Here’s everything you need to know about carpet fibers and the best carpet materials for home use
Carpets provide a sense of warmth, vibrance and add grace to a room’s interior. Nowadays, carpets are available in multiple colors, designs, fibers, and textures. The characteristics of each carpet differ from each other depending upon its texture, pile, and cut. Hence, some carpets may be more suited to the needs of different rooms inside a home. Knowing the ideal carpet for each room is important to make an informed decision when purchasing a carpet.
Before you buy a carpet, it is important to understand the varying characteristics of different carpet fibers and piles. So let’s take a look.
Characteristics of Different Carpet Fibers
Carpets are made from different materials which are either natural or synthetic. Each material has varying properties i.e. they react differently to stains, abrasion, crushing, and fading. Hence, the suitability of each carpet depends upon the properties it possesses. Listed below are the properties of some of the common carpet fibers:
Wool
It has the following traits:
- Has a soft feel.
- Has a tolerance for abrasion and doesn’t wear off quickly.
- Possess excellent crush resistance i.e. is able to maintain its shape when force is applied.
- Has moderate stain resistance.
- Can get damaged due to prolonged exposure to sunlight.
- Can catch fire easily.
Based on the above-mentioned traits, wool carpets are ideal for those parts of the home which receive low traffic. Since wool is considered a luxury carpet, it should be placed in an area where it will have a lot of visibility such as a drawing-room, living room, or a master bedroom.
Nylon
Carpets made from nylon have the following traits:
- Easy to clean
- Can tolerate abrasion well and don’t deform under pressure
- They are resistant to stains i.e. stains can be removed easily from them.
- They get damaged when exposed to sunlight for prolonged periods.
- When caught fire, they burn slowly but melt away.
Carpets made from nylon are quite tough. Based on the above traits, nylon carpets are ideal for areas that receive high traffic and are used frequently such as hallways, living rooms, and children’s bedrooms.
Polyester
These carpets have the following traits:
- They have moderate abrasion resistance and can show pilling when used frequently.
- High-density polyester resists force and doesn’t crush easy but low-density carpets can crush easily.
- They don’t absorb water-soluble stains and can be removed easily.
- They have good sunlight resistance
- They burn slowly but melt.
Polyester carpets are ideal for areas that receive moderate to low traffic such as formal dining room and study.
Moderate- to low-traffic areas: formal dining room, study, home entertainment room
Olefin
Olefin is a synthetic compound. Carpets made from this material are cheap and lightweight. They possess the following traits:
- Easy to clean
- Have excellent tolerance to abrasion but poor crush resistance and can deform underweight.
- Have high tolerance to stains and don’t absorb most stains.
- They are extremely heat-sensitive and cannot be placed in areas that receive a lot of sunshine
- When catch fire, they burn fast.
Olefin carpets can be placed in areas that receive high traffic such as hallways and common lounges.
Carpet Padding
Carpet padding is a type of foam that is installed underneath the carpet. It offers insulation, moderates temperature, provides support, comfort, and also muffles the sounds. According to The Carpet and Rug Institue, the thickness of carpet padding for residential carpets should be between ¼ and 7/16 inches whereas short pile carpets should have a padding cushion with ⅜ inches of thickness.
If you have any of the carpets from above being used in your room, and you want professionals to take care of their cleaning and maintenance, get in touch with us. We provide carpet cleaning services in Las Vegas.