There are a jillion kinds of carpet fibers, at least. Within the whole spectrum of styles, there are two main ingredients to the fibers: content and construction. That’s what material it’s made from, and what shape it’s made into. Today, let’s talk about shape.
The fiber content (what it’s made from) is important in its own right. There are wool, viscose, recycled content, various types of nylon, polyester, olefin, and mixes or combinations. Fiber content is worth talking about for a number of reasons, including price, durability and stain resistance. But for today, for the length of this article, I don’t care. All I care about it the shape of it!
Textured / Cut and Loop
Cut and loop is exactly what it sounds like: carpet that combines the construction of both cut and loop carpets. The cut carpets are basically made of loops that have been cut in half. When you combine cuts and loops, you can create unique, stylish patterns and textures. You’ve probably seen this in a lot of area rugs. If you can run your hand over the rug and feel contrasting textures, it’s usually cut and loop carpeting.
Ribbed
Ribbed is a type of textured, but popular enough to be mentioned on its own. Ribbs can be delicate, wide-wale, or a mix, the common thread is parallel lines of texture changes. This can be cut pile, loop pile, or mixed.
Loop Pile
Loop pile carpets are not sheared like cut piles are. They retain their loops and come in different weights and thicknesses. The loop pile can be used to create different patterns and textures. This makes them a common choice for game rooms, family rooms and offices because their durability. The tighter a carpet’s loops are, the more resistant to matting and crushing it is. Care must be taken when moving furniture over or when vacuuming a loop pile carpet. If a loop pulls out, it could cause runs in your carpet if not properly fixed.
Berber
Berber carpet is loop pile carpet, but has thicker, heavier loops of yarn than most. It has a casual style that is easy to maintain and keep clean; plus Berber is a highly durable carpet structure, great for high-traffic areas of the home.
Cut Pile
Cut pile is a style of carpet that is sheared, exposing the ends of the carpet fiber. The carpets come in different lengths and thicknesses. They are the most popular styles of carpet today and tend to be softer underfoot and to touch than loop pile carpets. When selecting a cut pile carpet, one of the most important things to look at is the twist. Cut pile carpet contains a twist which helps it stand up and resist matting and crushing. The tighter the twist, the more durable your cut pile carpet will be. The heavier twist will also help create texture which in turn helps hide wear patterns and dirt.
Frieze
Frieze is also known as “twist” carpet and has each yarn twisted many times, making it look curly. It’s a kind of cut pile carpet made with extra-twisty fibers.
Plush
Plush carpets ar cut-pile carpets, but have longer fibers, and often lighter weight denier fibers, than most. They dense, ultra-squishy and soft.
For help picking out the right carpet fiber for your life, contact Dublin Carpet and we’ll help you navigate your carpet options.
