Buying Quality

Carpet Fibers

Choosing Underlay

Styles

Carpet Fibres

Wool
Wool carpet is considered the highest quality of carpet fibres and is best known to ‘age gracefully’. It is quite a bit more expensive than most other carpet fibre, but its natural properties are unbeatable. Wool carpet can last for decades…much longer than synthetic fibre carpet. Wool carpet will outperform just about any other carpet fibre in high traffic areas. Wool naturally has many desirable properties that buyers look for in carpet on top of its main appeal of feeling luxurious…it is very resilient, flame-retardant, and soil resistant. Each strand of wool fibre has a spiralling crimp, which makes it perform much like a spring and so gives it natural bounce-back resiliency. Wool fibres are also difficult to ignite, do not support combustion, and will self-extinguish when the flame source is removed. There are health benefits to wool carpet as well. Wool is non-allergenic, non-toxic, and does not support bacterial growth.

Wool Blend
Wool and synthetic fibres are often blended successfully due to their natural properties complementing each other. Synthetics stain resistance enhances the wool as well as it being less expensive to produce than wool.

You'll find a number of carpets are made with a wool/synthetic blend. The most popular and successful ration is 80% wool 20% nylon. The blend is so effective because the 2 yarns are processed with both fibres being spun together so it’s impossible to differentiate between the 2 fibres.

Nylon
Nylon carpet is the most popular synthetic fibre. It is the most resilient of the synthetic fibres, it is wear and mildew resistant, it is static-free, it doesn’t absorb much liquid, and it has some stain resistance. Acidic spills in particular will stain nylon fibre. However, most nylon carpets are treated with stain resisting solutions to protect against stains (such as Scotchguard or Stainmaster) so that it performs well as a carpet.

Solution Dyed
Solution dyed carpet are most ideal for looks that last. The solution dyed technology locks in the colour of the carpet to the very core of every fibre and results in superior stain and fade resistance and extra durability.

Polypropylene
Polypropylene carpets are available mainly in loop pile construction. Polypropylene carpet is almost impossible to stain, resists ware and is static free. It is most ideally used in rental properties where a carpet clean can rejuvenate a polypropylene carpet so well, it can seems like new carpet for the next tenant.