Carpets & vinyl, supplied & fitted
Gourley’s of Antrim — family carpet fitters since 1978.
Belfast has plenty of flooring showrooms. Here is what to weigh up, and why plenty of Belfast homes still buy their carpet from a family shop up the road in Antrim.
The short version
- Carpet is measured and fitted at your house, so the showroom being outside Belfast costs you nothing.
- Ask any Belfast flooring shop whether the fitters are employed or subcontracted.
- Terraces and older Belfast houses often need subfloor work before vinyl goes down.
- We measure free across Belfast, Newtownabbey and Glengormley, with no obligation.
If you are looking for carpets or vinyl flooring in Belfast, you are not short of options, from national retailers on the ring road to independent flooring shops around the city. What is less obvious is that the showroom does not need to be in Belfast at all. Carpet is measured at your house and fitted at your house, so what matters is the range, the price and the team who lay it, not the postcode of the shop.
What to check before buying carpet in Belfast
- Who fits it. Ask whether the fitters are employed by the shop or subcontracted for the day.
- Whether the roll is in stock. Stock means days rather than weeks, and it means you can see the actual carpet.
- What the quote includes. Underlay, gripper, door bars, uplift and disposal should be itemised.
- Parking and access. In terraced streets and apartments this genuinely affects the day, so mention it when you book.
- Reviews from real jobs, not the ones printed on the website.
Older Belfast houses and what they need underneath
A lot of housing stock around Belfast is older, with floorboards rather than a concrete screed. That is fine for carpet, which sits on underlay and hides small movement. It matters far more for vinyl, because sheet vinyl will telegraph every board joint and screw head within a few months if the subfloor is not prepared. Expect a good fitter to talk about plying or levelling before anything is laid, and expect it to appear on the quote.
If one quote for a vinyl floor is noticeably cheaper than the rest, check whether subfloor preparation has been left out of it.
Carpet upstairs, vinyl where the water is
The pattern we fit most often in Belfast homes is the same one that works everywhere: a heavier carpet on the hall, stairs and landing, something softer in the bedrooms and living room, and sheet vinyl in the kitchen, bathroom and utility. It puts each material where it is strongest, and it is usually cheaper over ten years than picking one floor for the whole house.
Free measuring across Belfast, Newtownabbey and Glengormley
Gourley’s of Antrim has been supplying and fitting carpets and vinyl flooring for over 40 years from our showroom on Massereene Street in Antrim town. We cover Belfast, Newtownabbey, Glengormley, Templepatrick, Crumlin and the surrounding areas, we hold over 200 rolls in stock, and we fit with our own team. The measure is free and there is no obligation to order.
Frequently asked questions
Do you fit carpets in Belfast?
Yes. We measure, supply and fit carpets and vinyl flooring across Belfast, Newtownabbey and Glengormley with our own fitting team, working from our showroom in Antrim.
Is there a charge for measuring in Belfast?
No. Measuring is free and carries no obligation, and you get a written price with underlay, gripper, door bars, fitting and disposal itemised.
Do I need to visit the showroom, or can you bring samples?
Most people prefer to call into the Antrim showroom because you can see 200-plus rolls in daylight and take samples home. If that is difficult, tell us when you book the measure and we will work around it.
What flooring is best for an older Belfast house with floorboards?
Carpet with a good underlay is the easiest option over floorboards. If you want vinyl, the boards need plied or levelled first, otherwise the joints will show through the finished floor.
Free measuring across Antrim & Northern Ireland
Over 200 rolls of carpet and vinyl in stock. Measured, supplied and fitted by our own team, serving Antrim, Ballymena, Randalstown, Ballyclare and Belfast.
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