Carpet options and prices in New Zealand

ARTICLE Joanna Mathers

When it comes to renovations, some aspects are undeniably more enjoyable than others.
While the nuts and bolts stuff (consents, weather delays, unexpected wiring issues) can be a bit arduous, the fun starts when working out how to make your new home a true reflection of your personal style.
Carpet, while eminently practical, is a great way in which to flex some creative muscle. With an ever-increasing range of materials, colours, textures and styles; carpet is a great tool for imbuing your home with warmth and personality. And depending on your living situation, it may also need to be durable, easy to clean, colourfast or sensually soft.
Here’s a handy guide to the types of carpet on the market, along with some indicative pricing to help you make an informed decision on your flooring.

How much does a wool carpet cost?

Wool carpet is prized for its durability, luxuriant texture and natural beauty; buying a New Zealand-made wool carpet also helps to support the local economy.
It also is excellent at regulating humidity in the home, as it absorbs moisture and provides natural insulation.
Monique Richardson from Cavalier Bremworth says that wool carpet has a number of other important benefits.
“Wool carpet is naturally non-allergenic – it can absorb and filter airborne volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which is great for asthmatics,” she says.
“It is also very easy to clean and is naturally water repellant. The surface area of wool has a very thin waxy lipid coating chemically bonded to the surface. That means that water droplets spilt lightly on the surface of wool will actually bead and roll off before being absorbed into the carpet.”
While wool has a raft of excellent qualities and features, it isn’t as colourfast as other products. Synthetic products also tend to carry warranties for stain and fade resistance, which wool carpets don’t have.

Costs for wool carpet

Carpet: from $40-$100+* per square metre.
Installation: from $50* p/h

How much does a solution-dyed nylon carpet cost?

This form of carpet has evolved over recent years to become the biggest selling type on the market. In this carpet, the dye is durable, hard-working and is available in a range of price points and styles. The dye is injected into the nylon’s polymer while it is in a molten state – this produces a depth of colour that cannot be achieved through the normal dyeing process.
Solution-dyed nylon is great for homes that require a hardworking carpet – it is stain and fade resistant and won’t rot or shrink. Tuftmaster Carpet from Carpet Court is an example of a solution-dyed nylon product – this carpet is non-porous and resistant to stains and odours.
Mark Cronin from Robert Malcolm Flooring says that solution-dyed yarns have a range of benefits.
“They offer many advantages for your floor, such as superior stain resistance, fade resistance, anti-static and they will not produce or grow mould, fungi or mildew.”

Costs for solution-dyed nylon carpet

Carpet: from $25-$100*+ per square metre.
Installation: from $50* p/h

How much does a polypropylene carpet cost?

Polypropylene carpet inhabits the lower end of the market price-wise. It’s hardwearing and resistant to fading and staining, but it doesn’t have the softness of other types of carpet. This is often used in rental properties, as it is durable and able to withstand wear and tear.
This type of carpet is evolving, however, with new technology creating softer and more luxuriant textures, it also has anti-static properties and has high resistance to UV rays. It is most commonly sold as a loop pile carpet.
After nylon, polypropylene carpet is the most commonly used carpet option, however, it is not as resistant as nylon and can flatten over time. For this reason, it is popular for people who use wheelchairs, as the flatness allows the chairs to travel over the carpet without resistance.

Costs for polypropylene carpet

Carpet: from $25 - $39* per square metre.
Installation: from $50* p/h

How much does a blended carpet cost?

Wool and synthetic blends are popular carpet options for many reasons. By blending wool and synthetic materials, it’s possible to cut down on carpet costs and allow the durability of synthetics to be incorporated into luxuriant wool.
Wool blended carpets are usually 20 per cent synthetic and 80 per cent wool; this can make twisted tufts appear more defined and reduce shedding. More cost-effective varieties can be 50 per cent synthetic and 50 per cent wool, offering more value but still allowing the natural qualities of wool to shine through. Wool blends are also visually hard to differentiate from pure wool carpets.

Costs for blended carpets

Carpet: from $40-$99* per square metre.
Installation: from $50* per square metre.

What is an eco-friendly carpet?

Sustainability is a major consideration for many renovators. Carpet makers understand this; there is a growing range of sustainable, eco-friendly options for people who want to keep their home clean and green.
EverStrand from Carpet Court is crafted from recycled bottles. In the past 16 years, the manufacturer of this carpet has used over 24,000,000,000 bottles to create EverStrand – a significant dent in the world’s landfills. These bottles are recycled into PET chips, extruded into fibre and then turned into carpet that is both long-lasting and durable. The EverStrand range comes in a wide array of colours and textures, has excellent fade resistance, and is soft to the touch.
Other eco-carpets on the market include Godfrey Hirst’s eco+, which is made from natural corn sugar.
The corn is grown, harvested and then processed to create a polymer that is crafted into a carpet. The greenhouse gas emission from this process is significantly lower than that produced from nylon, for instance.
But the most sustainable carpet of all is wool carpet. Being from a sheep’s back, it’s the most natural, renewable and sustainable fibre a carpet can be made from.
Cavalier Bremworth recycles all of their wool carpets into a felted wool underlay for a guaranteed renewable resource.

You might be interested in reading: Wool carpet for warmth in winter.

This article featured on page 042 in Issue 016 of Renovate Magazine. Renovate Magazine is an easy to use resource providing fresh inspiration and motivation at every turn of the page.

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