[tim handley]

 anybody care to advise a beginner?   doing a full house on monday, did a survey yesterday, bulk of house wool but the stairs/landing are, customers words, expensive wilton, super!!!!  alarm bells ringing. what im wondering is how do i tell whether its wilton are belgian wilton??   cant lift any up to see the backing, well and truly fixed down, not many colours to it, any ideas/advice very welcome, apart from walk away, thats not an option!!!!! should i mist a quick working pre spray very lightly(say spm, which works instantly) then vac straight up without any rinse??? the carpet itself is quite clean to be honest, so doesnt need much actual cleaning, but does need a good hoover for cat hairs/general soiling!!

[Simon@arenaclean]

Check for polyprop fibre but easier if you can see the back. Don't want to worry you but some can shrink just from pre-spray so you really need to know. Photo would help.

[John Kelly]

Simple burn test. Grab a few fibres from the edge of the carpet and burn them with a lighter.
If you don't know the differentials of this test just do a google search for a chart.
Belgian will be polyprop.

[Doctor Carpet (Ret'd)]

As JK said. With experience you will tend to spot them a mile off either from the pattern or how they are soiling/wearing then you test as the case may be and also inspect the fittings. But obviously you are not quite at that stage.

Also, rule of thumb for when you are making an initial appraisal- I don't tend to find BWs in wealthy houses and you don't tend to find Wilton's in poorer housing stock.

Rog

[Hilton]

Go to the radiator pipe, you can pull back the carpet here and check, lift a few fibres and test as mentioned.

Doubt they would have fitted wool in bedrooms etc and then put down cheap BW in the area with the most traffic... but you never know.

[tim handley]

  thanks will do burn test see what transpires, the rest of the house is cheapo stuff but apparently the stairs/landing was £1600..............

[david mitcham]

Be carefull trying to get these fibres from the carpet edge !
If the carpet is a Wilton the tufts are not individual as found in a tufted or Axminster construction but 1 continuese run of yarn and trying to pull will cause a problem

David