Types of Carpet for Your Home

Want to know the secret ingredient that makes carpets durable? In this case, you need to get acquainted with the materials from which they are created.

There are four main materials used in carpets fibers and they are (in order of popularity): nylon, polyester, olefin (polypropylene) and wool.
There isn't such thing as best or worst fiber. It is true that certain materials have advantages over others and it is the knowledge of their pros and cons, as well as the knowledge of what you are looking for in your new carpet that will help you choose the best fiber for you and your home.

Clarify the following questions:

1.  How often do you replace the carpets in your home? 
2. Which is more important to you - stain resistance or load resistance of the carpet? 
3. Which room will the carpet be used for? 
4. Do you have pets or do you plan on getting?

Your list of questions can go on and on, depending on your requirements, and the material below will help you choose the best type of carpet thread specifically for you.

If you ever have to "blindly" choose the fiber from which your carpet is made, choose nylon. This will be your best choice for a durable carpet thread. Nylon is the most popular choice for buyers and this is not surprising, because nylon performs well in two of the most important categories - stain resistance and durability. This is due to the strength of the nylon fibers, which successfully withstand the daily load. As for stain resistance - yes, nylon can withstand almost all stains, but you still need to treat them in a timely manner to remove them successfully. You can view the article Carpet Cleaning.
The disadvantage is the high price, and for some people the disadvantage is the fact that nylon is not an environmentally friendly material.

Polyester fibers are like an environmentally friendly version of olefin fibers. Polyester carpets look great - they are soft and comfortable, allow to be colored in bright and bold colors, relatively inexpensive and relatively resistant to stains.
Disadvantages of the polyester carpet:
Polyester attracts and binds to fats, and they can be found literally everywhere - on our skin, on our shoes, not to mention in the kitchen. You probably won't notice the oils on the carpet, but they attract dirt, and often the dirty-looking carpet is actually oil-stained carpet.
Easily crushed - Polyester is a soft fiber that is not very resistant to heavy loads. Eventually, the polyester rug, placed in areas of the home with a lot of traffic or subjected to children's play, is crushed, matted and settles, and this gives it a worn and outdated look.
The big plus of polyester is that it is cheap. This is a great choice for lower load rooms, nursing homes and homes without children. But if you are one of the clients who prefer to change their carpets more often, polyester is also the ideal choice for you - excellent stain resistance, beautiful colors, incredible softness and is 100% recycled, and its price would allow you to replace it for a reasonable price at the first signs of wear.

Olefin rugs are actually polypropylene rugs and you can find them under this name in stores and online. The biggest advantage of carpets and rugs is the price. Another plus is that they have impressive resistance to liquid spills as well as mold formation. They are designed so that they do not absorb liquids, food and dirt, but this does not apply to oils that permanently adhere to the olefin.
Olefin does not cope well with the daily load - its fibers quickly matte, crush and settle, which gives the appearance of the carpet beaten and dirty look. There are two ways to alleviate this shortcoming, either by betting on an olefin rug with a shorter length of cut threads, or by choosing one with uncut stitches.
Note that olefin has a low melting point. It will burn or at least get permanent damage from a little heat.
If you are looking for a cheap stain-resistant carpet, you should also consider olefin carpets. However, if durability is a high priority for you, you should ignore the temptation of the low price of the olefin carpet and choose something else.

This is the most elite among the materials used in the production of carpets. 100% natural material that is durable, provides excellent heat and noise insulation. But of course all this is reflected in the price of carpets made of woolen threads - they are expensive. If the price does not matter much to you, woolen carpets do not have many disadvantages and you can bet on them.

Colors fade in the sun - The color of your wool carpet may fade over time if it is constantly exposed to sunlight. This can be prevented if you have curtains or blinds that block the midday sun.
Water absorption - Wool acts like a sponge. If a flood problem occurs, it can damage your carpet if it is not well dried. If the room in which you plan to put a woolen carpet has a problem with moisture, this can lead to the formation of mold on the carpet.
Moths and other insects - To prevent damage to the carpet from moths and insects, manufacturers usually apply a mild insecticide on wool carpets.

Each carpet and rug is woven, sewn, twisted and cut differently. This determines the unique style / look.
You can go to the store and just like a carpet, but there are some subtleties that are good to know about the individual carpets and that would help you make a really informed choice.

Carpets with stitches and those with cut thread are the two main types of carpets on the market today. Sometimes you can come across alternative terms such as - plush, steps, frieze, twisted and more types of carpets, but you should keep in mind that these are only subcategories or combinations of one of the two main types of carpets.

One of the earliest styles of making rugs was through uncut stitches of yarn. This is a durable and practical type of carpet on which no prints are formed - either from furniture or steps. They are extremely strong and are suitable for the busier rooms in your home. The disadvantage of these carpets is that the stitches can be hung and pulled, which violates their aesthetic appearance. Pet owners (cats and dogs) should keep this in mind when choosing a carpet, because animals can intentionally or unintentionally "pull" the carpet threads.
When it comes to durability, you should know that the smaller the stitches, the more durable the carpet. Large stitches are crushed and matted over time, which gives a worn look to the floor covering. Carpets with small stitches are probably the most durable carpets sold on the market (that's why you see them covering many commercial buildings).

During this carpet production, the wool thread is cut low. Popular types of carpets with cut thread are plush, shaggy, frieze, Saxony. This type of carpets are soft and clean and are suitable for any area of the home.
The level of twisting of the threads, ie how tightly each thread is twisted also matters. Weak twisting leads to unraveling - "blooming" of the cut threads and this gives a worn look to the carpet.

Frieze type carpets
This type of carpets are made with a dense twisted thread, which guarantees and improves their durability. They are very similar to shaggy carpet, but can be defined as a shorter, sophisticated and neat version of them. This is a high quality type of carpet, suitable for living room, bedroom, nursery.

Plush / Saxony / velvet carpets

Is there a difference between these types of carpets? For the average buyer - no. Technically - there is a difference, but each of these types of carpets has the same characteristics for durability, they look very similar and even traders sometimes confuse their names.
These rugs and carpets are perfect for the living room or bedroom. They have a dense and elegant appearance. They are considered to be carpets of a higher class and are usually well constructed. The disadvantage of this design is that it easily shows imperfections - stains stand out visibly, as well as traces of footsteps and vacuuming.

"Shaggy" style carpets

This type of carpet has long cut fibers, with low density, which causes the carpet fibers to lie down. "Shaggy" carpets have returned to the market in recent years. They are known for their shaggy appearance. These carpets are the exact opposite of a well-maintained, upright and tidy type of plush rug. The main reason to buy Shaggy carpet is because it is fun.
When choosing you should be careful with the quality of these carpets and do not compromise if you have decided to take exactly the shaggy carpet. Without going into details, we can note that sometimes during production the fibers do not adhere well to the substrate, which can lead to damage over time. This will not be a big problem if your carpet is decorative - without a heavy load, but if it is sent to a busy traffic area - it can turn into a headache.
As a disadvantage we must point out the challenge - cleaning. You may need to get a new vacuum cleaner to take care of your carpet. It should be strong enough to clean between the lying carpet bundles, but at the same time gentle so that you can press it to the carpet and it does not get damage.

Choosing the style of your new rug is the fun part of carpet shopping. As we have mentioned, the style has a certain influence on the durability and durability of the carpets, but with the right location and proper cleaning and maintenance you will be able to enjoy for a long time any type of carpet that you lay in your home. Learn more about carpet cleaning and maintenance from our articles and feel free to give us a call at 778-513-0333 if you have any questions regarding your carpet installation in Vancouver.