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Carpet
Fibers
Selecting the
Right Carpet Fiber for You.
©2002-2007 Alan J. Fletcher
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In this section we will be discussing carpet fibers, the most
important aspect in selecting the right carpet for the home, office or rental.
There are many fibers to choose from, and some are not listed here.
NYLON
To make it easy on you, I will give you a two word crash course on carpet
fibers; Buy Nylon! Nylon is by far the best wearing fiber available. You
may choose another fiber for various good reasons, but all in all nylon is the
best choice. Nylon is a synthetic fiber and outperforms all other fibers.
It wears well, resists abrasion and is easy to clean. It comes in all styles and
colors. What more can you ask for? This is the best wearing, most durable fiber
available. Insist on nylon to reap these benefits:
Softer Nylon
fibers
People who
want to buy a softer carpet that has the look and feel of wool may decide to buy
a new type of "softer" nylon carpet. Sold under the registered names
of Tactesse®, Lisse'®, Anso Caress® and others, this softer nylon carpet
fiber may be what you are looking for. The prices for this type of
carpet will continue to be higher than a standard nylon 6 or 6.6 carpet for as
far as the eye can see. And there are
some drawbacks to buying this new "softer" nylon carpet. In order
to make the carpet feel softer, they have to make the strand thinner. This
thinning of the nylon strand may compromise the inherent resiliency that we all
know and love with a standard denier nylon fiber.
Ask to see these
softer nylon carpet styles at your carpet dealer, but more importantly, be sure
you know if this style of carpet will meet your needs and lifestyle. These
softer nylons are not meant for every residential situation. If your home gets
heavy foot traffic, you may want to stick with a standard nylon style and avoid
the softer nylon styles. You'll save money and get the most bang for your buck.
OLEFIN (Polypropylene)
Olefin is a strong good-looking synthetic fiber that is
inexpensive to manufacture. Some carpets that are made of olefin are Berbers or
commercial carpets with small loops. Olefin wears well and has good stain
resistance when anti-stain treatment is applied. Olefin has good anti-static
properties. However, Olefin is hard to clean. It has poor resiliency and tends
to look dingy when soiled. It is also called polypropylene or polyolefin. Outdoor grass
styles are made from Olefin. This is not the best selection for rental units in
most cases, however some have had great success using a commercial level loop
carpet in apartments. Glued directly to the floor, it is not as soft under-foot,
but it will last significantly longer than if used with a pad placed under it.
Wheelchairs roll easily over glued down commercial level loop carpets and are a
good choice for handicapped units and perhaps retirement home applications.
POLYESTER (also called P.E.T.)
(May be manufactured from recycled soda pop containers)
Don't be fooled by the softness of this fiber. This is a very soft synthetic fiber that holds its color
well; however it is difficult to keep clean and has very poor resiliency. Traffic
areas will usually mat down quickly and soon afterwards may never return to its original
appearance. When new, polyester looks great and feels so soft and wonderful, but
it won’t be too long before it doesn’t.
Sales people often recommend this type of
carpet to consumers without sufficient fiber knowledge or experience. Because
polyester is so inexpensive to manufacture and higher profits
using this fiber, carpet
manufacturers continually try to enhance carpets made with polyester hoping that they can
create a carpet that wears well. So far they have had limited success.
Because prices are
lower for polyester carpets you may be tempted to buy a carpet made from
polyester, just be sure that
your expectations are not very high. Generally, I do not recommend buying carpets
made from polyester fibers to those who need a carpet that wears well and
resists matting and crushing.
WOOL
Wool is very expensive and is considered an elite fiber.
Open your checkbook, sign your name and leave the amount blank. Wool
makes a great carpet but is costly to buy, install, and maintain. Not every
installer is qualified to install a wool carpet. You must call a wool
carpet cleaning specialist when cleaning is necessary. It all adds up to a
whole lot of money. But all in all, if you can afford wool then go for
it.
As a natural animal fiber, it was not designed to tolerate abrasion. It is difficult to keep clean, but has wonderful resiliency,
is very soft and it
resists burning. Although very costly, some carpets are made with an 80%
wool / 20% nylon blend. these would be better in high traffic applications. I do not recommend wool carpet for rental
applications, those with small children or those with pets that have
accidents.
DuPont™
Sorona® Polymer
Another new fiber on the market is
called Sorona®, and is a polymer made from corn. (Actually it was
invented back in the 1940's) Invented by Dupont™, they claim this new fiber
has great anti-stain properties. For me to rate this product will take some
time. I never recommend any products to my readers until I have personal
experience with the product. Unless Dupont™ invites me over for a personal
tour of their manufacturing facility, it may be a few years before I will be
able to give you my full blessing with Sorona®.
There is more you need to learn
about carpet fibers before a wise choice for you can be determined. Your choice must be
made based on your needs, goals, expectations and your lifestyle. If you have
kids or pets that needs to be considered too. If you choose a carpet that cannot
handle the amount of foot traffic you have, the carpet will wear out much sooner
than you might expect. My eBook can help you
with that.
10th Edition