Carpet is so mutually loved and hated by homeowners. While offering softness under foot and acoustical benefits the fear of allergens and staining is still strong in our minds.
Do you know the difference between carpets? It’s okay, we didn’t either. Let’s help you know how to choose a carpet and tricks to adding a wow factor within budget.
Carpet fibres
Nylon Carpet – Known for it’s wear resistance Nylon resists crushing and matting. These qualities make Nylon a great choice for high traffic areas such as stairs, hallways and living rooms. Nylon is not as well known for stain resistance.
Polyester Carpet – Known for it’s stain resistance Polyester that is Fiber-washed and ScotchgardTM protected is great for areas like bedrooms and offices. Polyester is not as well known for wear resistance.
Triexta Fibre – This is a fibre created and owned by Mohawk Flooring. Triexta marries stain and wear resistance while remaining soft and stylish. The fibre itself has these qualities rather than just a protective coating. This carpet is good for all areas of the home (except the bathroom were carpet should never be).
Olefin Carpet – This is actually polyprolylene which is a synthetic fibre. Because Olefin is known to look like wool it is usually found in a berber style. Olefin is a cheaper alternative and you will get what you pay for.
Wool Carpet – Wool is a natural beauty with a long life. This carpet can be sustainably created, however, requires extra care and will not offer great stain resistance. Look for wool sourced from New Zealand
Sea Grass Carpet – This is a natural carpet fibre that is aesthetically beautiful in design. Sea grass is softer than Sisal or Jute (other natural fibres). Cleaning this carpet is a quick sweep, however, water and dirt exposure will soil the carpet. This will not be a highly durable product.
There are many other fibres we could go over (viscose, tencel, sisal, rayon, linen, jute and cotton to name a few) but who really loves carpet enough for that much information?
Styles
There are more carpet fibres than we are able to go over in this blog so we’re going to stick to the most common.
Your most common carpet style is CUT PILE carpet. The carpet fibres are looped and then cut off on the top for exposed fibre ends. The look of the carpet is dependant on the style the yarn is twisted. You can expect to see vacuum track marks on this carpet.
LEVEL LOOP carpet consists of yarn loops left in tack and all the same height. The modern style of this carpet is a short loop called BERBER carpet.
LOOP AND CUT pile carpet is a combination of loops and cut ends. This is when you get that beautiful texture and pattern within carpet.
FRIEZE carpet is soft and fluffy, similar to a shag carpet. Frieze consists of kinked and tightly twisted fibres. Typically, two yarn piles are twisted together. There are seven to nine turns per inch. A random pattern is created by the light twisting. The fibre tufts kink and curl, which is why vacuum cleaner and footprint traffic tracks are hidden so well. This carpet is very similar to shag although shag does use a thicker fibre strand.
Asthma & Allergies
It’s an old debate, is carpet worse for allergies? Well yes and no. It all depends on care. Carpet can hold allergens which can be difficult for those suffering from asthma and/or allergies. Being exposed to dust mites all night long is not a comfortable situation.
By vacuuming your carpet weekly and having it cleaned every 18 months you are able to keep the allergens at bay and keep your stain and wear warranties in tact. Carpet can even be a trapper of allergens so they are not air born, so long as you clean your carpet regularly.
You can replace your carpet with a hard surface flooring such as hardwood, vinyl, tile or laminate. It is important to know that synthetic flooring commonly release VOC’s (volotile organice compounds) which can bring symptoms if you have asthma or allergies. Synthetic flooring would be vinyl or laminate.
Area Rugs & Stairs – impact hack
There are easy ways to create impact and add colour and texture to your home. Wall to wall carpet is not always the best option. Area rugs and using carpet in an impactful way get the job done. The staircase below is a great way to add colour and style
Adding an area rug is a great way to add instant style and comfort into a room, after all, don’t we all prefer to sit on carpet?
There are endless area rugs you can purchase online but if you’re specific on style, colour or quality you can purchase a length of carpet off a roll and have it bound into one or two area rugs of your choice.
Sustainability
It is always a good idea to find flooring products that you love that are also sustainable. Mohawk has done a great job with this as they have opened the largest water bottle recycling plant in North America. From this plant they produce the material for their Everstrand carpet line. Their Smartstrand carpet is also 37% corn sugars which is a more sustainable option for carpet fibres.
Wool is a beautiful and soft carpet fibre that is sustainable. Wool is a more expensive option for carpet but it’s beauty and longevity is worth it.
Here you can browse Mohawk’s Everstrand line of carpet:
https://www.mohawkflooring.com/carpet/search?page=1&specifications.Fiber%20Brand.keyword=Everstrand
There are so many options and so much information there is always something that will work for you. Visit us today to view some great options for carpet in your home.