An Expert Guide to Carpet Style Selection…
Be sure to address several key considerations when your carpet is being installed:
Cut Pile
Cut pile carpet is far and away the most common choice in carpet styles. And its name indicates just what it is – carpeting where the loops have been cut. Within the cut pile family, there are again several choices, based on how the loops are cut.
Saxony is cut to a uniform height for a plush, formal look and is available in a wide range of solid colors. Saxony carpet has a uniform nap; in other words, each tuft of yarn lies in the same direction. Light reflects the same way off of each tuft of fiber. When the nap is changed, by walking on it, for instance, the light reflects differently in those areas. So, it shows footprints and tracks from your vacuum cleaner more than other carpet styles.
Sculptured Saxony has tufts cut at different heights to create a patterned appearance.
Textured pile is cut at a uniform height, but the yarns are twisted to face in different directions. The fibers are steamed first, which makes them curl, so they create a multi-toned look for a textured appearance.
Frieze carpet uses a longer yarn than textured. It’s tightly twisted and curls even more, so it makes for a softer, more casual look. It’s often flecked with color to add to the visual interest. Frieze comes in shag style and cable, which uses a thicker yarn that can be twisted to look like woven cable.
Berber
With Berber carpet, the loops are not cut, but left intact. Fibers of Berber carpet can be wool, nylon, olefin, or a blend.
Level loop Berber is typically short and densely packed, making this style more resistant to foot traffic and soil penetration. Thus, it’s ideal for high-traffic areas.
Multi-level loop Berber comes in a variety of patterns and textures, depending on the way the levels are designed. It can be harder to clean, since the soil tends to migrate to the lower-level loops.
Patterned
Cut and loop pile, or patterned carpet, uses a combination of cut and loop piles at varying heights to produce dramatic shading and beautiful patterns with a multi-dimensional look inherent to this style’s construction. Patterned carpet tends to hide soil better, due to the shading effect created by the various layers and textures.
More to consider…
Seams are more visible in Berber and patterned carpet, so if that will bother you, stick with Saxony, textured or frieze carpet instead.
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