Purchasing new carpets successfully requires far more than running your hand around a few examples. The fundamentals you have to learn: what makes a quality carpet, which carpet is best for you and what style suits you.
How Can You Tell a Quality Carpet?
Whenever buying, think function just before form. Lots of people think about the fiber being a measure of a carpet’s durability, however it is just one part of the story. It is crucial that you take all the other factors into consideration. Additional factors to take into account include style and weight. The secret is to get a sample that fits your needs and style while still working inside your financial budget.
What Type of Carpet is the Most Durable?
Wool and nylon fibers are definitely the most durable. The kind of fiber utilized decides the basic performance and look of the carpet. The fiber content is generally outlined on a specification sheet in the back of the sample.
Three Styles of Pile Carpets
Carpets are made from fibers which are cut, looped or cut and looped. For the most part, as pile height raises, the carpet becomes much softer and more luxurious but will also tougher to clean. Though there are a number of different subcategories of carpet styles, all fall among one of these 3 groups.
- Loop-Pile Carpets
You’ll find level loops as well as multilevel loops. Considering that the yarn tips are not exposed, these carpets often wear better and work effectively in high-traffic places, just like hallways and family areas. Thick berber rugs are great for high-traffic regions, however the tightly spaced loops of thicker yarn often trap dirt and could be hard to keep clean.
- Cut Pile Carpets
These types include styles referred to as velvets, saxonies and friezes. They’ve got a nicer look and richer feel however are not as durable compared to loop piles. “Putting a twist into the fiber, however, does add more durability. The more tightly the twist, the more durable it is,” according to Bruce Baxter, a dealer/installer in Pine Bush, New York.
A velvet is okay for low-traffic areas however has a tendency to show dirt and footprints. Saxonies are twisted and then heat-set, providing them with more resilience for use along stairs or perhaps in hallways. Friezes have got the most curl and also best resilience.
- Cut-Loop Pile
It is a blend of loop-pile as well as cut-pile carpets. The mixture of huge islands of cut tufts and lower loop tufts conceals wear well. It is suitable for stairways, family rooms and less formal dining regions.
Carpet Face Weight and Durability
The final thing to consider is face weight (weight of the carpet pile) for each square yard. The higher face weight would mean much more yarn. And much more yarn provides a longer-lasting item. To give an example, within a single product line the “good-level” carpet includes a face weight of 40 oz.; the “best-level” weighs about 63 oz.
Does Face Weight Make a Difference?
Face weight is important, however only when comparing the same products. An olefin sample may weigh greater than a nylon, however it has completely different performance features.
Be cautious about dealers who try to sell you about carpet density, or stitches per inch (SPI). The same thing goes for the theory which you could read the carpet’s density by twisting the sample backwards. This is simply not true. Bend back any carpet and you will see backing. Once again, standards differ broadly among various styles and fibers; a nylon cut-loop pile may have 10 to 12 SPI, while the thick wool berber may have only 5 to 6.