Which Carpeting Is Best?
First, give some thought to how your room is used. Traffic, the amount of sunlight received, and the proximity to an exterior door will figure into your carpet selection. In high-traffic areas such as a family room, hallway, or stairwell, durability is key. Choose a loop pile that's low, dense, and made of a sturdy fiber like nylon. If the space gets a lot of direct sunlight, choose a carpet that resists fading. For a room that has outside access, or one in which much eating and drinking occurs, a carpet with soil- andstain-resistant treatments—or even an indoor-outdoor version—is best. In spaces where design is paramount, like a bedroom or formal living room, you can decorate with lighter colors, softer textures, and a more luxurious pile. And pet owners will want to avoid carpets with loose loop construction, as claws can snag them.
Tufted and woven carpets are either cut or loop pile. Occasionally, though, a carpet will have a mixture of the two.
With cut pile, the loop ends are trimmed so that the yarn stands up from its backing. Styles include saxony and friezé.
With loop pile, the ends of the yarn are not cut. Styles of loop pile carpets include berber and sisal-like weaves.
Environmentalists have criticized carpet manufacturers, claiming their products contain toxic adhesives, give off chemical fumes, and, after use, overburden landfills.
In response, the carpet industry has been working to make its products, manufacturing processes, and disposal methods easier on people's health and the environment. For example, carpets that are certified as Green Label and Green Label Plus have been independently tested to ensure that they are among the least gas-emitting versions on the market. Manufacturers have also begun experimenting with PVC-free backings, which lessen the amount of fumes a carpet generates. And companies are introducing more environmentally friendly collections, such as carpets made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) polyester, which comes from recycled plastic beverage bottles.
In addition, manufacturers including Shaw (shawinc.com ) and Interface (interfaceinc.com) have implemented take-back programs through which they reclaim used carpet and either reconstitute it into backing material or weave it into new fibers. Interface also has introduced a line of recyclable carpet tiles, FLOR, which can be moved and reused.
in the know: woven carpets
Luxurious wall-to-wall carpets, wovens are made of interlaced yarn and usually don’t have separate backings. They are more expensive than tufted carpets but can last far longer: 30 years, versus tufted’s five-to-seven-year life expectancy. They come in cut, loop, and cut-and-loop piles.
The premier woven carpet, wiltons are densely constructed yet elegant. They are available in solid shades or up to a five-color pattern.
In axminster carpets, the pile is cut open and sheared, producing a velvet-like surface. They are a favorite for high-traffic commercial areas.
in the know: tufted carpets
The most common and affordable type of carpet, tufteds are made by machine-punching rows of yarn through a separate backing.
In the cut-pile carpet style called friezé, the yarn is twisted so tightly that it curls. Most friezés are made of nylon fibers.
Berber carpets have a short, tightly looped pile that helps them withstand foot traffic and furniture weight without crushing.
A relatively dense cut-pile style, saxony carpets are adept at obscuring footprints. Saxonies with smoother finishes are called plushes.