Types of Carpet & Location Grading
To make sure you choose a carpet that not only looks and feels good, but has the right properties for the area you wish to carpet ask yourself these important questions.

Which area in your home?
Choose a carpet to suit the area you're covering. High traffic areas need durable carpets with patterns or textures that hide soiling between cleanings, whilst softer carpets suit bedrooms or bathrooms where comfort is more important.

Which colour?
Your choice of carpet colour and texture will have an important effect on the personality of the room and the other decorating decisions you make.

On a practical note, plain or lighter colours should be reserved for rooms where soiling is less prevalent. Textured and multi-coloured carpets should be used in high traffic areas and areas adjacent to external doors.

Which carpet type?
Cut Pile - Plush and soft underfoot. Suited best to lower traffic areas such as bedrooms or lounges.

Cut Pile Also called Saxony - The carpet yarn loops have been cut off to create individual yarn ends for a soft, luxurious look and feel.
Best suited to those special areas where underfoot comfort is important.

Loop Pile - A more durable carpet that is suitable for all areas of your home, whilst still providing comfort and softness.
With Loop Pile, the carpet fibre loops are not cut or sheared, so the loops form the carpet surface. Soil tends to stay on the surface, making cleaning easier.

Level loop pile has a tight, pebbly surface. Multi-level loops produce interesting patterns, that have enhanced soil-hiding capabilities. Textured loops are constructed with loops of slightly different heights, randomly placed.

Needlepunch - A hardwearing style, Popular for entrance halls, stairways and sun lounges.
Popular in high traffic areas for their durability and stain-resistant properties, Needlepunch carpets are made by interlocking many short individual polypropylene fibres together with a series of barbed needles.

All the fibres are anchored into a resin backing, giving excellent stability and long-lasting durability.

Carpet Backings
A good carpet backing will help to maintain the life and appearance of a carpet.

Traditional jute backings are complicated to install, will rot when wet and require more maintenance. Carpets manufactures employ internationally recognised backing systems using new generation synthetic fibres.

PlainBac is a cost-effective resin backing developed for needlepunch products. Extremely stable, PlainBac provides a uniform appearance and will not distort.

MiracleBac is a woven polypropylene backing system used as the foundation for our tufted carpets.
• Makes fitting easy using any fitting method
• High tuft adhesion
• Uniform appearance
• Non-allergenic
• Rotproof
• High dimensional stability
• No shrinkage when wet
• Moisture resistant
• Odour-free

Which Grade?
Matching the Grade
Before choosing your carpet, you must make sure it will last and last beautifully. Think about your lifestyle and the rooms you wish to carpet before making your decision.
Carpets are graded for their suitability to various applications, from heavy commercial to medium residential.

It must be borne in mind that wear conditions can differ appreciably in similarly specified areas depending mainly on the occupancy. For example: a bedroom occupied by two schoolboys and a dog may require a heavy residential grade carpet, whereas a light residential carpet would be adequate for the bedroom of a single working adult. Whilst the above table will therefore assist in selecting a carpet which is "fit for the purpose", consumers are well advised to obtain expert advice from us before area suitability is finally decided upon.

Fibre Facts
The type of fibre used in the carpet will determine how well it wears and the amount of maintenance required. Van Dyck carpets are made from a variety of fibres - including nylon, polypropylene and acrylic. Nylon is a durable, hardwearing fibre that lends itself to easy cleaning and maintenance. Polypropylene is stain-resistant, colourfast, rotproof and durable. Acrylic offers a wool-like appearance. It is usually used in combination with nylon to provide tolerance to abrasive wear and increased resistance to stains and soiling.

Stain Shield is a value-added benefit from Van Dyck designed to cut down on maintenance that offers protection from stains and dirt. The Stain Shield Protection mark is your assurance that the carpet you have purchased is protected from stains and soiling.
An advanced fluoro carbon protection shield is sprayed onto the carpet during the production process. Because this shield repels oily and watery stains and soil, it gives you more time to remove the offending substance before it penetrates the pile.

Polypropylene is a Stain Shield fibre with inherent moisture and stain resistance.