Fiber is carpet's basic ingredient.
The four basic fibers used in carpets today
all have their individual strengths. Even more importantly, they all
make excellent carpets. Your ultimate choice will be determined by
the characteristics that are most important to you.
Although some carpets are made of blends,
most are made entirely of one of the following four fibers:
Nylon
Nylon is the most widely used carpet fiber,
preferred primarily for its strength. Nylon is incredibly durable
and resilient. Because of its resistance to matting and wear, you
will never see a visibly worn carpet path in even the busiest spots
of your home. Nylon carpet fiber is soft yet strong, shows color
brilliantly, and cleans well. Though not inherently stain resistant,
most nylons are treated with a stain-resist carpet treatment for
protection against household spills and stains.
Polypropylene (also called Olefin)
The use of polypropylene in carpet has
grown dramatically over the past ten years due to the popularity of
Berber style loop carpets. Polypropylene is extremely resistant to
stains, fading, and moisture. Polypropylene, a value-oriented fiber,
is also notably colorfast because it is solution dyed, which means
the color is added during production and not dyed later. The color
is such an inherent part of the fiber that you can even clean
polypropylene with bleach.
Polyester
Appreciated for its versatility, polyesters
popularity continues to grow. Polyester offers exceptional softness,
making it ideal for thick, cut pile styles. Polyester is also
naturally and permanently stain resistant and fade resistant. It has
excellent color clarity, color retention, strength, and abrasion
resistance. Carpets made from this fiber are easily cleaned and they
resist water soluble stains.
Wool
The preeminent natural fiber, wool yields a
soft, warm, comfortable feel. Although wool does not possess natural
resistance to moisture or abrasion, it ages well and is easy to
clean. Because it is the most expensive carpet fiber, wool is
generally used only in luxury carpets and area rugs
The importance of carpet pad
Much attention and energy is devoted to
selecting carpet, but pad is a crucial part of your flooring and
should not be forgotten.
Pad makes carpet feel better.
Every step you take creates hundreds of
pounds of pressure per square inch in your floor covering. Carpet
padding, or cushion as it is sometimes called, helps alleviate that
pressure. The decrease in pressure helps make your carpet feel
richer, thicker, and softer.
It will make your room quieter and warmer.
Carpet cushion can significantly improve a
carpet's sound-absorption and improve its thermal insulation
properties.
It will help you keep your carpet cleaner
Dirt can grind down carpet fiber the way
sandpaper wears down wood, and thus shortens carpet life. A quality
cushion makes cleaning more efficient because it raises carpet off
the sub floor and provides an air space underneath, allowing the
carpet to breathe. When you vacuum, that space allows more air to
come up through the carpet, carrying more dirt along with it. The
result is more effective cleaning every time.
And most importantly, it will make your
carpet last longer.
A quality carpet cushion helps decrease
pile crushing, the acute compression of fibers in a high-traffic
area, particularly in hallways. The pad allows the carpet to
maintain its pile height and stay looking new for much longer.
Industry studies have shown that quality cushion can actually
increase the useful life of carpet as much as 50%.
For more information on
Carpet, Please visit out manufacturers! When you find something you
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