistakes

Poor trimming or cutting can cause gaps, uneven edges, or overlapping. Be sure to measure accurately and use a sharp, professional-quality carpet knife.

Carpet installation is not easy and requires several skills. The common carpet fitting mistakes listed here are only some of the many ways inexperienced fitters can do a poor job. Without knowledge and experience, it is not worth taking the risk of installing a carpet yourself. Instead, visit a local carpet retailer in Wrexham, Chester, or North Wales who will recommend a good carpet installer. Ideally, use a retailer that includes professional fitting at no extra charge when you purchase a carpet from them.

Professional fitters are experienced in even the most complex fitting tasks and will ensure that your carpet looks its best in your home or business.

Maximalist flooring ideas for 2025

Maximalist interior design is a bold and expressive style that layers vibrant colours, patterns and textures to create a visually rich space.

Some industry experts suggest maximalist décor is making a comeback in 2025. Several flooring ideas add a maximalist design to a room.

Large geometric shape luxury vinyl tiles featuring large diamonds, hexagrams or trapezoids in bright colours add dramatic style to large rooms and hallways.

Mixing carpet tiles of different bold colours creates vibrant checkerboard patterns that add visual appeal. You may choose to experiment with unusual colour pairings such as mustard and teal or burgundy with pink. If you prefer hard floor surfaces, install vinyl tiles in several colours, but when doing this it’s wise to use varying shades of the same colour. For instance, create a blue floor that changes from cool sky blue to dark navy.

For those who like the natural look of wood flooring but still want a maximalist feel, try parquet flooring using different dark and light timbers laid in chevron, herringbone or other dramatic geometric patterns that look almost three dimensional.

A simple way to add maximalist design to an existing floor is to use bold colours and patterned rugs.

Maximalist design works better in large rooms. In smaller spaces, however, use more subdued flooring designs featuring medium-scale patterns or fewer bold colours. Solid colour furniture works best with maximalist flooring. Homeowners can add texture with velvet or leather furniture.

Contact a local flooring retailer in Chester, Wrexham or North Wales for more maximalist flooring ideas.

Carpets are coming back in 2025

Over the past few years, many households have installed hard flooring and thrown their old carpets away. According to the interior design service website Decorilla, carpets are making a comeback in 2025.

The designers at Decorilla say the carpets that will be popular in 2025 have rich colours, bold patterns and are highly textured. Colourful geometric patterns and jewel tones add vibrancy to a room, whilst also adding a warm and cosy atmosphere. Decorilla advises using carpets in rooms where you want the emphasis to be on comfort such as bedrooms and living rooms. Use colours and patterns that go with the existing room shades, but let them create a new style layer that adds more interest.

Another design trend for 2025 is to mix flooring materials to highlight different areas of a room. Some schools do this to designate quiet areas from more active ones. In the home, for example, laminate flooring can be used to highlight a home working office space in a living room with carpets used in relaxing areas. Designer Paula Dixon explains the impact of mixed flooring:

"Mixing materials on floors introduces a layer of depth and visual intrigue … integrating these diverse materials creates a refined design that reflects a more considered approach."

To see the latest rich colour and bold pattern carpet ranges, contact your local carpet retailer in Wrexham, North Wales or Chester. If you have ditched your carpets for hard floors, it could be time to bring carpets back into your home again.

How to dry carpets after a flood

Flooding in the UK, unfortunately, is an increasingly common occurrence.

Flood water can damage carpets in residential and commercial properties, but after the flood, but there is a chance that the carpets may still be used, provided the following actions are undertaken.

Firstly, remove all the furniture from the room to fully reveal the carpet. As soon as possible, extract the water. This can be done with a pump, or some carpet cleaners can suck water. A carpet cleaner may take a while as it must be emptied several times, but it should get the job done. If you don't own a pump or carpet cleaner, you can hire them.

To prevent lingering odours, use an air scrubber machine which removes particles and odours that float in the air. Use an air mover and a dehumidifier to further dry out the carpet. These machines can be hired.

Roll back the carpet and check the condition of the subfloor, which also may need drying out. The underlay may be wet as well.

If the flood water contains sewage, there is a danger of contamination, which is a health risk. It is best to seek professional help to fix this. You will also need the waste pipes checked for leaks.

If any of the carpets are irreparably damaged and unusable, you will need to buy new ones from a carpet retailer in Chester or North Wales. The cost of new carpets may be covered by your home contents insurance.

New Year carpet care tips for 2025

Carpets may suffer during the Christmas period from melting candles, dropped chocolates, spilt wine and other remnants from the seasonal celebrations.

A renowned expert on cleaning has revealed his top tips for caring for carpets after Christmas. James King, DeluxeMaid's operations manager, has a simple tip for dealing with a carpet that looks flat and lifeless. He advises using a fork from the kitchen to gently rake through the fibres to fluff them up.

He also recommends using an ice cube on chewing gum that sticks to carpets. Let the ice cube sit on the gum for a few minutes, then simply scrape off the gum with a spoon or blunt knife.

If the carpet smells off, add a few drops of essential oils to baking soda and sprinkle on the carpet. After around half an hour vacuum the carpet, and it should then smell fresh and fragrant.

If rugs and carpets have wrinkles or creases, a steam iron run over a tea towel or cloth should smooth them out. James King says:

"I’ve used it for those folded spots and I love how quickly it smooths things out."

For stubborn wine, chocolate, food and other stains that are difficult to remove, the carpet will likely need deep cleaning. This can be done with a carpet cleaning machine and specialist carpet cleaning solution or hire a professional carpet cleaning service.

With careful regular vacuuming and cleaning, quality carpets in North Wales homes should last for many Christmases, even in high footfall areas.