Before you select your carpet there are a few things you need to consider such as construction, color, and the style that is most suited to fit your tastes and lifestyle.
Types of Carpet Construction:
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| Loop Carpet |
Pattern Carpet |
Textured Carpet |
Twist Carpet |
Loop Carpet: Create texture with uneven loops or choose uncut level loops for high-traffic areas. In the popular Berber styles, carpet is constructed having fiber loops of the same height with flecks of additional color accenting the main hue.
Pattern Carpet: Visible patterns in carpet are created with color, different densities of yarn and pile heights, and by finishing techniques such as carving. A pattern may be achieved by tufting a design into the carpet or appying it with color dyes.
Textured Carpet: Create a less formal look with the smooth, level finish of twisted yarns. The textured surface helps mask footprints, so it’s perfect for high traffic zones and casual areas. Popular examples of carpet in this category are Saxony and Plush.
Twist Carpet: Go for a soft, comfortable, casual look with this longer cut pile, also known as Frieze. This carpet is manufactured with yarn twisted so tightly it curls when cut. This curling can either be paired with a flowing, "windswept" look, or a dense, tightly packed construction, to yield two very different beautiful looks.
Common Carpet Options
Berber Carpet: Berber offers great durability, a full comfortable texture and a casual, informal look. Berber is a carpet constructed with coarse yarns having randomly spaced flecks of color against a background of base color. Currently, this term has expanded to describe many level or multi-level loop carpet styles.
Carpet Cushion: The material placed under a carpet for softness and support. It helps reduce noise, increase insulation benefits, and contributes to a softer feel underfoot. Also known as padding or underlay.
Carpet Tile: Squares of carpet that are either self-adhesive or loose-laid.
Cut-and-Loop Carpet: A multilevel loop carpet, where the taller loops are sheared. The resulting uncut loops and sheared top loops create a sculptured pattern. The texture and often subtle, variegated coloring help hide soil and traffic wear.
Cut Pile: A carpet in which the yarn loops are cut to create a textured look and feel.
Fiber: is the fundamental unit of carpet. Carpet fibers are made from nylon, polyester, cotton, acrylics, wool, and recycled material.
Frieze: (pronounced "fri-ZAE") is a cut-pile carpet manufactured with yarn twisted so tightly it curls when cut. This curling can either be paired with a flowing, "windswept" look or a dense, tightly packed construction.
Level Cut Loop: This type of carpet features a sophisticated look created by running cut pile and loop pile on a level pile height. The cuts and loops can appear random, or they can be arranged to create a distinct pattern.
Level Loop Carpet: A carpet construction in which the yarn on the face of the carpet forms a loop with both ends anchored into the carpet back. The pile loops are of substantially the same height and uncut, making a smooth and level surface.
Nylon: A synthetic fiber that is the most often used fiber for carpet and can come in either filament or staple form. Features include cleanability, dyeability, stain and soil resistance, resistance to abrasion, ability to recover resiliency, moth proof, mildew proof, non-allergenic and color retention.
Olefin (Polypropylene): A synthetic fiber used for some conventional, as well as indoor-outdoor, carpets. Polypropylene is known for stain resistance, easy clean ability, wear ability, and a low absorption factor. Other features include abrasion resistance, mildew proof, moth proof, non-allergenic, resiliency, color retention and recoverability.
Outdoor Carpet: Carpet designed to be used outdoors on patios, walks and decks. Usually made of polypropylene to withstand the weather and ultra-violet rays of the sun.
Plush Carpet: A smooth, dense cut-pile carpet in which individual tufts are minimally visible and the overall visual effect is a single level of fiber ends. In a plush, each individual yarn end is less distinguishable than a saxony.
Polyester: A synthetic fiber generally used in relatively lower priced carpet. Although it is neither as durable not a dyeable as nylon, it can be made into a serviceable, economical product when property designed. Consumers think of polyester as an "easy care fiber". It is made either as staple or continuous filament. Its characteristics include good abrasion resistance, good color retention, ability to accept bright, vivid colors, stain resistance, and wearability. It is moth proof, stain and soil resistant, mildew resistant, and non-allergenic.
Saxony Carpet: A cut-pile carpet with surface yarns that are smooth and even across the face. Typically, the yarns, are in a Saxony are thicker and have a more "cabled" appearance than in a plush.
Solution Dyed: Placing dye in yarns while the fiber is being extruded. Solution dyed carpets are typically highly resistant to fading.
Stain Resistant: A chemical finish applied to the carpet fiber and/or surface that inhibits the propensity for stains to attach to the carpet.
Wool: The original carpet fiber. Wool is noted for its excellent dyeablity and luxurious feel.
Woven Carpet: Looms interlace warp (lengthwise) and filling (widthwise) yarns to create a sturdy textile. Much woven carpet is produced in intricate, colorful patterns. Types of woven carpet include Axminster and Wilton.