As anyone familiar with the tribes of North-West Africa will guess, the Berber carpet is named after the nomadic Berber tribes found in this region of the world. These people have used these particular weaving techniques for thousands of years and for a very good reason. By the day, the deserts of North Africa are scorching hot but by night, the temperature can plummet and the air becomes very cold. The tribe’s people thus made use of this fabric to wrap themselves up in during the night and still do to this day.

The Berber tribe mostly used camel hair or wool but nowadays, Berber carpets can be found in a variety of materials including olefin and nylon. Most carpets of this type are found in lighter colors and tones such as off-white and cream and this is the traditional style the carpet is found in. However, there are more modern designs which make use of darker colors.

The main benefit of Berber carpets, apart from their attractive appearance, is their ability to withstand wear and tear. A carpet of this type placed in an area where people often tread, will stand up to the test of time very well. The same goes for the onslaught that is vacuum cleaning. Some rugs can be damaged by the vacuum process, but this isn’t the case with the sturdy Berber rug. That said, if you buy the cheapest type of Berber, then don’t expect it to be as strong as the mid-priced and expensive versions. This is usually the case with any item you buy.

The main drawback of a Berber carpet is the fact that it doesn’t stand up well to stains. You can find stain-resistant Berber carpets and these are ideal for more messy areas of the home but in general, the rug will need to be taken to a professional cleaning service if damaged in this way. The dense fibres also mean that any dirt that finds its way into the carpet will be relatively difficult to get out again. If you have cats, it’s also likely to be highly attractive to them as a scratching post due to its particular weave and thus at risk of being unravelled.

There are pros and cons to every type of carpet and the benefits and risks need to be weighed up in relation to your home and lifestyle. That said, a Berber carpet is very beautiful and comes to a lot of cultural history behind it. It’s hard to imagine this type of carpet not being a good fit into most styles of home décor.

If you have hardwood throughout your home, then this would work perfectly for a home office. If your preference is for mid-century modern and you love shag carpeting, then this definitely would not work as your office floor. Every room in your home has to tie into the other ones. This means no industrial gray commercial grade carpeting in that home office!

What’s In Your Home Office?

The basics of the home office will include: An office desk, an office chair with wheels, a computer, a filing cabinet, and all-in-one printer/scanner/copier, a home network, a phone, and a few cables or two. The only thing movable in that list is the wheeled office chair. Some chair wheels may create damage on your floor so if you’re in doubt about that, then place a chair mat down right away. Office desks can also be heavy, as can full filing cabinets. Think about the weight that’s to be placed on your office floor.

Types Of Flooring

If one of your goals for your home office flooring is that it lasts a long time and looks great real hardwood is a top contender. Engineered hardwood will come in a close second. You can’t beat these two for longevity and quality. Some hardwoods are exotic, but that’s not really needed for an office because you’re covering it all up with your desk and chair and other things, anyway. Soft coverings like carpets, or carpet tiles, or some forms of cork flooring, often will not stand the wear and tear of a work environment so they will not work for an office. There are newer varieties of cork which will work which are more robust. This is also a very renewable source for flooring because cork oak trees are not killed when the cork is harvested.

Oh, That Laminate!

The subject of laminate is often brought up when anyone talks about flooring. Cheap laminate is not a good thing to have on your office floor. It can sound hollow and if you’re rolling around on it all the time, a person in the room beneath you, could be driven crazy. I am not fond of laminate in any case, but it can be quite reasonably priced and if you have padding underneath it, then the hollowness will more than likely go away. Today’s laminate is much better than kinds that homeowners used to be able to get. I suppose it depends on the quality of laminate but it’s quite low on my list of choices for a home office floor. If you do choose laminate, check the box to see if it’s free from VOCs, these can cause reactions in the chemically sensitive.

Mysterious Substances

If you bought a home that’s a few years old, then some of your flooring could be a total mystery. It’s always good to know what you’re stepping on and breathing in, so getting an expert to determine what’s underneath your feet can be a good idea. If you’re unsure of what your flooring is, and you don’t like the look of it anyway, then have someone install another kind of flooring or you can do yourself, also. If you’re busy in your home office and even if you’re a financial wizard, flooring design and structure and use may escape you. An option is to call in a designer and tell them that you want to use the room for a home office, and ask them what they would recommend.

Two final points:

1.evaluate how your home office will look in the rest of your house. If it’s closed off then it may not need to have the same flooring that the rest of the house has.

2. the flooring has to fit the furniture (if you’ve got it already) or the furniture has to fit the floor. If, for instance, you have an exquisite executive cherry computer desk then its unlikely that a cork tile floor is going to do it justice.

Having said that, function and not form is the main goal for your home office. If you have everything you need there, and the equipment works smoothly, and the flooring is functional as well as pretty, then all the better and that’s a bonus!

Lloyd Burrell writes reviews on home office desk furniture. Whether it be a modern l shaped office desk or a more traditional rectangular model, Lloyd has detailed reviews on all these desk styles and more so that you can make the right choice.

The main thing to consider therefore is how to get some of these more common of stains out. There are so many theories when it comes to removing/minimising stains that seemingly everybody has a different technique (most untested and inherently wrong).

We have taken it upon ourselves to outline what we consider to be the best way of dealing with the most common of party stains. As we are currently in a bit of a festivity dry period at the moment, so brush up now or forever live with that strange brown stain!

Beer
Beers stains are one of the most common party stains, whether it is from lots of half empty glasses being precariously placed or due to over excited dancing a stain from this most ancient of liquids is hard to avoid. To remove try creating a mixture of one teaspoon of detergent, a teaspoon of white vinegar and 1000ml of warm water. This mixture is good to use on the majority of fibres including nylon, olefin, polyester, wool and acrylic.

Lipstick
More often than not you have no idea where it came from, or why someone was applying lipstick that close to the floor. Lipstick is an oil based stain, which is good to keep in mind when trying to treat it. A good first trick is to blot the lipstick with alcohol gently, if you keep this up it should take the stain out. Otherwise find a detergent which has a grease fighting formula, apply it to the stain and leave for 10 minutes. Once the set amount of time has elapsed work at the stain with warm water from the outside inwards.

Red wine
This is probably the classic party stain and the one where so many different stain removal techniques are suggested. It always amuses me (if it isn’t at my house) that the probability of a stain usually increasing as the night progresses. The tried and trusted process should be to firstly blot out the stain as quickly as you can with paper towels. Then combine a teaspoon of laundry soap and a cup of hydrogen peroxide in a bowl and dab the stain with a new sponge. Then put a dry towel over the stain and gently dry. Once dry, if the stain remains wash again gently with a bowl of warm water and laundry detergent.

Ketchup
We all know ketchup stains are tricky to deal with and sometimes we only get to see the stains once they are dry. The key to dealing with a ketchup stain is getting to it as quickly as possible and gently scraping as much up of the material. If the stain is dry gently wet it with warm water once ready add ½ a teaspoon of detergent or carpet cleaning solution into a litre of cold water. Soak a cloth in the mixed solution then lay the damp cloth over the stain. Use the back of the spoon to massage the stain using a spiral pattern from the outside inwards. Remove the cloth and spray warm water onto the stain, remove the excess water then dry using paper towels or a cloth.

Coffee
Most of you will have come across this stain, and I would guess the majority of you found it pretty tricky to remove. Initially it seems to come away quickly, but it is extremely tricky to get rid of it totally. To start with try to soak up as much of the spillage as possible using kitchen towels or a cloth. Next create a solution of a teaspoon of white vinegar, a teaspoon of detergent and 1000ml of warm water.

These ideas are brought to you in association with The Rug House. The Rug House are one of the UK’s biggest stockists of large rugs, make some incredible savings by checking out their latest rugs for sale. All The Rug House rugs have a price match guarantee too, meaning if you find a rug cheaper elsewhere in the UK we will match it.

After all how hard can buying the right carpet be? Well you are right and if you take a few simple steps and do a bit of research then buying a new carpet is easy. But it is very easy to be taken in by a special offer in a carpet showroom and buy the wrong carpet.

This does happen and if it happens to you, it will be costly as you may well end up buying another carpet just a few months later.

Firstly you should consider that you will get a far better service if your chosen carpet company comes out to you, rather than you simply taking your room measurements to them.

The reason for this is that they will be able to bring along samples of underlay, and even gripper rods. Both of these items can be essential to a good carpet fitting.

You may as an example have an old carpet that needs replacing, and if it does the chances are that the underlay and the gripper rods will do as well.

Fitting your own carpet is not advised for the above reasons. Laying carpet is a specialist skill and whilst you could save a few pounds by laying one yourself, you then still have to think of the time it will take to rip up the old carpet, underlay and gripper rods, and then if you cut the carpet wrongly you may have a major problem! Also who will dispose of the old carpet – doubt it will fit in your car!

By using a “Full service” carpet company, they will be able to remove your old carpet, underlay and gripper rods. They will then lay down new rods and underlay to a professional standard, ensuring that when your new carpet is laid down, it is to the highest of standards.

Also by having a carpet company come to your own house they will also be able to advise on the correct grade of carpet you need. This may sound simple but if you buy a cheap roll end of carpet that is not designed for use in a shower room, but then place it in one, you will then find it is constantly damp and lets water through to the flooring below it.

So when choosing carpet always use a specialist, do not risk buying the wrong carpet on your own.

This article comes from Beautiful Flooring, a collection of quality flooring retailers across the UK – Buy carpet online or visit us in-store.

So first of all when looking at carpet versus wooden floors you need to have a look at your lifestyle. For example do you have pets or children, or both?

Well if you just have cats or dogs, then there is a lot to be said for laminate floors as they are easy to keep clean in the event of “Accidents”, also they mean your pets will virtually never get fleas. Wooden floors can just be mopped clean if dirty, however it may be susceptible to scratching over a period of time.

Also laminate flooring is not child friendly as it has no cushioning bounce to it, in the event your little one falls over!
That said with carpet it does stain easier, and it does wear out easier than laminate flooring. However you can normally pay extra to have it scotch guarded, which is an invisible waterproof coating that helps to keep off stains such as red wine in the event that a glass is knocked over.

Carpet is also warmer to the touch underfoot, it is also normally easy to clean each week, with only a simple sweep of a vacuum cleaner being required. Carpet also comes in a far wider ranger of textures and colours.

In addition carpet can be made to fit any space far more easily than laminate flooring can be. As an example you could not realistically use laminate flooring in the same way that you could do with carpet in a lot of areas. Laminate flooring cannot be made to curl around stair treads as an example!

However in high traffic areas carpet can wear faster than laminate flooring and this is why a lot of modern properties have a mixture of both. As an example if you have a dog that stays downstairs, then having tiled or laminate floors downstairs and carpet upstairs makes a lot of sense.

However if you have no pets and small children instead, then having carpet throughout your house makes a lot of sense.

Looking to buy a new carpet or wood floor? Buy carpet and wood flooring online, or visit us in-store at one of the many Beautiful Flooring retailers.

Laminate wood flooring looks great in homes, and is very similar to hardwood flooring. If you plan on getting it in the near future, here are some of its many benefits and cost estimates to help you out, and get started.

What are the benefits of laminate wood flooring?

· Laminate wood flooring costs much less than hardwood does.

· It doesn’t need to be replaced very often, if at all.

· It is very easy to install and doesn’t require any staples or messy glue.

· Laminate keeps its nice shine and doesn’t need to be polished or waxed.

· Laminate is very resistant to stains, scratches, scuffs and bright sunlight, and isn’t easily damaged like hardwood.

· It is simply put together like a puzzle and snaps right in. You don’t have to be a professional to install this flooring.

· If you ruin one of the pieces, you can just pop it out and replace it with a new one.

How much does it usually cost?

Laminate flooring varies in price. The type you buy, color and quality you want all have a say in the price. The average costs range anywhere from $.80 to $6.00 per square foot, but will cost more if you’d like it professionally installed. If you get installed by a professional, it can cost an additional $2+ per square foot, but it’s pretty easy to install on your own, and a professional isn’t always necessary if you’re handy.

Also, if you get it professionally installed, it may cost more due to things like moving furniture in your home, getting all the supplies, showing up at your home, and lifting heavy appliances. But like anything, if you compare the prices from different companies, and get quotes on people to install it, you can find cheaper prices and more expensive prices.

Laminate flooring really is a great way to cover your floors. It’s very easy to clean, doesn’t scratch, doesn’t show wear and tear, and is much cheaper than your traditional hardwood floors that need to be replaced over the years. So, if you’d like the look of hardwood floors, but don’t want to pay the price, laminate wood flooring would probably be your best option.

This is a guest post written by Hannah Munson. Hannah runs HowMuchIsIt.org, a website that talks about How Much something will cost, whether it be a marriage certificate or something more complex like liposuction.

The first, and to my mind the best thing that you can do is to get your carpet scotch guarded. Scotch guard is a universal treatment that can be applied to any fabric, such as curtains, jackets or carpets. It is totally clear when applied so it can be put down on any colour of carpet. It then forms a virtually invisible barrier, which means if you spill coffee or red wine on your nice new cream coloured carpet, then you can mop/swipe the liquid up without it staining the carpet permanently.

Without this treatment a light coloured carpet can be ruined if you drop coffee on it.

Also if you are going to be spending a lot of money on carpet then do not try and save money by skimping on the quality of the underlay that you use. Always buy the best underlay that you can, not only will it last longer, a good underlay will make the carpet feel so much better underfoot.

And whatever you do, never put a carpet down without underlay, as if you do, the high traffic areas can see your carpet wearing out within months.

Buying a carpet can be a big investment, a good quality carpet such as Axminster can cost over £50 per square metre so it can be silly to skimp on underlay when spending such a large sum.

To ensure that you get the best from your carpet you need to ensure that you vacuum it twice a week (This is particularly important if you have pets, in order to keep fleas and ticks down) on a regular basis.

You should also budget for getting your carpet professionally cleaned at least every three months. You will notice the difference immediately with a lighter coloured carpet, however just bear in mind that a darker coloured carpet will pick up exactly the same amount of dirt during the same period.

Having your carpet cleaned regularly will help maintain its useful life. If a carpet is well maintained it will last for around ten years or more.

For more carpet advice and information, visit Beautiful Flooring; buy carpet online and visit us across the UK at one of our nationwide flooring retailers.

Laminate flooring is made of synthetic materials, and can be purchased in almost any imaginable pattern or design. The flooring is composed of four layers for a remarkably durable and beautiful flooring choice. The top layer is a sealant, which prevents scratches, dents, and stains that are so common to discount hardwood flooring. The layer beneath that is a photo of the desired flooring. There is then an inner core with plastic resin that keeps the laminate stable and flat, and a backing that creates a moisture barrier to protect the floor from warping.

The technique used in producing laminate flooring has been perfected to a point that it is often confused with the real thing. Laminates can be obtained in any desired grain, color, and pattern, and are extremely durable and easy to care for. Laminate flooring has an added pro that it is easy to install, and can even be done as a do it yourself project.

Although laminate flooring is a great option, many people still go for hardwood. Hardwood flooring sounds like authentic wood when walked on, and this is something that is not evident in all laminate floors. Hardwood flooring is also made to last, and can lend personality to the space as it ages and is weathered naturally. It can even raise the market value of a home.

A characteristic of hardwood flooring that some may find a pro and others a con, is the fact that it comes in both finished and unfinished versions, whereas discount laminate flooring is only purchased prefinished. While it requires more labor to sand and finish the hardwood flooring on the site, and may cost more in installation, finishing the flooring on the job site may allow the installer the option to vary the amount of coats of staining and finishing based on how the flooring looks in relation to the room.

Because hardwood is installed by a professional installer, and does not come prefinished with grooves, there may also be more flexibility in the way it is installed, and lend more creativity to the direction it is laid and the pattern it forms.

There are pros and cons to both discount hardwood flooring and laminate flooring. Before deciding on a flooring option, do research and bring home samples to see how the floor will look in your living space. Flooring is something that can set the tone of a room, and last for years. Take the time to do it right.

Bio:
Tom Foley is a home improvement expert who recommends Affordafloors. Affordafloors is an online discount flooring retailer that offers a wide selection of laminate flooring, discount hardwood flooring, and other flooring options.

Carpets

I like carpets in a house
Carpets keep warmth in.
I love to walk barefoot
I love the feel of carpet on my feet.

For a house that has clean colors
I would choose a colorful carpet as you see in the picture.
The carpet will bring forth joy and the colors provide clean lines

The carpets I have at home,
They are soft handmade carpets.
Very simple to clean are these carpets
And just as easy to pick up and change their places.

My house has a lot of carpets!
All sorts of sizes and colors
So …
You can also try and I know you will not regret!

Happy Winter!
Missy Poem.

Tabriz Persian rugs are named after the city and region from where they originate. Tabriz is the fourth largest city in Iran and is situated in the West of the country in the East Azerbaijan Province which is close to the Turkish and Azerbaijan border. The city has been recognised as the most prolific of Persian rug making centers and is famed worldwide for the quality and ultra-high standards of the rugs made there. It’s interesting to note that most people in the city of Tabriz are considered Azeris, a Turkic-speaking ethnic group, rather than Persians.

There are a wide variety of Tabriz Persian rug designs but most usually share common characteristics apart from their city of origin. The majority feature dense floral patterns like the one showcased in this post which in composed of a multitude of purple and red flowers and similar decorative attributes. Geometric designs and medallions can also be seen in many Tabriz rugs and again, these are also present in the example above. Other rug designs include images of hunting scenes, vases and pictorial motifs of objects common to the Persian and Azeri region of the world.

Buy here: Purple and Red Tabriz Persian Rug.

This particular 6′ 10 x 9′ 9 Tabriz Persian rug is one of a kind and has been aged so as to provide a classical and old-worldly look to your interior. You can read about the materials, colors, condition and purchasing details on the product page above.