To order a free carpet sample, visit our order sample page.
Measuring your room for your new carpet is no easy feat, that’s why we recommend booking a professional to do this for you. But for your own reference you can follow these steps as a rough guide:
To measure a room for a carpet, you’ll need to measure each area individually. To calculate your carpet area, you’ll need to multiply width times length for each area and add them together.
- Measure the length using the distance from one wall to the opposite wall.
- Measure the width from wall to wall.
- Add 2 to 4 inches or 5 to 10cm to each side. This accounts for waste, doors and slanting walls. It’s easy to cut a little off for a perfect fit, but impossible to add without creating unsightly seams.
- Multiply the length times the width – this is your total square footage for that room.
And if measuring your room wasn’t easy enough, then measuring your stairs for carpet is definitely more of a challenge. We highly recommend getting a professional to measure your stairs so that your new carpet fits perfectly.
For a straight staircase
- Measure the rise and run (this is the depth and height of a step). Add them together but be sure to include an inch or two extra to wrap around the nose.
- Multiply that by the number of stairs.
- Divide by 12 and round up to get the number of feet.
- Measure the width of the stairs and round up to the nearest foot.
- Multiply the width from step 4 by the length from step 3.
- Add in any landing you have by multiplying the width and length of the landing and adding that total number in.
If you have an irregular, circular or unique staircase, it’s best to hire a professional!
Fitting a carpet is no mean feat, it takes professional tools and good technique to get a seamless finish. For that reason we recommend contacting one of your local carpet retailers who can fit your carpet. Click here to find a Manx Tomkinson retailer in your area.
What are the different types of carpet?
Cut pile, loop and velvet. Generally, carpet has pieces of cut or looped yarn poking through the backing. Loop carpet is a design that involves all loops being made the same size to create a smooth and even surface.
The mix of a saxony and a woven carpet, a velvet carpet combines traditional carpet-making methods with a more modern, short, dense, uniform cut pile. This clever combination results in a fine yet compact ‘barefoot’ feel.
Saxony carpets consist of twisted carpet fibres that stand up straight, making it a soft carpet.
We, at Manx Tomkinson, offer cut-pile carpets, loop pile carpets and velvet.
Can I have underfloor heating with my carpet?
If you are considering underfloor heating for your carpet, ensure you refer to the supplier of the underfloor heating as they have a total tog rating requirement for underlay and carpet combined.
A tog rating is a measure of how much heat can pass through the material, effectively it is an indication of how insulating the material is. Carpet togs range from around 0.7 to 3.0, the higher the tog rating the more insulating it is. We recommend a high tog rating for less energy efficient homes or homes in cooler climate areas.
Careful consideration should be given to both the temperature ranges of the heating system, and the type of underlay to be used.
All of our man-made carpet types are moth proof. For wool carpets, if you see this symbol 
on any of our wool ranges, they have been treated to make them moth resistant.
What are the advantages of wool carpets?
Wool carpet is renowned for quality and durability. Synonymous with luxury, wool carpet remains an incredibly popular carpet choice. Wool as a fibre can withstand pressure, it is incredibly long-lasting when properly cared for, making it an excellent investment for your home. A completely natural fibre containing natural oils, wool carpets are resistant to dirt and repel other oil-based soiling making it easier for you to keep clean in your home. With hypoallergenic properties, wool carpet makes for a great material in your home. For those cool nights, wool carpet is a great choice for adding comfort and warmth to your home, acting as an insulator for your rooms – a great choice for keeping you comfortable on cosy nights.
What are the advantages of man made carpets?
Man-made carpets are made of synthetic fibres such as nylon and polypropylene. Synthetic carpet fibres have less absorbency meaning they dry quicker which also makes them resistant to mildew. Man-made carpets are also bleach cleanable.
What are the advantages of carpet over hard flooring?
Known for its soft, warm and noise absorbing benefits, carpet can also protect against slips, falls and drops. With its luxurious plush texture, carpet is loved for comfort in high traffic areas – a luxurious feature to any home that can provide warmth and sophistication. Carpet installation is considered cheaper and faster than that of hardwood flooring installation making it the preferred choice for renovations.
What is the best carpet for pets?
Many of our carpets can be considered for pet owners, both wool and polypropylene have resistance to dirt, dust and spills. Dark colours or patterns are great for hiding a multitude of issues, or matching your carpet colour to your pet is a great way of camouflaging pet hair.
What is the best carpet for children?
Our wool and polypropylene carpets are recommended for houses with a young family. Both carpet fibres are easy to clean and polypropylene in particular makes for a great carpet to clean any accidental spills due to its synthetic fibres, as it is bleach cleanable. Alternatively, wool carpets offer a level or durability and can enhance the indoor air quality due to their hypoallergenic properties.