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<h3>Professional installation is a must</h3>

Putting carpet in your home correctly will help your home to look its best and ensure that you get the most use from your new flooring.

It is important that all carpet is professionally installed in accordance with the Carpet and Rug Institute’s <a href="http://www.carpet-rug.org/Documents/Publications/CRI-105-2015.pdf">CRI Carpet Installation Standard 2015</a> and the recommendations set out in the <a href="https://www.godfreyhirst.com/na/carpet/carpet-care/care-guides-na">Godfrey Hirst Carpet Maintenance and Guarantee booklet</a>.


<h3>What else should I consider?</h3>

<ul>
	<li>Yes, you have enough carpet for your rooms and hallways, but do you need a bit more? We recommend that you keep the future in mind and purchase some extra carpet to update area such as stairs and any heavily trafficked or damaged areas in the years to come. You can also keep left over carpet to bind and make into mats.</li>
	<li>Don't forget underlay. Carpet should be installed on new underlay that is compatible with the quality and use of your new carpet. </li>
</ul>


<h3>Preparing your home</h3>

Don't forget to get yourself ready when it's time for the carpet to arrive.

<ul>
	<li>Make sure you have made arrangements for the take up and disposal of your old carpet.</li>
	<li>You'll also need to shift your furniture out of the way to allow the carpet to be installed.</li>
	<li>Ensure that you can provide the easiest access for your carpet delivery.</li>
	<li>If the outside area is muddy, it's a great idea to provide an area for cleaning shoes</li>
	<li>If you are laying carpet in a new house check that it is ready to go ie. the power is on, the floor is clean, painted surfaces are dry, tiling is complete etc.</li>
</ul>


<h3>Putting the carpet in</h3>

The big day is here. The carpet has arrived and it is ready to transform your home. How do you make sure it is installed correctly?

1. First things first. Check the underlay, trims, color and style are what you have purchased. No point getting it all installed correctly if it is the wrong carpet!

2. Now for the skills and artistry of the carpet layer. They should do the following:

<ul>
	<li>All carpets should be power stretched, otherwise bubbling and wrinkling will occur.</li>
	<li>Seam adhesive must be used for all seams.</li>
	<li>Carpet pile should run in the same direction throughout the house, sweeping towards the main entrance.</li>
	<li>Generally seams should run in the same direction as most foot traffic.</li>
	<li>On stairways the pile should sweep down.</li>
	<li>Extra, hidden carpet should be folded back at the top and bottom of stairs so that as the edges of the tread are worn, the carpet can be moved to hide the wear.</li>
</ul>

3. The carpet layer has finished and, at first glance, it looks great. You need to check it over though, just to be sure. Before the carpet layer leaves your property inspect the laid carpet for faults and check that no damage has been caused during installation.


<h3>After laying</h3>

<ul>
	<li>After your carpet is laid, vacuum lightly and frequently in the first week to remove surface lint dust and fluff.</li>
	<li>Accessorise to get the look you desire and enjoy your fantastic floor covering!</li>
</ul>

Now that you've chosen the right carpet, it's time to make sure it is installed the right way.

Installation Standards

We believe that exquisite interiors begin with the perfect flooring. For unrivalled comfort, you cannot go past the look and feel of a Godfrey Hirst wool carpet. Proudly designed and made in Auckland, with wool sourced from New Zealand farms, our carpet is where the best of Aotearoa comes together to make a truly beautiful and luxurious product.

Our stunning and versatile ranges of cut pile or loop pile wool carpets are available in an array of sublime, earthy tones creating the ideal foundation for your interior space. We love the cosy softness of wool carpets, but the benefits of this 100% natural fibre go far beyond comfort. Natural wool properties make wool carpet ideal for every climate, insulating for warmth during winter chills, cooling for relief through sultry summers and keeping room temperatures just right during cool autumn nights and sunny spring days.

We really know wool. Every year we scour over 250,000 tonnes of it to make our beautiful wool carpet, making us the largest wool carpet manufacturer in the world.

The incredible resource of wool, a pure, biodegradable and renewable material is at the heart of our Farm to Floor story. Natural stain resistance, easy to maintain and the flame retardancy of wool fibres make it a practical floor covering that is sure to enhance the look and feel of any space. 

Why Wool? 
Luxurious and soft to the touch, wool provides remarkable beauty, high performance, low maintenance, health benefits, and outstanding environmental integrity. 
Wool is the only authentic naturally sustainable fiber, which synthetics strive to emulate.

Soil and Stain Resistant 
The scales on the outside of wool fibers cause liquids to bead up on the surface, helping to keep the wool stain free. This scaled structure helps to keep dust and dirt from penetrating into the fiber.

Biodegradable 
Wool is a protein composed of amino acids, very much like our skin and hair. Amino acids are the building blocks of life. When you bury a wool product in soil, it is naturally biodegradable and provides nutrients to the soil.

Sustainable and Renewable 
Wool is the ultimate sustainable fiber. Sheep grow wool continuously and can be shorn every 9 to 12 months, making it rapidly and readily renewable. Since the wool is derived from natural resources - water, sun and grass - it is a natural fiber and also requires less energy to produce than synthetic fibers.

Resilient 
A single strand of wool can be stretched and compressed 30,000 times and retain its original shape, making wool carpet and rugs extremely resilient, durable and long lasting.

Fire Resistant 
Wool is a safe fiber that is difficult to ignite due to its natural chemical structure, which is high in both nitrogen and moisture. Wool does not melt, drip or emit noxious fumes. It burns slowly and is soft extinguishing.

Godfrey Hirst wool carpet, with wool sourced from New Zealand farms, our carpet is where the best of Aotearoa comes together to make a truly beautiful and luxurious product.

Our Wool Story

<h3>Light or Dark?</h3>

The light and space of each room will often influence your color palette. If the area is small or lacks natural light, then a lighter shade of carpet will make it appear larger and brighter. Equally, darker carpets will serve to warm up a room, giving larger spaces a cosy feel, while adding depth and character.

Expert tip: Carpet colors can appear different throughout your home depending on the light source. 

<a href="/products?type=CPT&amp;colour=orange&amp;colour=yellow">Browse our light colored carpet</a> 
<a href="/products?colour=purple&amp;colour=black&amp;type=CPT">Browse our dark colored carpet</a>

<h3>What's going to work in this room?</h3>

Considering how a room will be used is key when choosing carpet. A hard-wearing, stain resistant carpet, in a forgiving dark or multi-colored shade, is a great choice for energetic young families or pet owners. Entertainers may prefer a combination cut and loop pile in mid-tones, while professionals may opt for lighter toned plush-pile adding an element of sophistication.

Expert Tip: Consider your lifestyle; decide if you need family and pet friendly carpet, prefer plush luxury, need a discreet neutral decorating base or wish to create a dramatic style statement. 
<a href="/products?colour=purple&amp;colour=black&amp;type=CPT">Browse our dark colored carpet</a> 
<a href="/products?type=CPT&amp;colour=orange&amp;colour=yellow">Browse our light colored carpet</a>

<h3>Setting the Mood</h3>

Color not only adds dimension to a room but can affect your mood as well, so it’s important to think about the kind of feel you wish to create. Peaceful blues, greens and neutrals fill your home with calm and are ideal for bedrooms, studies and retreats. While bright coloured carpets serve to enliven family rooms, entertainment areas and playrooms.

Expert tip: Traditionally cooler color palettes of green and blues create a fresh and calm feel, just as, orange red or deep browns work to generate warmth and design excitement. 
<a href="/products?colour=orange&amp;colour=yellow&amp;colour=brown&amp;colour=green&amp;type=CPT">Browse our calming colored carpets</a> 
<a href="/products?colour=red&amp;colour=blue&amp;colour=yellow&amp;type=CPT">Browse our lively colored carpets</a>

<h3>Neutral or pop of color?</h3>

Neutral shades of beige or smoky charcoals offer an elegant backdrop for decorating, while bleached blonde shades work beautifully alongside Nordic interiors and open plan living. 
Color can create drama; rich earthy tones, lush botanical greens, feminine pastels, aquatic blues or dramatic purples tell your unique design story.

Expert tip: Neutral shades come in both warm and cool tones and are the ideal decorating base allowing for more adventurous color choices on walls, furnishings and furniture. 
Experimenting with bright and bold colors, especially in smaller areas, can lift a room and create an energetic mood. Deeper shades can camouflage wear and dirt in high traffic areas too.

<a href="/products?colour=brown&amp;colour=green&amp;type=CPT">Browse your neutral colored carpets</a> 
<a href="/products?colour=red&amp;colour=blue&amp;colour=yellow&amp;type=CPT">Browse our colored carpets</a>

Choices in carpet color can influence the mood and set the scene of any space.

Carpet Colors

Here are some basic carpet cleaning tips to help you keep your carpet looking good.

<ul>
	<li>Always blot, never rub or scrub</li>
	<li>Immediately scoop or blot up as much of the spill as possible, working from the outer edge towards the center to avoid spreading</li>
	<li>For most common household stains, treat with warm (not hot ) water</li>
	<li>For wool/wool blends, add one teaspoon of laundry detergent approved for wool and one teaspoon of white vinegar to each litre of warm water. </li>
	<li>Pre-test a small inconspicuous area of the carpet to ensure against damage and possible color change</li>
	<li>Press dry the carpet with clean white cloth or paper towel in between treatments</li>
	<li>Once treated, apply water with a cloth until the carpet no longer feels sticky or soapy, then blot up with a clean white cloth or paper towel</li>
	<li>Place several layers of paper towel or cloth over the cleaned area and place a flat weight on them to absorb remaining moisture</li>
	<li>If unsuccessful, call a professional carpet cleaner immediately.</li>
</ul>

Here are some basic carpet cleaning tips to help you keep your carpet looking good.

Carpet Care - Cleaning Guide

Extra care is required when ordering and installing patterned carpets. All products must be installed according to CRI 105 2015. 
 
The pattern length repeat is an important piece of information that needs to be factored in when determining order quantities. If seams are going to be required then each run of carpet should be ordered at the required length plus one pattern length repeat. This will provide an allowance for alignment of the pattern when making the seam. 
 
Care is also to be taken cutting the selvedge when making a seam. Prior to cutting back the selvedge, the installation mechanic should be noting the relationship between the pattern orientation, pattern width repeat, and the pile texture to ensure that the best match is made when the seam is created.

<h2> </h2>

<h3>Our tolerances for patterned carpet are:</h3>
<ul><li>Bow: 1.5” across 12’ width</li>
<li>Skew: 1.5” across 12’ width</li>
<li>Pattern Elongation: 1.5” in 12’ down the length</li>

While Godfrey Hirst use the best available techniques to minimise pattern distortion during manufacture, the extensible nature of textile products means that some distortion due to shrinkage or stretch during and after manufacture is unavoidable, such that perfect pattern match cannot be guaranteed. Installation of patterned carpet will require more time, effort and skill and a competent carpet mechanic should be able to obtain a close pattern match in most circumstances though some irregularities may still be visible, particularly over multiple width installations. We further suggest you discuss pattern matching with your carpet mechanic.
</ul>

Extra care is required when ordering and installing patterned carpets. Read more.

Installation of patterned carpet

With easy regular care you can protect your investment and keep your carpet looking great for as long as possible.

Regular Vacuuming

<ul>
	<li>It is important to vacuum your carpet thoroughly and frequently, particularly in high traffic areas to prolong the life of and enhance the appearance of your carpet.</li>
	<li>After your carpet is laid, vacuum lightly and frequently in the first week and then at least weekly and more frequently in high traffic areas after that.</li>
	<li>Give three vacuum passes for light soiled areas and five to seven passes for heavily soiled areas.</li>
	<li>Vacuum first against the pile direction to help unsettle and remove dirt and grit to reduce matting.</li>
	<li>When finishing, vacuum in the direction of the pile to achieve a uniform finish.  
	 </li>
</ul>

Vacuum Type

<ul>
	<li>Use only a quality vacuum.</li>
	<li>Vacuums fitted with micro filter systems ensure fine particles (such as dustmite allergens ) are removed and stay in the collection bag (particularly if you are dust sensitive).</li>
	<li>To prevent excess fuzzing turn the brush off, or change the head when vacuuming loop pile, cut pile or berber carpet.</li>
	<li>Check and adjust the height of beaters if fitted regularly to ensure the carpet is not damaged by excessive beating.</li>
	<li>For thicker carpets with a higher pile, the height of beaters may be raised and/or suction level reduced to make vacuuming easier.</li>
	<li>Suction efficiency is reduced considerably when bags are half full.</li>
	<li>Change or empty dust collection bags frequently and replace filters as recommended by the manufacturer.  
	 </li>
</ul>

Steam Cleaning

<ul>
	<li>Depending on usage carpet should be professionally steam cleaned every 12-18 months.</li>
	<li>Steam Cleaning should only be undertaken by a professional carpet cleaner who is a member of a professional association.</li>
	<li>Shampooing, do it yourself steam cleaning or dry cleaning are not recommended. </li>
</ul>

Spot Cleaning

<ul>
	<li>Prompt attention to spillages or stains is paramount to avoid the penetration of a stain into the carpet fiber.</li>
	<li>Liquids (particularly hot liquids) must be attended to immediately. If allowed to cool or dry, the stain will be more difficult to remove. </li>
	<li>Care must be taken as haphazard attempts at spot removal can cause permanent stain setting, pile distortion and loss of color. </li>
	<li>Follow the stain removal steps as recommended. </li>
	<li>Exercise extreme care with all bleaches and chemical products as the can permanently discolor or dissolve carpets. </li>
</ul>

 

Ways to Protect Your Carpet

<ul>
	<li>Place door mats at exterior doorways.</li>
	<li>Use furniture coasters and chair pads under chairs with castors and occasionally rearrange furniture to alleviate pressure marks.</li>
	<li>Use rugs to protect carpet in high traffic areas.</li>
	<li>Protect carpet from prolonged periods of direct sunlight with curtains or blinds.</li>
</ul>

Some handy hints to help you care for your carpet

Carpet Care Tips

Every Godfrey Hirst broadloom carpet and area rug is designed to create a differentiated, premium space that suits your unique style. 
 
Established in 1865, Godfrey Hirst has a long-established heritage, becoming known around the globe for quality and high-performance products. In fact, we guarantee your satisfaction with our Godfrey Hirst Consumer Assurance Warranty program.

 
This exclusive program, as outlined in the following pages, warrants all Godfrey Hirst broadloom carpets for durability and integrity of design.

You can download or print a copy of this brochure to keep with other important papers regarding your Godfrey Hirst carpet or rug: 
• Original invoice/receipt 
• Copy of sample label (from retailer) 
• Cleaning receipts 
 
Retaining these documents ensures that, in the unlikely event of a claim, all of the necessary paperwork will be easily accessible. Godfrey Hirst also recommends keeping a 2'x3' piece of carpet from your installation for your warranty or in case you ever need to make a repair.

 
Refer to this document for the specifics of each warranty and enjoy your Godfrey Hirst carpet.

<a href="https://res.cloudinary.com/gh/image/upload/v1/brands/gh-wool-na/docs/godfrey-hirst-warranty/brochure.pdf"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/gh/image/upload/v1/brands/gh-wool-na/docs/godfrey-hirst-warranty/brochure.jpg" width="200" />  
Godfrey Hirst Warranty Brochure</a>