Flooring Types

We all know carpet is soft underfoot, and with a variety of styles and matched with the right underlay, will provide the softest floor solution. It’s ideal for living spaces where ‘comfort on the floor’ is important, such as children’s play areas, bedrooms and lounges.

Like most things you get what you pay for and carpet is no different. Carpet comes in a variety of fibre types and styles and each has their own unique characteristics. At Carpet Court, the 3 key factors we talk to our customers about when it comes to carpet performance are stain, fade and wear.

For example, our ‘Rhino’ SmartStrand carpet just might be the most fade, stain and wear resistant carpet available on the market today and is also one of the softest.

In high use or commercial areas, a loop pile carpet could be more appropriate as it is hardier, but expect to compromise on the level of softness. Fibres such as solution dyed nylon can also be a good choice when hard wear and fade resistance are important, but not much can compete with our ‘Rhino’ SmartStrand carpet for stain resistance.

Nothing beats carpet for comfort and warmth and when matched with a quality underlay it’s ideal for homes with  heating issues, and acts as a great sound insulator.

Carpet is an important investment in your home. Basic carpets can start at less than $20 per square metre, with top ranges going for over a hundred dollars. It all depends on what’s most important to you. Sticking to a budget? Long-lasting? Stain resistance? Or maybe it’s just getting that perfect look you’ve always dreamed of.

Living areas, hallways and bedrooms.

Soft, warm, comfortable, luxurious

Carpet is a fabric, think of it like a piece of clothing. With a little bit of regular maintenance combined with a professional clean every 18 months or so, carpet will look good for years to come. Carpet is more affected by stains and wear than hard flooring options.

Triexta

We sell genuine SmartStrand ‘Rhino’ Carpet which is the leading triexta product. It’s exclusive to Carpet Court, and just might be the best performing carpet in the market today. Building on the original SmartStrand carpet with stain resistance built into the core of the fibre, our Rhino Carpet now has Forever Clean – a revolutionary nanotechnology which creates a superior spill and soil barrier. And because it’s SmartStrand, it’s stain resistance is built into the fibre so it can’t wash, walk or wear off. If you have kids and pets, or are planning to stay in your home for a while, it’s the perfect choice.

Wool

Wool is soft, durable and warm. It is a traditional carpet material and is still chosen by those who want a natural fibre.

Nylon

Nylon is the most commonly used carpet fibre. It’s an excellent choice when durability is important. It’s not naturally stain resistant so most nylon carpets are treated with a stain guard to add a level of stain protection. However, this protection will wear off over time.

Polyester

Polyester offers exceptional softness and colour clarity, and is also naturally stain and fade resistant. Polyester styles are good choices for low – to medium – traffic areas and represent great value.

Polypropylene

Less expensive than nylon, it is a great choice when price is your main consideration. It’s a coarser fibre and lacks the softness and comfort of other materials. The fibre is strong, so while it won’t wear out, don’t be surprised if it loses its appearance quicker than other carpets.

Laminate sits on a dense, acoustic underlay so it feels solid but forgiving and smooth underfoot. It’s ideal for heavy wear environments as it’s easy to maintain and clean – with no need to worry about spills or liquid. There are now also some laminate options that can be installed in bathroom, laundry and other wet areas, so you can have one consistent flooring option throughout your home.

Laminate is very durable, and hygienic as most brands contain a protective anti-static layer that deters dust settling. It is also very easy to maintain. The durability of the laminate is determined by the quality of the protective surface layer, namely the more you invest the higher protection layer, the more durable the laminate. Laminate allows you to have the wood look without some of the aging characteristics natural hardwood poses – such as scratching, colour change, and maintenance.

Laminate on underlay acts as a natural insulator. Because it is not glued to the floor it takes on the room temperature feeling warmer underfoot.

Laminate provides a wood look at a lower cost point, both because laminate has a lower production cost and it’s easier and more time efficient to install.

Laminate flooring has grown significantly in popularity, because of its extremely low maintenance, and durability. Everyone can have the natural timber look without the cost of a real hardwood floor. It is also easy to install over surfaces that are not completely flat, meaning it’s ideal for sub-floors that might not be perfect.

Can’t sand and recoat.

All areas of the house (bathrooms and laundries excluded for some ranges).

Timber is a natural insulator so it keeps the warmth in your feet. As a hard floor, it is a firm surface, but provides the natural textures and feel of wood. It is a nostalgic look with no two boards being the same. It ages charmingly along with your home.

Wood is very durable. You can either re-oil or sand and re-coat your timber flooring when needed. Timber floors last a lifetime if maintained correctly and tend to gracefully age as time passes. Engineered wood is also more dimensionally stable than untreated timber.

Timber is a natural insulator so it keeps the warmth in your feet.

Engineered wood is the most expensive hard flooring options with price varying on timber grade (Finesse to Character) and Timber species (Oak, Merbau, Jarrah etc).

Timber is one of the only flooring options that is said to add value to your home as it is natural and unique. Engineered wood is also prefinished. This means you can walk on it as soon as it is installed with no nasty treatment smells, or long finish time required.

Maintenance is needed to keep your timber floor looking good and protected.

All areas excluding Bathrooms, toilets and laundries.

Also known as Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVT), vinyl planks and tiles are softer underfoot than natural materials.  It is thinner and lighter than timber, ceramic tiles and laminate, and can be installed where natural products wouldn’t be suitable. LVT combines the natural look of real wood or stone flooring and is warmer, quieter and softer underfoot.

LVT will not splinter or crack like natural materials, ensuring that the floor carries on looking beautiful in the toughest of environments.   This durability means that there is little need for repairs and no unsightly damage often associated with natural materials.

Whereas wood and stone are susceptible to temperature changes, LVT is warmer underfoot than its natural counterparts.  It is also suitable for installing over underfloor heating systems and some ranges can be used in conjunction with acoustic underlay for extra sound insulation.

Gone are the days of cheap ‘lino’, with LVT offering a wide range of options at different price points.

LVT is a hard wearing, comfortable, hygienic and versatile flooring alternative. It offers easy maintenance, faster installation and natural beauty in your interior.

LVT is very durable, but with incredibly heavy sharp objects could dent or scratch. The PVC backing can shrink and expand in the sun over time, and after a few years in the home could have gaps.

LVT is ideal for homeowners looking for hard flooring alternative without the practical drawbacks of natural materials. Investing in quality that lasts, LVT is suitable for every room in the house.

Vinyl reduces noise bringing quiet comfort to your home. Ideal for apartments, flats or corridors and re-covering hard and noisy floors. Nowadays, vinyl looks good, not cheap and is a realistic and premium look without impact on the budget.

Vinyl is perfect for your high traffic, everyday areas of the house that find itself thrown with all sorts of elements. It is protected by scuff, scratch and stain resistant surface treatments.

Vinyl can bring warmth with it’ soft, absorbent backing which insulates against the cold, and locks in the heat into often damp and cold areas of the house.

Vinyl is an easy to install and easy to maintain option that is shown on the floor and in your wallet. It can be laid directly, without adhesives, over existing floors and on uneven surfaces to save time and eliminate hidden costs.

Waterproof, Anti-mildew, Easy to clean, Eco friendly.

Scuffs from shoes often show.

Bathrooms, Kitchens, Wet Areas, Flats.