If you are contemplating the question of carpets, you may have many issues on your mind; there will be price, colour, style, comfort and resilience, just for starters. You may also be asking which of these considerations should be paramount. Should you pay more for a certain quality? Will a more enduring carpet be better even if you can’t quite find one in the style you like best? And so on.
As you consider and cogitate, this may be a good time to consider British wool carpets. On the face of it, there may be some very obvious aspects to their appeal; the fact they are made in the UK from a material sourced here is good news for those wishing to support the domestic carpet industry and not rely on imports.
However, a more intriguing question may be this: why wool? Carpets can be made from nylon, polyester or polypropylene. As consumer guide Which? notes, there are pros and cons for different materials. For instance, those made from wool tend to be costlier and are not as stain-resistant as synthetic materials. But the latter do not last nearly as long and are not eco-friendly.
If you choose wool, therefore, a good reason to do so is that you are investing for the long run in a carpet made to last, while at the same time one that you will either be unlikely to drop a lot of staining materials on to (for example, not in a dining room) or one with colours that won’t show the stains (a dark colour at the red end of the spectrum to conceal wine spillages, for instance).
Environmental issues may also come into the reckoning. While it is true that some synthetic carpets are made using recycled plastic such as old drinks bottles, the fact remains that plastic cannot be recycled infinitely, so eventually it will still pose a problem.
Some people have issues with wool, particularly vegans and some animal rights activists who oppose sheep farming, especially its role in providing meat. But the counter-argument is that sheep farming is environmentally beneficial; it makes use of terrain such as moorland that is unsuitable for crops and the wool is an organic material.
It is for this reason that Treehugger sings the praises of wool. It is, it notes, sustainable as it grows back every year. The actual manufacturing process is less carbon intensive than with other materials such as cotton while feeding sheep is a very simple job; just put them on a grassy hillside and they will help themselves.
Besides all this, if your carpet is British, it means the carbon footprint of getting it from the hill to your house is less than if it were imported.
The best thing about wool, however, is the very reason it keeps sheep happy in all weathers and is popular with humans too; its warmth and insulating qualities. That means you can enjoy a wonderfully warming feeling under your feet, with a comfortable, soft pile.