Carpets FAQs

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Whilst many decorative aspects help make a house feel like a home, nothing completes the overall appearance more than new carpet. It brings comfort and joy and, when properly maintained, it can be one of the easiest ways to transform your home. Here are the most asked questions about carpets, which we hope will help, but feel free to contact us if you can't find the answer you're looking for.

How can I best care for my carpets?

We’re glad you asked! It’s a common misconception that carpets will always look the same as the day they were fitted, however, this isn’t quite true. Fret not! At Tapi, we aim to provide useful advice that can help improve the appearance of your carpet and its longevity, so you can enjoy that soft luxurious feel for longer.

We’ve outlined lots of useful advice you can take advantage of in order to care for your carpet. This can be found in our carpet care guide.

Do you fit carpets?

Yes, we do! Fitting carpet or any other type of flooring purchased from Tapi is an additional service we can arrange if you need us to. Our carpet fitting service costs £5.50 per m2 - just let us know if you want fitting included in your quote. We can also arrange to uplift and remove your old carpet at the same time for an additional fee. If you decide you just want to order carpet from us and use your own carpet fitter or lay the carpet yourself, that's absolutely fine.

Do you sell runners for stairs and hallways? Do you sell stair rods?

Yes, we do! We can place an order from any of our carpet ranges as long as a minimum quantity of 4 metres is placed. This can then be cut down and whipped into a runner for stairs or a hallway thus expanding your choice greatly. We do also sell a wide range of lovely stair rods to add those gorgeous finishing touches.

I’ve spilled something on my new Tapi carpet, what should I do?

Oh no! It’s always a panic-inducing moment when you see that glass of red wine tip over in slow motion onto your plush cream carpet, but the quicker you act, the less chance there is of it staining. You should have received a Tapi floor care guide by email when you placed your order, but you can also find out more in our carpet care guide, as well as our top tips on removing stains from your carpet.

Do you have any leftover offcuts I can have?

Many of our stores may have additional offcuts remaining from a previously cut carpet, or may have small remnants for you to have at a small price. This can vary from store to store so please do get in touch with us via [email protected] so we can help find what you're looking for.

What's the best carpet for pets?

The best option for a pet-friendly carpet is one with a short pile. Loop carpets are a great choice as any pet hair tends to sit on top of the carpet, making it much easier to vacuum. Go for a shorter loop carpet as taller loops can sometimes snag on your pets' claws. A carpet made from 100% polypropylene is stain resistant so any muddy paw prints or little accidents can be easily cleaned up.

Do you do carpets wider than 5m?

No, 5m is the widest carpet we have available. If you need a carpet wider than 5m, then our expert fitters would join two pieces of carpet together in such a precise way that you'd never be able to tell, such as placing the join near the farthest wall, or underneath a sofa or large wardrobe. Our flooring experts can advise you of your options when they measure your floor, as well as suggest the best style of carpets to choose so the join is less noticeable.

What's a carpet tog rating?

A carpet tog rating is exactly the same as a tog rating for a duvet - it's how good it is at insulation. The higher a carpet's tog rating, the better it'll be at keeping your room warm, so pick a carpet with a high tog rating if you'll be laying it over draughty wooden floorboards!

You need to pay special attention to tog ratings if you've got underfloor heating. Whilst you want to insulate your room, you also want the heat to be able to flow up and into the room. A lower tog rating will transmit underfloor heating more efficiently. We'd recommend a maximum of 2.5 tog on top of underfloor heating. Underlay also has a tog rating, so this could be a combination of a high tog carpet and a low tog underlay, or vice versa. Take a look at our guide for how to insulate your floors for more expert advice.

Which underlay is best for carpet?

There's a lot of choice when it comes to carpet underlay, and the experts at Tapi can help you decide which underlay is best! Just like a superhero's sidekick, underlay provides support for your carpet and helps enhance its performance. Carpet underlay comes in a variety of different materials, including recycled PU foam and sponge rubber, as well as a range of thicknesses. Our carpet underlay ranges from 8mm - 11mm, so make sure you choose a thicker underlay for a room with high footfall. For more information and help choosing, head on over to our handy guide on the best carpet underlay.

Why is there a line on my new carpet?

There are two reasons why there might be a line running along the length of your new carpet. The first reason is known as a pole mark and is caused by the pole that the carpet is tightly wrapped around during transportation. These indentations are normally found close to a wall and should fade away as the carpet becomes acclimatised to the room. You can help to speed up this process by regularly vacuum cleaning the line to bring the pile back up. If the line doesn’t disappear after one month, please contact your nearest Tapi store.

The second reason is known as a line fault and is caused by an issue in the carpet manufacturing process, resulting in a visible line of higher pile along the length of your carpet that won't disappear over time. If you have a line fault in your carpet, please contact your nearest store and we'll arrange for the issue to be rectified.

Do you have a list of approved carpet cleaning companies?

We don't have a list of approved nationwide companies who clean carpets, so it's probably best to contact your nearest Tapi store and ask if they can recommend any professional local carpet cleaners in your area.

Is carpet delivered already cut to size?

Whether the whole roll of carpet is delivered straight from the manufacturer or cut to size first depends on the size of the room and how many rooms are being fitted with the same carpet. Sometimes, if the amount of carpet on the roll (the cut) is similar to the room size then the whole roll might be delivered. That way, if there's a mistake in the floor measurements, there's extra carpet to work with.

If the same carpet is being installed in multiple rooms, such as stairs and a landing, it will probably be cut to size in the warehouse where is plenty of space to roll it out. Some of the bigger cuts of carpet are extremely heavy and it wouldn’t be possible for the fitters to get the carpet inside your home if it wasn't cut down beforehand.

Where can I find carpet roll stock?

Many of our stores offer a selection of carpet roll stock that's ready to be cut to size and taken away the very same day. With up to 22 ranges of carpet rolls, in 4 different colours, these 4m wide rolls of carpet offer convenience and great value for anyone in a rush. Carpet roll stock is only available in selected Tapi stores. Use our roll stock store finder to find the nearest Tapi store to buy roll stock. If you're looking for something specific, it's best to give them a call before you travel to the store, or find out more about our roll stock and carpet remnants online.

Do you repair carpets?

Unfortunately, we don’t do flooring repairs. Whilst our fitting partners can repair some subfloor issues, and we can also rectify any fitting issues under our 10-year fitting guarantee, we can’t help with aesthetic flooring repairs.

Our carpet care guide can help you rectify most household stains. For major damage like scorch marks or rips in your carpet, you might want to check your home insurance policy to see if these repairs are covered under accidental damage, or read our guide on how to repair your carpet, for more information.

How to clean carpet?

How you clean your carpet will depend on what type of carpet you have – while some carpets will only need a regular vacuum, other carpets may need more care to ensure they keep their shape and colour, especially in busy rooms or rooms with a plenty of sunlight. You can find out more about how to look after different types of carpet in our carpet care guide.

How to measure carpet for stairs and landing?

There are 10 simple steps you can follow in our guide on how to measure your stairs, hallway and landing – we’ll take you through each step so you can get accurate measurements for finding the area of your room. You can use these measurements in our carpet calculator to find an estimated price of how much your favourite Tapi carpet could cost you for your stairs or landing.

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