They say that prehistoric man used animal skins for their cave floors, but, it’s hard to believe that there was a world with no carpet stores. Man soon domesticated animals, like sheep and goats, and sheared their fur to be spun and woven. From there, we go from hand-woven carpets to machine-made. I think you get the idea.
The wall-to-wall carpet one finds in homes today is made out of man-made, synthetic fibers exclusively, probably because the animals ended up forming a union and going on strike. We have polyester carpet, acrylic carpet, olefin carpet, nylon carpet, and carpets that are made up of blends of these man-made fibers. Recently, a fiber known as PET has been introduced. PET is made from recycled plastic, making it environmentally-friendly as well as stain-resistant. It also turns out that PET is one of the strongest fibers known to man.
The material you pick depends on how the carpet is to be used. If you need carpet for “high traffic” areas, pick nylon and olefin carpeting, nylon carpeting being the most popular. Otherwise, the other fibers work as well. Some of their properties vary, depending on manufacturer, color, and pile. The salesperson at the carpet store knows what types of carpeting they carry, and, can usually make a recommendation if you tell them what you need.
The next important thing to consider is the carpet pile. The carpet pile is the density of the carpet fibers that are used to create the carpeting itself. The higher the number of fibers per square inch of carpet, the higher the quality of the carpeting. There are several types of pile: cut pile, cut and loop pile, level loop pile, and multi-level loop pile. The carpet fibers have certain properties that can be somewhat influenced, if not changed, by the type of pile in the carpet.
Cut pile carpeting is named “cut pile” because the looped fibers are cut. Cut pile is the most popular pile used on carpeting today, and, is the most crush resistant.
Cut and loop pile carpeting is named “cut and loop pile” because looped fibers are combined with cut fibers, which is good for providing various types of textures, and can give the carpet a “sculpted” look.
Level loop pile carpeting is named “level loop” because the fiber is looped evenly through the backing of the carpet, resulting in a “level loop”. This results in a very durable, easy-to-clean carpet.
The last type of pile carpeting is multi-level loop pile carpeting. Multi-level loop pile carpeting is so named because the loops of yarn are at different lengths, unlike level-loop carpeting. Multi-level loop pile carpeting is excellent for high traffic areas. Multi-level loop carpeting tends to hold onto dirt, however. Hence, for you to clean it effectively and firmly, you will need to hire a commercial carpet cleaning service. This professional has the right expertise and tools in cleaning this type of carpet.
So, which type of carpet is the best for you? Well, you have to go to a carpet store and find out. You may think that “high traffic” carpet is the best for “high traffic” areas, but this isn’t always the case. If you like the look of a less durable carpet, you’ll forget about the “high traffic” carpet. The final factor in deciding which carpet to buy is your own personal taste. Now, you have enough information to weigh the pros and cons of various carpet materials and piles. You are now on the way of finding the carpet of your dreams.
