Carpet Fibers
Selecting the Right Carpet Fiber for You
Carpet Fibers
What fiber you select will determine how long it lasts, how soft it feels, what colors are available, how easily it can be cleaned and how much it costs. This is one of the most critical factors when choosing and comparing carpets. You must compare apples to apples. For example, you cannot compare a nylon carpet to a polyester carpet, or a wool carpet to an Olefin carpet. This would be like comparing apples to oranges. You have to compare similar carpets and narrow it down to the one that best meets your needs and lifestyle as well as your budget.
Nylon
Nylon is a generic name or designation for a family of synthetic polymers first produced in 1935 by the DuPont Company. As far as fibers go, Nylon is the most durable and the most resilient of all carpet fibers. A resilient fiber is defined as having the ability to return to its original form or position after being bent, compressed, or stretched. Nylon is the most resilient fiber used to make carpet. This is what keeps a nylon carpet looking like new longer than any other fiber. Nylon is one of the more expensive fibers second only to wool. I would consider choosing a Nylon carpet if you have a lot of traffic and longevity was my biggest concern.
Polyester
Polyester is one of the least expensive fibers to manufacture. A thick polyester carpet may feel nice and soft, but it is not a resilient fiber, and it does not a make a long-lasting carpet. Polyester carpets mat down in a hurry, and that has always been the problem with carpets made from this fiber. When you walk on a carpet, with every footstep you bend and compress the fibers and soon they begin to fall over. Once polyester fibers are crushed, they won't spring back to their original position. This is why warranties for polyester carpets do not cover claims against matting or crushing. Don’t be fooled by salespeople who recommend carpets made with polyester. It may be acceptable to buy a carpet made with polyester as long as you know what to expect and don’t pay a lot of money for it. I wouldn't expect to get a life span of more than 5 years on a polyester carpet, regardless of its tuft twist, density rating or warranty claims. I might consider choosing a carpet made of polyester if I wanted to spend as little as possible on a carpet that looks nice for a very short amount of time.
Some carpets are made with a blend of polyester and nylon. Usually a small amount of nylon is added. They do this to try to make a polyester carpet a little bit more resilient and durable. While this may have a benefit to some, I personally do not believe it is a worthwhile product. It's like putting a Mercedes hood ornament on a Ford Fiesta. It doesn't make much sense. But carpet makers have long tried to come up with a way to make polyester more durable because it is so cheap to make.
Olefin (also called polypropylene)
Olefin is a very strong fiber. It is often used to make Berber carpets, commercial carpets and outdoor grass carpets. Olefin wears well and has good stain resistance when anti-stain treatment is applied. Olefin also has good anti-static properties. However, Olefin is not easy to keep clean and tends to look dingy when soiled. It has poor resiliency so smaller looped Berber styles wear better than do larger looped styles. Commercial looped carpets wear very well, as the loops tend to be very small which leaves little room for the loops to become matted or crushed. Wheelchairs roll easily over commercial level loop Olefin carpets that are glued-down without padding and may be a good choice for handicapped areas, hospitals and retirement home applications. When comparing Berber carpets made of Olefin smaller loops, in a tighter weave will yield a longer wearing carpet.
Sorona®
DuPont™ is the leader in fiber technology and they have a new product on the market, a polymer made from corn. It was invented back in the 40’s but was too expensive to manufacture back then. Today with carpet prices rising due to higher oil prices it has become a viable product to produce. DuPont™ calls this fiber Sorona®, a proprietary polymer with engineered stain protection that they claim will never wash off or wear off. With exceptional cleanability as its main claim to fame it will be a product that many consumers will want to have. I would consider selecting a carpet made with this type of fiber if stains and ease of cleaning were my biggest concern. DuPont™ and Sorona® are a trademark and a registered trademark of E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Company.
Wool and Wool Blends
Some carpets are offered with a blend of nylon and wool in varying amounts. Usually I see 20% nylon and 80% wool. This gives wool some of the characteristics of nylon like increased resiliency and durability as well as lower cost. This can be a very good blend to consider having.
Wool carpets are considered the most elite of fibers and are the most expensive of all carpet fibers. Wool is a natural fiber and is very soft. It has excellent insulating qualities and is naturally fire resistant. However, wool carpets must be professionally cleaned by specialized carpet cleaning methods and is more expensive to maintain and install than synthetic carpet styles. Comparing wool carpets based on price and quality can be more difficult because well known brand names can increase the cost dramatically and the quality may be more difficult to determine. If you can afford wool carpets it would be an excellent choice for most people. However, children and pets can be very hard on any carpet so careful consideration should be taken if you have small children or pets prone to having accidents.
Next: Carpet Comparison - How to compare carpets
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Notice Please don't buy carpet until you read my ebook. Doing so may cause you to select the wrong carpet, overpay or become the victim of a carpet scam. |
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