Even a clock which has stopped working is correct twice a day!!!

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Entrances give visitors their first impression of a building. A dirt infested entrance creates the wrong impression to people. This is even more crucial if the entrance is the welcome area to your office, place of work or your building.

Having a quality entrance mat will do wonders to protect your carpet or flooring. Good entrance mats combine different materials to act as a dirt and moisture barrier preserving the cleanliness of a buildings’ carpet or flooring. Most entrance mats have a course large filament scraper which is designed to help remove dirt and a soft pile material to remove moisture. With several manufacturers producing entrance mats in open or closed construction choosing the right one is not always simple. In large buildings a combination of primary barrier mats and secondary barrier carpets at different locations provide an attractive and final solution.

Improvements in the manufacture of barrier mats have produced several designs to compliment any building. Entrance mats are the dirtiest part of a floor so a regular cleaning regime is very important. Proper and timely maintenance not only keeps your carpets or flooring looking first class, but also ensures that the maximum life cycle is achieved.

So, like a stopped clock or wrist watch we are definitely correct in this matter.

Ensure you have a good, attractive durable mat to help protect your carpet or flooring

For green alternatives contact info@carpetplusflooruk.com

Playing for Change Brings Together Musicians Around the World To Sing

Playing for Change Brings Together Musicians Around the World To Sing

You don’t know me but...

You don't know us but we would like to know you and thanks for knowing us in the Twitter world and/ or the world of Facebook.

Carpet Plus Floor and our affiliate Charles Henderson Construction have the ability to make your dream home become a reality.

From increasing the space in your home (loft or basement conversion), a total remodelling, a house facelift, a beautiful new kitchen, bathroom and/ or an extension to your house we consider each project our opportunity to impress.

We have served North, North West, South West  London, London Boroughs of Barnet, Brent and Enfield areas including Ealing, Barnes, Kensington, Richmond, Mill Hill, Borehamwood, Edgware, Cockfosters, & St Albans for over 16 years, we cover both residential and commercial properties. Carpet Plus Floor offer a wide selection of sale and discount carpets

We do not only install carpet, wood and laminate flooring, but design floors to our clients’ specification; working with a lot of flooring made from recycled materials such as sisal floor coverings, wool carpets, rubber flooring and stone resin floors.

We also advise on and supply and install non allergenic floor coverings.

Our professional service includes working from plans and /or site visits. Our large professional team of experienced and fully qualified fitters can deal with any project from conception to completion.

Every project is our opportunity to impress.

Previous projects have included private homes, offices, nursing homes, hotels, embassies, night clubs and everything from a canal boat to places of worship.
Whether a room, a house, offices or a whole development

Carpet Plus Floor can devise an installation programme to suit all budgets.

Visit our interactive "design room" at www.carpetplusflooruk.com and see how a carpet or flooring colour will change your living room, dining room or bedroom.

Our interactive room allows you to choose which room (living, dining or bedroom). Decide which type of flooring (carpet, laminate or wood).

Choose a colour from the colour palette, clic on it and see it in the room

Remember you are someone else’s reason to smile!!!

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Wednesday the middle of the week so let your hair down, put on a smile and start your march towards the weekend. Whether you are working over the weekend or have nothing planned, remember you are someone else’s reason to smile!!!

Mr Bill Cosby a wonderful man, full of wit and lovely quips.

Here are a few to help you get the smile going.

-Every father says the same thing: "Where's your mother?"

-Always end the name of your child with a vowel, so that when you yell the   name will carry.

-I said to a guy, "Tell me, what is it about cocaine that makes it so wonderful," and he said, "Because it intensifies your personality." I said, "Yes, but what if you're an asshole?"
-A word to the wise ain't necessary. It's the stupid ones who need the advice.

-I am not the boss of my house. I don't know when I lost it. I don't know if I ever had it. But I have seen the boss's job, and I don't want it!

-It was because of my father that from the ages of seven to fifteen, I thought that my name was Jesus Christ. He'd say, "Je-sus Christ!" And my brother Russell thought that his name was "Dammit". "Dammit, will you stop all that noise?! And Jesus Christ, sit down!"  One day, I'm out playing in the rain, my father yelled, "Dammit will you get back in here!" I said, "Dad, I'm Jesus Christ!"

-Human beings are the only creatures that allow their children to come back home.

-Gray hair is God's graffiti.

-People will frighten you about a graduation. They use words you don't hear often: "and we wish you Gods speed." It is a warning, "Gods speed." It means you are no longer welcome here at these prices.

Frizzy hair or electric shock ?

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There several steps you can take to reduce the build up of static in your body.

The earliest method used to control static was to place pans of water in a room or the use of indoor plants that require watering.

If sufficient water is added to the air, it will eliminate the static problem, but too much moisture can produce condensation on windows.

Humidify the air in your house. There are several ways to add humidity to the air. Humidifiers do a wonderful job of returning much needed moisture, but they will end up costing you money because they need electricity to operate. After you wash your clothes, hang them in various rooms of the house, not very attractive or orderly, but it works. As the clothes dry, water evaporates and humidifies the air.

Fill vases with decorative shells or stones and add water. Leave potted plants all over the house especially in areas where static electric shocks are a problem, replenish the water regularly.

Fill a spray bottle with water and mist the air. Add a drop or two of your favourite essential oil to add a fresh scent. Adding freshly squeezed lemon juice to the water vases also adds a clean fresh smell to your home.

As you add humidity to the air in your home, you will find your clothes will have much less static cling, hair will cooperate better and your children won't run around the house having shock fights.

Do you have a problem with static electricity?

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There are many variables that contribute to static electricity in individuals. Weight, walking habits, and the type of soles on your shoes are all contributing factors. Other contributing factors are the construction of the carpet, the backing, type of underlay, the kind of floor, the cleanliness of the carpet and the amount of moisture in the air.
Carpet can help in the build up of static electricity. Just from walking across a carpeted floor, you can give someone or yourself quite a shock. When you walk across the carpet, the friction from each step you take builds up in your body and you can eventually build up to 20,000 volt, shocking for your family and friends with a friendly touch. In a darkened room you can actually see the discharge of electricity in the form of a blue light. However, humidity is the biggest factor in the creation of static electricity.

Static electricity can cause harm to electrical appliances such as televisions and computers. The static electric charge can even ruin a computer. There are simple things you can do to reduce the amount of static charge that builds on your body.

The term antistatic electricity refers to a condition where static generation is inhibited during contact and separation with a different material. In general, antistatic carpet is any carpet that will generate less static electricity than standard carpet. Antistatic carpet is not conductive but it is not possible to ground anti-static carpet. Antistatic carpet usually contains bi-component yarns. The reason for specifying antistatic carpet is to establish a space that will be free of static shocks, or zaps. Most new antistatic carpet will prevent shocks as long as the relative humidity (RH) is above 25%. Anti static carpet should NOT be confused with conductive or ESD carpet. Antistatic is not a permanent property.

During periods of low humidity, static electricity can be generated simply by walking across a carpet or other surfaces. While you will find this irritating, it does not mean that the floor covering is defective. The generation of this condition can be reduced or eliminated. This reduction can be accomplished by having a carpet treated with anti static products approved for the carpet during the manufacturing process or applied after. 

Contact info@carpetplusflooruk.com for more information.

Caring for your carpet

       

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Check whether a carpet has been treated with a protective finish, such as guardsman or scotch guard, to prevent permanent staining. If not, you can have this done professionally but ask a professional whether it is necessary.

Vacuuming rooms regularly prevents dirt and grit from matting the fibres of the carpet. Vacuum clean new carpet several times to remove loose fibres which have worked loose during the carpet fitting.

Make sure carpet treatments and stain removers are approved for use on wool carpets, which means that they’re suitable and effective for wool-rich carpets.

Deal with stains straightaway.

Blot the stain rather than rubbing it, and work from the outside to avoid it spreading.

Blot wine spills with a clean white cloth

Soak liquids with a clean, dry, white absorbent cloth, tissue or piece of kitchen roll.

Apply the cleaning agent to the cloth, not the stain, unless a product’s you are using direct you otherwise.

Give carpets the occasional deep clean. Always seek the advise of a professional especially if you have a wool a carpet.

Use doormats to remove grit and dirt from shoes and also to prevent heavy wear by doors. Door mats can be made from your own carpet

Carefully snip snags or pulls with a pair of scissors rather than pulling them out.

What vacuum cleaner? I hear you say

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A vacuum cleaner is one of the home appliances we need for a cleaner environment in our homes. Whether it is hair from the family pet or grit and mud from outside a good vacuum cleaner saves time, gives us a cleaner environment and rejuvenates the fibres of the carpet in our home.

The most important choice you have to start with is if you want an upright or cylinder cleaner? Cylinder vacuum cleaners are lighter and more compact, making them the better for cleaning stairs, upholstery and difficult to reach areas. They tend to be on the other hand not as good at picking up hairs, their hoses can be difficult to store easily and can be clumsy and difficult to manoeuvre. Upright vacuum cleaners are good at picking up hairs (pet), easier to store and cover large areas quicker, however they can be noisy, more difficult on stairs and hard to reach areas and tend to be heavier.

All vacuum cleaners originally came with bags which collected and stored the dust till they were full but in the last 15 years since Dyson revolutionary bag less vacuum cleaner which have become very popular. Bagged vacuum cleaners are a hygienic and allergy friendly way of cleaning as the collecting bag collects the dust being vacuumed, however the bags are an extra expense, sometimes replacement bags are difficult to find, it is therefore prudent to always have spare bags. The bag less alternative removes the need to change the bags and consequently save you money but emptying them can be very messy when the dust spills out. Research shows that there is only a marginal difference in suction between the two.

In making your decision consider storage, where you will be using the vacuum cleaner, the weight and reach of the vacuum cleaner, the type of floor, what anti allergy filters are fitted on the machine, the wattage (a high wattage does not mean better suction but you might use more electricity) and the noise levels of the vacuum cleaner.

Vacuum cleaners also come as cordless, handheld or robotic.

We shall tackle these soon.

What you need to pamper your feet 2.

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Choosing the right underlay will depend largely on your budget and your considerations for your comfort. You will also need to factor in how much foot traffic your carpet will be getting. Businesses will want durability over comfort whereas a quiet home may prefer comfort over a highly durable underlay. You will also want to consider the carpet you are putting on top. If you are choosing an expensive carpet, like a wool carpet, you will want an underlay that protects it as much as possible.

PU foam underlay has been in high demand among the interior designers and home owners. PU foam underlay offers ultimate comfort and luxury with fabulous carpet wear protection and visual retention.

Waffle rubber underlay suit all areas in the home. This type of underlay has been in great demand for several years. The waffle structure is one of the most popular underlay because the waffle design helps air to circulate reducing condensation under the carpet. Waffle underlay will quite often outlast your carpet. When purchasing, pay for quality materials. Thicker underlay is usually better than thinner underlay. If the underlay is thin it will not last as long.

Crumb rubber underlay is firm, flat and best suited for very heavy domestic use and contract applications. It offers the ultimate carpet protection in a busy home or commercial areas.

Combination underlay is made up of two parts. The top surface is made of up 100% recycled fibre and the base is made up of recycled crumb rubber.

Felt underlay is made up of 100% recycled fibres. This underlay is dense, firm and is quite durable suited for both heavy contract and domestic installations.

Polyurethane underlay, are made out of recycled materials. It is very durable and affordable and is particularly appealing to environmentalists. It is available in a variety of weights and thicknesses.

If you are going to be installing under floor heating, you will need an underlay that allows the heat to rise through your floor covering. The rate of heat flow is measured for each underlay with a Tog rating. For those that need to know! - A "tog" is a measure of resistance to heat flow through a material. 1 tog = 0.1m²K/W. For example, your bedding duvet (quilt) may be rated "6 tog" or more, while your shirt may be "0.7tog" or less. It is best to talk to a specialist before choosing an underlay for under floor heating.

Pampering your feet indoors must be a priority in your home.

What you need to pamper your feet.

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If you are of the opinion that is important to pamper your feet all the time then it is very important you factor carpeting into your costing at the beginning of your interior design project and not as an afterthought. All too often, homeowners cut corners when it comes to what’s under their feet.

The thickness and quality of the underlay you choose will determine how much more plush and luxurious you carpet will feel under your feet.

Often when most people are insulating their homes, they insulate the roof space, double glaze the windows but forget to insulate the floors. If the rest of the room is insulated, the floor becomes a thermal weak point. Remember an un-insulated sub floor can absorb up to 30% of your home's heating. Floor boards often let in drafts from the under floor through airbrick ventilation that needs to be there to allow the timbers to dry out and to ventilate the under floor cavity.

Using quality underlay for your carpet gives the carpet a softer feel than lower quality underlay and is quite effective for timber floors which are sometimes particularly draughty. Draughty floorboards leak more heat than an un-lagged loft. A solid ground floor is more difficult to insulate retrospectively.

So insulating your floors with quality underlay will not only keep you warmer in the winter but also cooler in the summer and ensure that walking on air feel we covet so much. This would help you keep your heating bills down and sometimes will even remove musty smells where present. Underlay, just like the foundations of your home, the insulation, wiring and pipe work, is crucial. It is a detail that while unseen will make your home all the more comfortable to live in.

Underlay protects the carpet making it easier to clean and therefore more hygienic. Vacuum cleaning is more efficient with underlay since most machines ‘lift’ the carpet to provide air circulation, thus insuring maximum cleaning power. This can also help reduce the grinding action of embedded dirt that can cut and damage carpet fibres. Quality underlay is particularly useful on uneven floors. Most carpet underlay is designed to reduce airborne noise which is often a nuisance.  Independent testing has shown that an impact sound reduction down to 34Db is easily achievable with the underlay alone. When combined with a carpet, this sound level will, be reduced even further.

Choosing the right underlay will depend largely on your budget and your considerations for your comfort. You will also need to factor in how much foot traffic your carpet will be getting. Businesses will want durability over comfort whereas a quiet home may prefer comfort over a highly durable underlay. You will also want to consider the carpet you are putting on top. If you are choosing an expensive carpet, like a wool carpet, you will want an underlay that protects it as much as possible.

Pampering your feet indoors must be a priority in your home.

Carpets and allergies

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Carpets often can be a problem for people with allergies. Allergens such as dust, mites, microbes etc. tend to settle in the carpet fibre and exposure to these allergens can cause allergic symptoms and respiratory problems to some people.

Recent improvements in the carpet manufacturing processes have produced several quality non allergenic carpet types and qualities. As the name suggests, these types of carpet cause fewer incidences of allergic reactions if any. Non allergenic carpets are made from synthetic compounds that are inert, do not emit volatile toxins and do not undergo spontaneous degradation.

The incidences of allergic reactions may not be completely eliminated as the causes of allergies are wide and varied, from air borne particles to stuff on our clothes, bed linen etc., but the allergic reactions will be significantly reduced.

 An allergy, if well managed, can be a minor irritant. Carpets keep dust and allergens close to the floor thereby reducing their load in the air. But poorly maintained carpets or those without non allergenic properties can become a source of allergens themselves.

At Carpet Plus Floor you can select from a wide range of non allergenic carpets from a wide selection of manufactures in various textures and colours. With our professional installation service, you can have quality carpet in your home without worrying about your health or for further information you can contact us by email at info@carpetplusflooruk.com

Office Accidents and Monday Blues

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The day has just begun and I’m still trying to shake of the joy and fun from the weekend.

So I decide to have a nice cup of coffee hoping this will help get rid of the Monday Blues.

Back at my desk with hot cup of coffee, telephone rings, I’m startled into action and that’s when it happens – the office accident.

In my haste to pick up the darn phone hoping to silence the beast and get back to my lovely cup of coffee I did what people do from time to time. It all happened in slow motion, I saw my travelling hand brush against the cup and watched as if in a trance, the cup tipping towards the keyboard as if to say “hello” like strangers meeting for the first time. Now it’s too late, there’s coffee all over the keyboard as though the keys need to shake off the Monday blues more than I do. My mind is clogged with the repercussions I jump into action a second time. This is all too much, I suppose it will be cool if I was in training for the Olympic event of arriving at work on Monday mornings early, ready, fully awake and rearing to go.

Forward 30 minutes later, I have managed to feed the coffee to some paper towels but......? I hear you ask. YES! You guessed right, some of the keys are refusing to function like they normally do. They are behaving like upset teenagers and will not do what is expected of them.

QUESTION – How does one get rid of coffee which has managed to smuggle itself under the keys of my computer keyboard like a thief on Monday morning bleep #*@# bleep.  HELP>>>>!!!! Suggestions will be appreciated.

How to Prevent Stress and Anxiety from Controlling Your Life | How Life Works

How to Prevent Stress and Anxiety from Controlling Your Life | How Life Works

Carpet Trends and Carpet Colour Choices

Cork flooring the eco friendly alternative flooring

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You’ve probably heard of many environmentally friendly flooring products but may not be sure why. I’ll just quickly go over some of the reasons that make cork eco friendly.

Firstly cork is a renewable resource of material. A renewable resource is something that can be replaced by natural processes at a rate comparable to or faster than the rate of consumption by humans. This renewability is due to the way cork is harvested. Cork comes in several colours and finishes.

Cork comes from the bark of the cork oak tree. This bark is stripped from the trees without actually causing any damages to the trees. Harvesting the cork bark from these oak trees actually encourages growth, whilst increasing the amount of oxygen it gives off. The Cork bark is initially harvested when the tree is on average approximately 25 years old. Harvesting of the bark takes place approximately every nine years. This harvesting is done over several years because cork oak trees usually live to be over 150 years.

I know there are plenty of other requirements that a resource is required to meet before being deemed as a renewable source.

I shall not list fully the requirements now however in flooring products, once installed they must meet rigid air quality standards. Also, they must be mainly recyclable, all of which apply to Cork Flooring and this due to how useful its natural properties are.

Another point which generally gets lost in discussions is the benefits Cork Flooring brings to your home. You will not be losing out in any way in terms of quality durability or price if you decide on a Cork Floor. Cork is as tough as miner’s boots and the choice in finishes and colours available are extremely wide. You can have it unfinished so you can put your own decorative ideas to bear on the finishing thereby personalising your floor to suit your own decor.

Cork has a natural resistance to mould and moisture making it one of the most ideal flooring for kitchens and bathrooms. It is naturally resistant to all things which commonly cause devastation to hardwood flooring alternatives.

Cork Flooring also provides a warm, soft and pleasant to look at flooring to walk on. Cork Flooring provides a wonderfully terrific alternative green flooring option for your home and if you are concerned about this wonderful planet we live on, I hope you will explore this lovely flooring product as an option for your home.

What are some signs of poorly installed carpet?

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When you are decorating your home choosing the right carpet for your home can be as big a decision as buying your next family car. Make the wrong choice and the whole project looks wrong.

Having good quality carpet properly installed in your home can completely change the look of a room, office or a house. Quality product poorly laid is the epitome of shabbiness.

Just as you wouldn't make a decision from the first car salesman in town without first doing a little research, the same applies when choosing a carpet for your home.

First, you want to be sure that the person or retailer you have chosen is reliable, dependable and employs qualified installers. Even if you do a hefty amount of research on the company or retailer, not many actually know the ins and outs of having carpet installed.

In our many years of service in the carpet industry, we are very familiar with some of the main reasons why consumers complain about poorly installed carpet.

A recurring problem for most people are creases in the fitted carpets, creases will appear in carpet which is poorly fitted as the carpet will not have been stretched properly mainly due to the use of the wrong equipment and also simply because of lazy finishing. This can also occur if the carpet is not tucked properly around the edges and therefore will not be sitting on the gripper rods but lying loose around the edges.

Another problem is when seams are not properly done or are put in the wrong position. The location of the seam can determine whether you will even see the seam.

Depending on how light behaves in the room a seam can be an eye sore and very visible.

A carpet seam is a weak point in the material if not done properly.

When the edges of carpet around the perimeter of the rooms are cut unevenly before being turned onto the holding pins in the gripper rods this will leave the carpet edges having a puckered uneven look and not the smooth finish of carpet which has been properly installed.

It is always advisable to ensure that carpet installation is done by a professional who has the right tools and experience even if it may cost a little more especially if the product is a wool carpet. This will ensure that the product wears well and still looks good even after years of use.

Happy decorating.

What are the methods of carpet construction?

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The majority of the carpet supplied in the U.K. is tufted rather than woven. Woven carpets can be...

The majority of the carpets are tufted rather than woven. Woven carpets can be handmade or machine-made and tend to be high end or more expensive. All carpet used to be hand woven. Huge advantage in the carpet industry was the invention of tufting equipment in the 1930s. Tufting equipment is versatile and efficient and allows for a whole range of styling and design effects in an extremely cost effective manner. A tufting machine looks a lot like a sewing machine with hundreds of needles across the width that tuft the yarn into a substrate. The tufting machine punches the yarn into this grid of fabric that's called the primary backing.

The tufted carpet are then dyed to the desired colour. A secondary backing (the woven material seen on the back of most carpets) is then attached to the dyed carpet by using a latex coating between the dyed carpet and the secondary backing. This carpet is passed through an oven to cure the latex. This  adds dimensional stability and also locks in the tufts. The carpet has a fuzzy surface at this point so the carpet must go through a finishing operation which is composed of shearing off the fuzz and trimming the carpet to the proper finished width. You now have carpet which can be shipped to the retailer.

Does the height of the pile matter in choosing a carpet?

Tall fibre in carpets does not necessarily translate to a harder or better wearing carpet.

The higher the fibre the better propensity it has to fall over when you walk on it and flatten in a shorter period of time. When a human being walks on something, all their weight is concentrated into a small area. It is even more so on stairs. An average-sized woman wearing high heels exerts approximately 1100 pounds of force in their heels.

Thick does not always mean good. Some of the best wearing products that you can get are short and very tightly packed together. You want a lot of fibre per sq. Inch, therefore the heavier the weight of a carpet the better. The reason for this is because the fibres support each other, this makes tightly packed carpet wear very well.

Softer and thicker carpet is nicer for a bedroom.

Low and dense carpet is a better choice for stairs. The weight or concentration of fibre (tufts per square inch) is more important any areas with very heavy usage and in hallways and on stairs.  

So in choosing your carpet quality be aware of which carpet works best in which areas in your home and always bear in mind that the look, feel and durability is appropriate for use in your home, office, place of worship or the space in which the carpet is going to be fitted.