Carpet Types of Construction (Carpet 101)

Today's carpet manufacturers are combining softer fibers, better stain resistance with backings that block odors, spills and more! These types of features are built into the better-quality carpets offered by the leading carpet manufacturers.   Most carpet today is tufted, rather than woven. The tufting process is similar to using a large sewing machine that is about 13 feet wide with 100 of needles that sew the yarn into a synthetic backing. The majority of carpets sold today are made from nylon fibers twisted into yarns and then tufted into carpet.  Carpet is basically constructed in two types of piles: loop pile or cut pile . Patterned carpet  is a combination of both loop and cut yarns or variations of loops set to different pile heights.   Special Note About Berber Carpets:  Berber carpets are big bulky, loops of yarn that are either produced in a level loop, or multi-level loop carpet construction. they are usually made from olefin or wool yarns and are ideal for active areas of the home, such as family rooms. Berber carpets are also available in a cut pile construction as well as loop pile.  How long a carpet will retain it's like new texture and appearance is based on the type of fiber, how tight the yarns are twisted and heatset, and the pile density. (Obviously, not cleaning your carpets regularly, or improper cleaning methods will effect the appearance as well.)  Also, how close tufts are to one another will effect the durability of the carpet. Below is a brief overview of the most common carpet construction types sold in flooring stores in the United States.

Carpet Types

Twist or Textured A very popular cut pile carpet that has alternating twists of yarn creating a two-tone appearance. This carpet creates a more casual atmosphere in the room and is available in a broad range of prices. A twist shows less vacuum lines and footprints than its close companion Saxony.    Because of this it looks a bit less formal and sometime is a more popular choice in higher traffic and more heavily used areas.   Twists are usually the best choice of the cut-pile carpets for steps.
Saxony has a smooth, soft, velvet plush look and a luxurious feel with a uniform twist and finish. This style is not a good choice for high traffic areas or rooms with active kids. Also be aware that this style does show footprints and vacuum marks.  Saxonies appear very formal and luxurious.   They are very popular for less used rooms like living room, sitting rooms and dinning rooms.
Frieze This is a cut pile style that has a very high twist level, meaning each strand of yarn is twisted so tightly that they actually curl over at the end. This creates a textured surface with a knobby appearance, and a carpet of high durability and very good wear-ability. Frieze carpets normally require more vacuuming and also can look undesirable when matted down in high traffic areas.
Cable A style of carpet constructed of thicker, typically longer yarn that is better suited for rooms without a lot of activity. It can matte and crush with heavy foot traffic so it is not recommended for stairs, hallways and other busy areas in your home.
Berber A looped style carpet is often referred to as a Berber. Berbers are big bulky yarns with characteristic color flecks that are either produced in a level loop or multi-level loop carpet construction. Although many Berbers are made out of olefin fiber, some are made with nylon, or a blend of various carpet fibers.
 

Carpet Fibers

Most carpets today are manufactured from a type of three basic fibers Nylon, Olefin and Polyester.    Soft Carpet fibers or improved forms of each have moved the carpet industry over the last few years.   Each fiber types weakness have been improved greatly over yesterdays carpets.  

Tip- Don't make the mistake of shopping carpets by price.   As with most products you get what you pay for.  A better method is to determine what you want in look and performance and then compare the styles, brands and even the companies your considering.     Asking  "how much is your carpet" is like calling your local car dealer and asking "how much for a car".  There are large ranges in carpet quality and prices from $10-$40 per yard.

Typically when you are selecting a cut-pile, a Saxony, or a frieze you are choosing between Nylon and Polyester.      If were to take a two generic hypothetical carpets  with the weight, density and pile height being the same, and the fibers were not stain treated or improved (which they all are) the Nylon would resist wear & matting, be more vivid in color than the polyester.   The polyester would however be softer, more stain resistant and less expensive than the nylon.    Every nylon carpet in our store has a form a stain treatment.  Many like our Wunda Weave line of carpets are made from a softened nylon that feels great to the touch.

Tip-Nylon carpets are either Continuous filament or Non-Continuous.  Read the section below to understand what the difference means to you. 

Acrylic: Has a real wool look and appearance. Used mainly in level loops, bath mats, and some velvet carpet styles. Offers good mold and mildew resistance with low static levels.   

Wool: Although somewhat expensive, wool still offers great bulk, performance and an elegant look. Wool is not stain resistant and can smell when it gets wet.  The coat of sheep and the original staple fiber used in the making of carpet. Since wool is a natural fiber, it ranges in color from off-white to black, with many earthen tones between. Although wool doesn’t stand up to abrasion and moisture as well as synthetics, it cleans well and is known to age gracefully. Wool is the most expensive carpet fiber, and represents less than one percent of the U.S. carpet market.
 

Fiber Performance in Carpet

* assuming nylon is treated with a stain resistant chemical.
** assuming treatment with a soil resistant chemical.

Many homeowners choose carpet because it is warm and soft under foot. When you select a carpet you generally buy it with the expectations that your new carpet will look just like the sample in the store for many years. Having some general knowledge about the different characteristics of carpet will help you choose the best carpet to meet your expectations.

•  YARN TWIST - When it comes to carpet "tighter is better" . In general terms, the tighter the twist the longer the carpet will perform before it begins to crush and matt. By taking lots of fine fiber strands (called filaments) and spinning them into a tightly twisted yarn and then locking them all together with heat you get a much more resilient yarn for making carpet.
•  SHORTER NAP - The height of the carpet's nap is also important to the overall performance of the carpet. The higher the yarn stands above the backing of the carpet the more difficult it is for the manufacturer to make the carpet crush and matt resistant. So the shorter the pile height the more crush resistant and the longer the like-new appearance of your carpet will last.
•  STITCHES PER INCH - Like most fabric materials, carpet that has more yarn (or stitches) per inch will also be more crush and matt resistant. Some carpets are so dense that it is nearly impossible to push your fingers in between the yarns. Obviously, the carpets where the yarns are so crowded and packed together will have a easier time resisting crushing.
•  CARPET CUSHION - A good quality carpet cushion will extend the life of any carpet, regardless of the quality of the carpet. Carpet cushion serves a vital purpose which is often over looked. Good quality carpet cushion acts as both a shock absorber and a spring which helps improve a carpet's overall performance. Review the carpet manufacturer's cushion recommendations prior to purchasing a carpet.  We have a saying here ....  "Better carpets deserve a better pad and lower end carpet requires a better pad."  
• Families with pets or worried about spills should look for carpet cushions that are made specially to block spills from penetrating the cushion and are odor-resistant. As examples, Mohawk offers carpet cushions with Odor Eaters™ and Invista's STAINMASTER™ carpet cushion features the DuPont™ Hytrel® breathable moisture barrier to keep spills from soaking into the cushion.
•  CONTINUOUS FILAMENT NYLON (CFN) - If you see on the back of a carpet sample a label that says "CFN" , or "BCF" , that means this carpet is made from continuous filament nylon. Continuous filament nylon starts out as one long continuous strand before made into yarn. The other type is called staple nylon , which means each fine filament starts out as a short strand about 7 inches long before it is spun into yarn and then tufted into carpet. As the short, unsecured pieces of staple nylon come loose from the yarn pile you get pilling on the surface of the carpet. This does not happen with a continuous nylon carpet.    A non-continuous carpet will typically cost less than a continuous filament of the same weight.   The downside is that these carpets shed more, especially immediately after installation.    Simply vacuum the carpet to remove these pilings.   Over time the "shedding" decreases drastically.    
•  LOOPED CARPETS - From level loops to berbers there is an important factor to look for when buying a crush resistant looped carpet. This is the density of the loop and how much free space is underneath the loop. Like all carpets the more filaments that are packed into the yarn and the tighter the loops the better the performance will be.