Lifestyle carpet Oakmont Elite - any good? Is there a high risk of crushing?

Seeing you pro's know your stuff, I need a bit of help with choosing a carpet. I have visited two local independent shops but unfortunately, every carpet sample I pick up, they say 'it's a good one' and I don't really know whether they actually mean it or are pushing for a sale cos they have it on a roll etc. Went out looking for twists but they all seem so 'hard' as opposed to the plush thick pile saxonys types. Considered 80/20 but the moth thingie and pilling put me off (and that wool carpet is high maintenence)

Need a carpet for a busy front room and the stairs (3 adults, 2 children-very active, 1 cat)
*Opted for Cloud 9 Cumulous underlay*

• Really want to avoid ones that 'crush' or show 'tracks'
• Low maintenence/ easy clean ones
• Want a luxury feel

Whittled down to the following:

Oakmont Elite (Lifestyle Floors) about a 10mm dense pile, very plush, sample didnt show 'tracks' when brushed by hand, synthetic
Cormar Sensations (highly spoken of here) felt same as above but slightly shorter pile and single colour shades (bonus) poly p
Cormar?? Diplomat - nice feel, couldn't realy tell the difference between this and sensation bar one being a longer pile..I may have the make wrong

Do the above three seem like a good choice? I really do want a long lasting carpet, but would appreciate a nice feeling one at the same time after having such a short twist and 'free' rubber underlay for the last decade..

Lastly, For the stairs, they only had felt back stripey for stairs..I want the carpet to last about 10yrs so should I avoid felt back??

Thanking in advance for responses which will be greatly received
Sorry for the legthy post!

 

Avoid felt back on stairs!!

 

Sensations is a great carpet but I know of reports of it flattening within a yr or so....shame it's a nice range, simply you will not get that luxury feel and a carpet that don't crush down, it's trying to find the best of both worlds, a decent underlay will hero, cloud 9 is certainly that. Try looking for regency carpets elegance. Hope it helps.

 

For a carpet to last 10 years plus on a set of stairs I wouldn't be looking at anything man made. That sort of carpet will flatten quickly. For long lasting performance a wool/ wool mix is the best bet.

 

Do not put sensation twist on the stairs....it will look absolutely **** within months.

 

It's too thick, it's polyproplene, and cormar wouldn't even recommend it on the stairs. Well I'll re phrase that, the book may say so but they don't.

 

Oh wow - what an eye opener when given advice from people who know what they're talking about! I really sppreciate all your guidance.

I think Cormar is out of the running now..reading a lot of negatives about their stuff recently.
Will deffo avoid felt back and go for the alternative on stairs. Went again y'day and saw some nice abingdon stripes and lifestyle floors contemporary stripe. Both were not felt back.

As for the front room - the man yesterday was really pushing for the

Temptations Carpet Range by Associated Weavers (independent selling at £29.99 sq/mtr everything included - i.e., fitting/ grippers etc) - I absolutely loved the softness of it! Oh it was gorge ..although does the price seem good? I dont need their underlay as have own cloud9 so will hanker for a slight discount. Just wondered what kinda price I should barter down to..

He also showed me the Distinction range which had shorter pile than Temptation and the weave wasn't as 'tight' a quid cheaper- nice colours though. but not as soft as above

Savile Studio Collection in Sensations Heathers was £32 p/sq mtr so over my budget but this was so plush!

What are your thoughts on the Temptation carpet oh wise one(s)?

 

I think I'll talk for everyone that we're not here for compare the market regarding pricing etc, more an advice centre.
I've seen the temptation and its a brill range, still early days as its a new range but looks great.
You may be charged more for fitting own underlay and as a retailer I wouldn't guarantee any materials on accessories brought elsewhere, sorry but everyone needs to make a living.

 

Thanks for your input- although I totally understand hence going to the independent guy instead of carpet right which is right on its doorstep (ouch!) have read too much here to know that the small guys need our support and inturn provide a much more personal and caring attitude and service. Plus, despite the big boys having cheaper prices p/m2 I've learned (from forums) that they stick on a ton more with the extras so make more than their fair share of £££

Visited again today and got showed so much more- that it left me even more confused- however Adam I think I'm gonna go for the Temptation as, like its name- it's hard to resist. Can't get over how soft it is. It helps to know that someone else thinks its fab too.

Totally switched the stair Carpet choice- deffo ruled out felt back, and sensation twist (too thick, as advised by merit-)

Totally different to the narrow woven stripes I initially wanted - i really loved the Noble Saxony Stripe for the stairs (in the brown stripe-elegance?) my stairs are 75cm wide.. Think pattern repeat is 66cm ..

Think this'll be ok and good for stairs- generally/wear-wise? Will deffo have a no shoes policy once they're laid, mind- so should help.

 

I really wouldn't like to use noble saxony for anything other than bedrooms to be honest, also with any Twist/saxony stripe, particularly with lower end products, you will get line distortion on stairs pretty quickly.

 

Oh.. Fair point. This is why I keep coming back here! Back to square one(!)

Which do you ( or anyone else here) suggest for the stairs? I have a cat so would like to stay away from the loop type I was originally going for.. Just want a nice stripe please ..

 

To illustrate Steve's point

This carpet is fitted straight, the bends are at heavy traffic points, caused by the longish pile being crushed. This carpet had been fitted for 13 months when I was asked to inspect it for a shop to see if it was a fitting fault.

 

Oh my word! @ hobbit that is tragic for the home owner.. 13months is no time at all.
So really, the moral of the story is.. To stay away from the stripes for the heavy traffic areas ?? (our stairs are v busy)

Really had my heart set on stripes.. Any alternative stripes that do work?

Edt. If no to any stripes cos of distortion and cat.. Which plain will work best? Any at all.. (Above advised to stay away from twist)

 

A tight short pile carpet 80/20 or a tightly woven loop pile wool again are best on stairs IMO however no carpet lasts forever and depends a lot on underlay aswell which cloud 9 do you have ?

 

Oh and Gloucester stripe ( I think it's called if I remember correctly ) from the lifestyle range is quite nice

 

If your budget won't stretch to an 80/20 Lano's Heather Twist supreme, or Star Twist are pretty good man mades imo, or I've been fitting a lot of Stainway Tweed, Lately which looks as if it should wear well. Just replaced a HSL which I fitted 12 years ago in the Heather twist, not worn out they just wanted a different colour, they went for the same make.

 

It's the 11mm cumulus

I'm sure I saw this but had to cast it aside as potential issues that would arise thanks to the cat and his curly claws. Too many pulls etc.

I googled HSL thinking it was a carpet make!! It's clicked now though, d'oh! (Acronym for hall stairs landing @ fellow noobs)
I really like the look of the heather twist for sure. It's dawning on me that my dream of a stripey staircase is just not practical at the moment so think will have to go for plain .. (On the plus side, plain is timeless....)
I will deffo look at the 80/20 mixes although I did look at a few in the beginning of my search but they felt a tad 'rough' although google came at me with a dated thread on mumsnet 'Talk sense into me about new carpets... (20 Posts)' which kinda put me on edge with reference to carpet beetles (have known a person with this issue) moths etc and piling. Someone even said its hard to remove stains.. Whereas other ppl speak volumes of an 80/20 mix. Budget is healthy as I want a carpet that feels great underfoot and will last the 7-10 years I'd like it too.

 

You could always alternate between a few colours on the stairs if you want something different, ok it won't be stripes but imagine 2/3 colours on your stairs, for instance top landing and top step one colour, then the step another colour, the following step either another colour or the landing colour etc.
Food for thought

 

Something like this.

 

Aww, thank you for the ^picture, it's a nice idea but think will be too much for my narrow dingy stairs.
I still haven't made up my mind about the carpet although going for a v short twist on stairs and maybe the temptation on the front room.

Am so edging toward 80/20 wool (even 50/50) but it puts me off to read abt the issues associated with it (needs daily vacuuming - I didn't have enough time for this!) hard to remove stains, carpet creepy crawlies/moth attraction, pilling.. Is a part wool carpet really that much hard work?