How Do Carpet Fibers Impact Your Flooring?

For many, the thought of having to replace your carpeting ranks right up there with visiting the dentist. It’s a necessary task that you put off until you absolutely have to replace.

Because of that, you might not realize all of the choices currently available to you. Carpet has changed a lot over the past twenty years. While we’ve seen a trend of moving from hardwoods, to wall to wall carpet, back to hardwood, there is a resurgence of carpeting being installed in homes.How Do Carpet Fibers Impact Your Flooring?

Before you head to the flooring center, get to know this people pleasing flooring choice a little more.

Carpet fibers can be broken down into two types: natural or synthetic.

Natural fiber is predominantly wool.

Synthetic is broken down into nylon, olefin, and polyester.

Wool has superior qualities over the other natural choices like cotton. Wool is very soft, something no synthetic fiber can match. However, wool tends to be at the top of the list when it comes to expense, and because of the fiber’s porosity, it will soak up moisture. That means it isn’t a good choice for basements, where flooding can occur, or in rooms where you anticipate spills and other moisture to be a problem.

Nylon is one of the most popular carpet choices on the market. Nylon is a synthetic fiber with excellent durability. You’ll find nylon carpet is often associated with different brand names – Stainmaster for instance. Nylon is a very strong fiber that is great for high traffic areas, will retain moisture well and dries out quickly if it does get wet. If also manages to stay fairly static-free. On its own, it doesn’t resist stains very well, which is why stainblockers are often added.

Olefin is one of the cheaper carpets on the market, but has lost its prevalence over the years as new and improved materials have been developed. One of the downsides is its low melt point, which puts it at more risk in the home.

While polyester can’t match the durability of nylon, it is one of the best carpet fibers to take dye, and thus produce beautifully colored carpets with superb fade resistance.

So which is the right carpet choice for you? Stop by today and let us help you decide. You’ll love the look.

Read More

What Is Your Carpet Made From

The starting point of every carpet is the fiber. Look at a carpet and you’ll see fibers created from thousands of tiny threads that when combined create color and patterns and style. They define both the texture and the softness, and will determine how durable your carpets will be in the months and years to come.What Is Your Carpet Made From

Most carpets are constructed with either bulked continuous filament (BCF), which are long continuous strands twisted together to form carpet yarn, or Staple fibers, which are bulkier and shorter fibers like wool.

There are only four primary fibers used in carpeting today: nylon, polypropylene, polyester and wool.

Nylon – is a petroleum based synthetic fabric that was invented by Dupont Chemical Company as a silk alternative. Today’s nylon is engineered to be durable, wear resistant and offer resistance to stains, making it a perfect choice for high traffic areas.

Polypropylene – is a colorfast, stain resistant, moisture resistant, and low static option for carpet. It’s lightweight, won’t fade, and stands up well to strong chemical cleaning products. It’s a softer fiber, not as durable as wool or nylon, and should be used in lighter foot traffic areas, such as bedrooms.

Polyester – is a less expensive alternative to wool. It still offers the environmentally friendly factors of wool, often being made from recycled products such as plastic soda or water bottles. It’s colorfast, soft, plush and one of the most affordable carpets you can buy.

Wool – is created from sheep fiber and is often considered to be the very best carpet material available. It’s natural, durable, luxurious, soft, flame retardant, water repellant, stain resistant and environmentally friendly.

Visit a flooring dealer and you will find carpets by many different manufacturers. Think of it as you would fashion; the name brand gives an indication of the quality and the workmanship. Carpet works the same way, with name brands offering you the best quality in the business. Brand names are manufactured to strict standards, offering better performance characteristics, improved stain and static resistance, and better warranties.

Want to find the perfect carpet for your home? Stop by today and discover the perfect carpeting for your home.

Read More