Easily the most popular form of floor covering. Available as carpet squares, carpet tiles, stair carpets and fitted carpets, the range of colours and designs, variations in wool and synthetic fibres and the thickness of tufted or woven pile is too vast a subject to even begin to attempt a description here. Suffice to say that the popularity of carpet is based on the comfortable, warm environment it creates. Carpets are graded to inform the customer how much use they are designed to take: heavy, medium or light. Good quality carpet can be expensive and permanent staining can be a problem depending on the nature of the spillage. When laying carpet other materials will be needed:
A tape with adhesive on both sides used for securing the edges of rubber or foam-backed carpet in place around the perimeter of the room.
Laminate flooring consists of a thin veneer of tough hardwood fixed to high-density fibreboard (HDF). It is available in many finishes including ash, distressed oak and dark chestnut. Supplied in planks it is easy to install as the planks lock together and do not require glue. Wood laminate floors can be walked on immediately after it has been laid. This type of flooring is not recommended for bathrooms.