What You Should Know
Before Buying New Carpet
The fiber of the carpet is one of the
primary factors in determining how long your carpet can hold up to wear,
and more importantly, to how well it can resist staining. Most carpets
come in four main fiber types: wool, nylon, polypropylene (olefin), and
P.E.T. polyester.
Many carpets can be made with either Bulked Continuous Filament
(BCF) or shorter Staple fibers Polyester and nylon carpet can go either
way, and most olefin carpet is BCE. What’s the difference? The staple
fibers arc shorter and bulkier like wool, while the BCF fibers are longer
and less prone to wear and shedding. In most cases, either will be suitable, but if you have dogs, cats or another situation where your floor
might go through some rough treatment, you’ll definitely want to make
sure your floor is made from BCF fiber, since its harder for the fiber to be
pulled from the floor.
Some carpeting features blends of material to incorporate certain benefits of one fiber into another. Olefin or polyester carpets will be mixed
with nylon fibers to increase strength and wear resistance without raising
the price. Similarly, some wool carpets will incorporate a certain percentage of polyester or olefin to create a textile that offers much of the natural beauty, warmth, and durability of wool carpet at a price that is easier
to afford. While these blends don’t offer the same benefits as pure nylon
or wool, they typically perform better than most polyester or polypropylene fibers and may be an option well worth considering.
Nylon
Nylon is the number one choice for carpeting, and has been for decades. Much of today’s nylon carpet features better durability than any
other fiber available, excellent stain resistance and is one of the most
cost-effective options available. It is excellent for use almost anywhere
in your home in any type of carpet construction.
The latest generation of carpets is the sixth-generation, often referred to as Nylon 6 or Nylon 6.6 fibers. These fibers are specifically
engineered to be tougher and more durable, provide almost a lifetime resistance to stains and abrasion, and resist wrinkles or abrasive wear
damage. All carpets made with this advanced nylon are more expensive
but highly recommended whenever possible, as they are suitable for use
almost anywhere in the home, and are definitely the type of nylon to use if
you’re worried about stains. They also typically carry much better warranties than other nylon floors. However, all nylon carpeting is durable
enough for most heavy usage.
Finally, carpets advertised as particularly soft arc made using much thinner
fibers in greater quantity, so they have the same properties of sixthgeneration nylon carpets, but are softer and more durable.
Olefin
Olefin also known as polypropylene,
is designed to be resistant to stains,
low in static electricity, colorfast, prevents moisture damage, and can be
cleaned using strong chemicals
without damaging carpet. It is not as
durable as nylon or wool and should
not be used if you need a carpet that
will stand up to extreme wear, but is
a good and very affordable option
for rooms with a lot of moisture or especially prone to staining. Benefits
and DisadvantagesOlefin fiber was created in the late 1950s, and grew in popularity in the
1960s. It is the second most popular fiber behind nylon, and is well known
as a low-priced alternative to fourth-generation nylons. It has several
benefits that make it attractive. First, it is seriously resistant to stains and
is colorfast, so your carpet’s color won’t fade over time. It is soft and lightweight, inherently resistant against water and moisture damage, and is not
easily stained from most household items or strong chemicals in cleaning
agents, including bleach.
However, there are disadvantages for most polypropylene as a carpet material. The most serious disadvantage is that because it is lightweight, olefin is nowhere near as strong as nylon, and will always mat down more
easily than a nylon carpet. If you need a long-lasting carpet, nylon would
be a much better choice. Additionally, it has a very low resistance to heat
and because it is an oil-based product, it can attract grease stains and
gives the carpet a slight sheen that may be undesirable. Olefin is most often recommended in loop (berber) carpets, since they are constructed in a
way that minimizes wearing or crushing. However, berbers with low density or without tight loops often are more difficult to vacuum, and dirt can
be trapped underneath the surface of the carpet.
So in other words, if you’re considering carpet and like the cheaper price
of olefin, use its natural strengths and weaknesses to your advantage. If
you need a carpet in a place that will have a lot of moisture like a pool
house, outdoor carpet or basement, olefin is an excellent selection. Likewise, if you want to carpet a room that is informal and might get stained
easily like a nursery or playroom, a tight, relatively low-level olefin berber
would provide similar benefits to fifth-generation nylon but would be softer,
naturally resistant to stains and water damage, could be deep-cleaned
without harming the fiber, and would look good even in between vacuuming.
P.E.T. Polyester
Less popular than olefin, recycled PET (Polyester) carpet is an inexpensive alternative to wool if you’re looking for a carpet that’s environmentally
friendly. Like olefin, it has built-in stain and moisture resistance, is colorfast and feels extremely soft. However, it is much stronger than olefin,
and well-maintained high-density
polyester carpets can perform as
well as nylon at a significantly lower
cost. Because of its softness, it is
especially recommended for cut pile
construction.
Polyester carpeting has been
around for decades, but PET polyester fiber is a newer innovation made
from recycled PET products like plastic soda bottles. This makes it the
only manmade fiber that provides eco-friendly carpets. It is similar to nylon in terms of durability and resistance to wear, and has the moisture protection, stain resistance and colorfastness of olefin. It isn’t as inexpensive as olefin, but it is still quite cost-effective. And while olefin carpets are
primarily recommended for berbers, polyester carpets are stronger and
can easily work in a cut pile setting.
Polyester is not as strong as nylon, and if you have a room with heavy traffic. Nylon is still the best option. But for light use around the home, polyester provides an excellent way to have a soft plush carpet at an affordable
price
Wool
Wool fiber has been known as the gold standard for carpet material. Although more expensive than many engineered fibers, it is an excellent option for carpet, easily the softest, most luxurious fiber, flame-resistant, and
is one of the only ecologically friendly carpet fibers. If you have a small
room in a formal atmosphere, wool would be a beautiful choice.
First, wool is naturally durable. It doesn’t crush as much over time as
regular nylon, polyester or olefin, its layered composition pushes dirt to the
top and makes it resistant to abrasive wear, and the protein contained
within the wool gives it excellent flame resistance, even working to extinguish small flames like sparks from a fireplace or cigarette butts. Additionally, wool repels water naturally, doesn’t conduct static electricity, and is an
ecologically sound renewable resource. Its appearance and softness is
second to none, it is one of the most stain-resistant carpet materials, and it
will last a very long time in normal conditions. For anyone looking for a
carpet that looks and feels amazing, wool is a top choice. However, there
are some important disadvantages to wool. First, since it cannot be machine-produced, it is by far the most expensive material for carpet, costing
sometimes twice as much as even the best nylon floors. Secondly, it is
typically one of the most stain-resistant fibers, but requires special care, as
carpet cleaners designed for other materials can permanently damage the
carpeting.
Other Materials
There are other materials, including acrylic and cotton, but generally, they
are far less practical and can be difficult to find. Others like leather, linen
or silk can be much more common in area rugs, and if you want to have
the look of these materials, you’d do best to find a high-quality, inexpensive carpet and purchase an area rug to put over it.
There are numerous other carpet materials out there, usually found in specialty brands, hand-made collections or carpet made overseas. These
materials are most often found in area rugs, but can occasionally be found
for use in carpeting. Cotton is an extremely easy material
to clean, and is
very absorbent, but is too weak for anything other than, light usage. Acrylic fiber was once common thanks to its similarity to wool, but is
generally out of usage by this point since they are as weak as wool fibers
but prone to wear quickly. Leather has been used as a material for shag
and silk or linen can occasionally be found, though almost exclusively in
area rugs.
Carpet & Padding
Brief History of Rugs & Carpets
Today, most carpet production (94%) is tufted carpet. Tufted carpet is produced 15 times faster than woven carpet. The faster production time
greatly reduces the labor costs during the carpet manufacturing process.
In order to achieve dimensional stability in tufted carpet it is necessary to
apply two layers of “backing” (double-backed tufted carpet) to the carpet.
The backing directly beneath the pile yarn is called the “primary” backing.
Attached to the primary backing by a layer of rubber or latex is the
“secondary” backing. The original backing on tufted carpet was “jute.” Jute
is a natural burlap that when over-wet was subject to shrinkage dry rot and
seam popping. Presently, the backing of tufted carpet is made from a synthetic material called polypropylene (olefin). Polypropylene backing will not
accept moisture, so the shrinkage, dry-rot and seam popping associated
with jute backing is impossible, even if the carpet is over-wetted in the
cleaning process.
Padding is sold in a variety of thicknesses, densities and weights to provide the right feel and protect the carpet from premature wear. From left to
right: prime urethane, rebonded urethane, natural fiber.
Cut Pile Saxony Carpets
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Generally made in solid colors
Surface has a smooth appearance
Generally made with nylon fibers
Good performance and appearance
Works well with traditional or formal room settings
Textured Cut Pile Saxony Carpet
Surface appearance is textured
Stylish, casual appearance
Won’t show vacuum cleaner marks or footprints
Very popular carpet style today
Good choice for active areas of the home
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Frieze Carpet
Very textured, knobby surface appearance
Extremely durable, and excellent wearing
Yarns very tightly twisted
Will cost more than textured cut pile carpets
Great for active areas of the home
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Cut & Uncut Patterned Carpet
Intermixed loops and cut pile, creates a patterned
design
• Loops are shorter than the cut pile creating a carved
appearance
• Usually constructed in multi-color designs
• Helps hide footprints and traffic patterns
Great choice for a variety of room settings
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Level Loop Carpets
Loops are same height and generally multi-colored
Usually made from polypropylene (olefin) carpet
fibers
• Often called Indoor-Outdoor or Commercial Carpet
• Casual appearance, but extremely durable
Great for family rooms or basements
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Multi-Level Loop Carpets
Has several different heights of loops
Generally multi-colored
Very durable, casual appearance
Offered in many unique looking designs and patterns
• Helps hides traffic patterns
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