Avonvale Carpets

Owing to the death of a family member, we will be closed early today. We will be open as usual tomorrow (Saturday 14th September) and from Monday.

Many thanks for your understanding.

We are pleased to be one of only a few retailers nationally that you can purchase the Antiquity Collection from Axminster Carpets.

Samples are instore for viewing.

Great to spot Radio Bath whilst visiting Fivezerossupercars today. They’ve teamed up to offer the chance to win an hours ride as a passenger in a performance car in aid of Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, and a live broadcast is happening here on the 10th August.

Remembering the sacrifice of many 80 years ago in order that we could enjoy the freedoms we have today

We've had a couple of days up at the Indx Floorshow in Solihull the last couple of days. It's been a productive time reconnecting with suppliers and ordering new displays as well as meeting new suppliers and discussing potential future business. Anna-Louise was brilliant! Proud dad moment

A recent LVT job that Steve completed for us to a hallway in Combe Down. Our client had seen LVT fitted at a relative’s house and had fallen in love with how it looked and the realism of the wood design. Armed with a brand name and colour they popped into the shop to see what we had on offer. It’s tricky to recall how colours look from memory and, as the brand they’d seen was not from one of our trusted and preferred manufacturers, we thought it best to try a few different options within their chosen shade referring to photos initially. We ordered a sample of the product they’d originally seen so that we could compare this to the options they’d selected in the shop and organised borrowing a selection of sample boards to see what looked best in situ.

The plank size was carefully considered – because this was to be fitted in a relatively small area, the client was conscious that they didn’t want to overwhelm the space with planks that were too long and wide. They liked the idea of adding a bit of interest to the area, so once a colour had been finalised, Paul and Steve visited the client to discuss how the product could be laid to achieve this. Our client had always liked the idea of a herringbone design which tied nicely with their preference for smaller planks, and it was decided that we would use the herringbone in the middle of the area, and that Steve would create a border with a contrasting dark feature strip, and by laying the planks straight around the perimeter.

A wonderful result was achieved with MAXIMUS which is perfectly tough for high-traffic areas such as hallways, whilst giving a lovely and realistic looking wood finish.

“Great job by Steve, who was a pleasure to have here. Delighted! Thank you, all.”

Avonvale Carpets. Beautiful Flooring. Fitted Perfectly.

Our LVT fitter, Steve, has kindly provided a couple photos of his own work so that we can share these with you to give an idea of the type of work he does. Whether it’s a classic plank or tile, or a more intricate laying pattern with feature strips, we’ll organise a home visit with him where we discuss the details of your requirements and where he will offer advice about how the product can be laid to make the biggest impact on your room.

Get in touch to organise a home visit.

Avonvale Carpets. Beautiful Flooring. Fitted Perfectly.

As some of you may have seen, we had two separate floods a couple of months ago which caused chaos in our shop and office. Now that we're all sorted, we thought we could share some tips about what you can do if your home or business is flooded.

Visit our blog for more details.

Avonvale Carpets. Beautiful Flooring. Fitted Perfectly.

Tips for dealing with a flood - Avonvale Carpets A couple of months ago we faced two separate floods in our showroom and down in our basement office. Although we recommend seeking professional help, we In February we faced two separate floods in our showroom and down in our basement office. Here are some tips about what you can do if you have a fl...

It was Fawn’s first day at the shop today, she’s been practicing her customer acquisition skills.

There was so much water it even came up through the kitchen sink on the ground floor 😫

URGENT UPDATE

We have had a large flood in our basement office which has knocked out our phone lines and our wifi.

Please bear with us until these are up and running again, we will respond to all messages and emails as soon as we are able to.

Thank you for your understanding.

Our phone lines are currently down as the electric in one of our showrooms is temporarily switched off for maintenance.

We hope they will be back on shortly, in the meantime please feel free to leave a message as these will be picked up as soon as the power is back on.

Apologies for any inconvenience.

Thinking about updating your hard flooring? Our January offer is available now! Until the end of this month we are offering 15% off materials for Engineered wood and LVT from leading manufacturers such as Furlong Flooring, Invictus, Tarkett, and Victoria Design Floors.

Whether it's for your office, living areas, kitchen, or bathroom, we can guide you to the perfect product to suit your lifestyle. Why not pop into the shop to view our full range of samples and organise your measuring appointment now.

Avonvale Carpets. Beautiful Flooring. Fitted Perfectly.

Avonvale Carpets The leading carpet shop in Bath, serving Bath and Wiltshire.

Beautiful Flooring. Fitted Perfectly.

Happy New Year to all our followers, customers and friends. May 2024 be a good year for each and everyone of you. Our best wishes Paul, Anna-Louise, Andy and Jane.

We're now closed for the Christmas and New Year holiday's.

Today marks the unofficial 25th Anniversary of me taking on Avonvale Carpets following the retirement of Peter and Faye Pink as owners.

As with many other years, it's been a year of change and experience which has helped us grow as a business.

Anna-Louise, Andy, Jane and I thank you for the support you've given us this year and we look forward to continuing as strong in 2024.

Enjoy the holidays......

To contrast our previous post – sisal IS great, but it does have its drawbacks. It’s highly absorbent, meaning it’s prone to staining and tricky to clean. It is high maintenance, and combined with its rough texture, it’s sometimes not ideal for busy households with children or pets.

Luckily there are faux-sisal products available, which have been designed to give you the woven texture of natural sisals, whilst being made from a manmade fibre that is easy to clean and care for. Whilst it’s not a soft option (although those who like sisal-type tend not to do so for its comfort value!) the fibres used in faux-sisal are smoother than those of natural sisal, so some feel that it’s a slightly more comfortable option.

This customer loved the look of sisal but wanted to take a more practical approach for their family home, without having to compromise on style. The “Anywhere” range and bespoke runner service by Alternative Flooring offered the perfect solution, allowing us to create chic bordered runners for the stairs, fully fitting and shaping the landing around the customer's Victorian banisters and spindles.

A great result which shows that there are stylish alternatives to natural fibres to suit all households and lifestyles.

Avonvale Carpets. Beautiful Flooring. Fitted Perfectly.

There’s nothing like sisal – it’s a natural and sustainable fibre, extremely hardwearing, and has a unique earthy texture. It’s a great option for adding a little drama without the need for bold colours or patterns, ideal for those who don’t like the appearance of traditional carpets.

It was the perfect choice for this beautiful countryside-surrounded barn conversion just outside of Bath, to create a warm and natural harmony with the wood flooring and features. Alternative Flooring’s Sisal Malay is smart and contemporary, the low-profile weave made it perfect for both the stairs and bedrooms in this home, and colour “Chen” toned gorgeously with the oak banisters and doors.

Since fitting, the customer returned to have the same carpet extended into another bedroom, and a custom area rug to sit on top of their wood floor.

Avonvale Carpets. Beautiful Flooring. Fitted Perfectly.

When it comes to making a statement with carpets, we find that most people will limit themselves to their stairs, selecting something more neutral or muted for their living areas. Not this client! A collector of antiques and fine ornaments, this bold, Persian-inspired woven Axminster from Ulster Carpets Glenmoy collection was the perfect choice for the lounge and small hallway in this traditional Bath apartment, fitted together with Axfelt combination underlay for optimal performance and comfort.

Axminster is a traditional carpet construction, where the carpet and backing are woven together at the same time during manufacture. Compared to tufted constructions where the yarn is stitched through the backing and sealed with an adhesive, weaving builds strength and durability into the carpet and reduces the risk of fraying or losing tufts, as well as giving the ability to change and specifically place the yarn to create intricate designs and patterns. Combined with the natural benefits of wool, a woven Axminster will look and feel great for years to come.

It's not something we do every day nor is it to everyone's liking, but nothing makes a statement quite like this!

Avonvale Carpets. Beautiful Flooring. Fitted Perfectly.

Avonvale team enjoying the Radio Bath Christmas party at the Doubletree Hilton Bath.....

Last week we came to the end of a project that involved overcoming an issue that we are increasingly asked to help with: moth damage.

Our client had a serious moth problem - one of the worst infestations Paul has ever seen - and was at a loss watching them munch their way through the 100% wool loop carpet in their hallway and on the stairs.

Whilst there are wool products that have been treated to prevent moths, this treatment does involve chemicals that do wear off over time, and the only way to guarantee that your carpet won't get eaten is to switch to synthetic fibres. Wanting complete peace of mind, our client decided to move away from wool but wanted their replacement carpet to look as close to their original as possible.

People who have been used to wool are often wary of man-made options, and we understand their reservations: synthetic yarn often has a sheen to the surface, and you are much more restricted in your options for both colour and texture. Unfortunately, many man-made loop pile carpets are designed for office environments and have a modern, commercial appearance, something we had to be mindful of when looking at products for the customer's Georgian apartment, where the carpet would be sitting alongside natural wooden floorboards.

After a few setbacks due to stock issues and product lines being discontinued, a fellow retailer recommended we look at Vorwerk Flooring, a German manufacturer that produces gorgeous carpets that are better for both the planet and people. We immediately opened an account, and several sample orders later, we came across the Rustica range.

Not only is Rustica made from a high-quality PA fibre that will perform superbly, but it combines natural shades and a dimpled high low loop texture to mimic the luxurious appearance of wool; it was the perfect product for our client. The two-tone effect meant they could select a lighter shade high loop to suit their lowly-lit stairwell, with the contrasting darker low loop adding a layer of practicality.

Once a product had been selected and (after a few customs forms!) ordered, we had to contend with the moth-damaged existing carpet. Luckily, the customer had been diligently applying home treatments to kill the active moth, and we uplifted the carpet a few days before fitting the new, carefully bagging this and using an alternative van to avoid contamination. After a good vacuum the only thing left to do was fit – and we even managed to do so in time for a party our client was having.

Our customer is happy, and we’re pleased to have found a product that not only looks great, but really is “moth-proof” without any harsh chemicals or harmful VOC’s!

Avonvale Carpets. Beautiful Flooring. Fitted Perfectly.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.


When you go home
Tell them of us and say
For your tomorrow
We gave our today

Sorry we've been a bit quiet on here, we’ve been busy with a few things going on in the background!

Here’s a lovely job that we have been meaning to post for a while now with an interesting back story.

The client had come to us with a particular tartan design they’d selected from a well-known manufacturer, which we quickly discovered had been discontinued. With their heart set on the colour and design, and without masses of ready-made tartan designs to choose from, we knew that we had to pull out all the stops to create a bespoke carpet that they could fall in love with more than their original selection.

The “Fast Track” custom Axminster service from Hugh Mackay was just the ticket - the first step was choosing the tartan design, using the original sample of the discontinued range as reference we worked with the design team to find a simple with fine stripes in each a lighter and darker shade than the background colour. As the yarn in the original sample was a mixture of heather and plain, the client took the time to try out different pom combinations, and with each design the manufacturer created a colour PDF for reference.

From there, the client selected their favourite colour combination, and we went back to the manufacturer to order a “kibby” sample, which is a small piece of carpet made up in the chosen design, colours, and quality for final confirmation.

When it came to fitting, we had to make sure that the pattern was perfectly matched across all areas and the long landing meant that a join was necessary, so careful planning was required to ensure that the join fell in the best place on the landing from a visual and wear perspective. Cut piles can be tricky to join because of the movement in the pile, so we also had to consider where we could create a join within the pattern, to try and minimise the impact.

Quite an involved process but we were thrilled with the finish, as was our customer:

"The team at Avonvale Carpets were fantastic, from helping us design our carpet, to measuring and then fitting. All very helpful and we are delighted with the result. Many thanks indeed."

Avonvale Carpets. Beautiful Flooring. Fitted Perfectly.

We are closed tomorrow for the Bank Holiday. Normal hours resume Tuesday.

Enjoy the break

Although we are occasionally asked, we haven't ventured into the artificial grass market because of our reservations about the products impact on the environment and our health.

In May, Which? announced that they will no longer be testing or recommending artificial grass because of the environmental implications and sustainability concerns associated with it, and have removed their Best Buys relating to the product.

It's a move that we're pleased to see, the product is made from fossil fuels and has a limited life-span, often being non recyclable, as well as breaking down (but not biodegrading) and adding to micro-plastic pollution. Removal of natural turf also destroys ecosystems we rely on, leading to declining numbers of bees and other important pollinators - in January of this year the Guardian estimated that, globally, the "loss of pollinators is already causing about 500,000 early deaths a year by reducing the supply of healthy foods".

Additionally, artificial turf reaches and maintains much higher temperatures compared to natural grass and can even become unusable during the warmer months - tests conducted by Aura Landscapes showed artificial grass reaching 62.3C in the sun compared to natural grasses peak temperature of 38.1C.

Because of the lack of mowing etc. it's a common misconception that synthetic grasses are low maintenance. On the contrary, you'll often see people brushing or vacuuming the debris from the surface, and it does require regular cleaning - particularly if there are pets who make use of it. This in itself can cause issues if the sub-base has been incorrectly installed, meaning that any bacteria and smells are held in the layer of sand underneath.

It's of no surprise to hear that many consumers are turning their back on artificial lawns in favour of natural grass as we become more aware of the environmental consequences, but it's great to see larger organisations doing the same.

I said farewell to one of our lovely, longstanding customers today.

Mrs Tapper was more than "money in the till" with her words of wisdom and sharp intuition for the Truth.

What an amazing lady who will be much missed.

Well, this isn't something we see every day! This afternoon we received a lovely email from someone in Glasgow who came across our blog when researching carpet moths:

Hi there,
Just a quick email to say thanks for your blog article on carpet moths (more common than you'd think) that I have just read online. I have been researching this problem for our own problem with carpet moths in our flat in Glasgow and your blog article was excellent in terms of explaining the issues, background and solution.
Many thanks.

If you are struggling with carpet moths, why not take a look at our article or give us a call, we are happy to help.

Carpet moths, more common than you'd think - Avonvale Carpets Keeping carpet moths out of our homes in the South West ultimately depends on how good we are at the hoovering. Find out why.

We are now closed for the Coronation Bank Holiday.

We re-open on Tuesday 9th May @ 10 o'clock.

We wish you all an enjoyable Bank Holiday and taking in a piece of history not seen since 1953.

Avonvale Carpets. Beautiful flooring. Fitted perfectly

Casper catching the sun earlier today. He likes nothing more than people watching....

We recently came to the end of a project we'd been working on with the client for over a year. Based overseas the majority of the time, the client was struggling with dark marks appearing on the surface of the carpet in their Bath apartment, which were impossible to clean from the pile. They didn't want the new carpet to be too dark and overwhelm the space but were concerned in case these marks would reappear again.

Once we had attended a site visit, we determined that the marks were caused by draughts between the floorboards and underneath the skirtings blowing dust through the carpet, and knew that we needed to address these before installing the new carpet.

Having dealt with this issue in the previous 12 months, we arranged for a cleaner to follow behind our fitters whilst they were uplifting the existing carpet and underlay, to completely remove all dust and dirt from the areas before we sealed the gaps under the skirtings with caulk.

To rectify the slight gapping in the floor, we fitted a layer of plyboard in the larger 4' x 8' sheets (to avoid too many joins for any dust to escape through) and taped all the joins with gaffer tape. Lining paper was laid on top of this, before completely renewing the gripper and underlay in preparation for receiving the new carpet.

After a bit of toing and froing, organising samples for them to view abroad, the client selected the popular Pennine Heathers range from Cavalier Carpets Ltd in colour Edgeworth - a 50oz, 80/20 wool twist with a subtle heathered pile, which blends different shades of yarn for a mottled effect. Wanting something different in their small entrance hall, the customer also chose Flare colour Jelly Bean - an 80/20 2-ply velvet from Adam Carpets with a quirky zig-zag pattern to add a bit of character, and had enough left over to create a runner to use elsewhere in the apartment.

The customer is thrilled with the end result and is already thinking about which rooms to do when they are back in Bath next, which we look forward to.

Avonvale Carpets. Beautiful flooring, fitted perfectly.