Home Style Decorating

Carpeting adds life and affects the entire theme and look of your room. You want it to have a long life, look good, and be comfortable to walk on. There is an assortment of fibers that are used in carpeting. With different attributes, these fibers affects the performance of your carpet. The type of fiber used to make a carpet determines its visual appearance, overall durability, feel, resistance to stains and of course, the cost.

Olefin or Polypropylene is one type of carpeting fiber. It is of lower end carpeting but also have several good qualities. It absorbs very little moisture and this make it hard to stain. Olefin is also usually solution died which means that the color runs all the way through the fiber and it can not be bleached. Olefin is a soft fiber so it will wear easily thus it will last for a short time than other fibers. It is also prone to grease easily and will develop dark traffic spots that are very hard to clean. It is an indoor and outdoor fiber and is the common fiber used for artificial turf. This carpeting is good only if you intend to use it for a short period of time.

The most popular carpeting fiber is nylon. It is more expensive than Olefin because it is more harder and resists wear and tear better. Nylon does not attract grease but it absorbs moisture making it not stain-proof. Nylon is mildew resistant an static-free. It can be bleached and you must clean it it often in order for it to last longer. A carpet protector should also be used to protect it from stains. Nylon accounts for approximately 90% of all residential carpeting.

The most expensive carpeting fiber is perhaps the wool. Wool is a natural fiber and is both soft and durable. It usually lasts a lifetime if cared for and carpet protector should be applied liberally to protect it from stains. When it comes to luxury and performance, no other fiber compares to Wool. Wool carpets maintain their height, they are ultra soft with a feel that is incomparable. It is usually used in cut pile and textured carpets.

Acrylic is another type of carpeting fiber and is the closest synthetic fiber to wool because of its wool-like attributes. It is used extensively in Velvet and Plush Level Loop carpets. Acrylic fibers offer the appearance and feel of wool at a much lower cost and has the advantage over wool of being moisture and mildew resistant. The Acrylic fiber resists crushing, stains and will not fade from sunlight. Acrylic carpets are excellent for master and guest bedrooms because they are a high-wear product.

Ployester fiber creates a very attractive carpet and is less expensive than nylon or wool. Commonly used in soft loop or Berber loop carpets, Polyester is a fiber that is used to make a luxury product. Crush resistant, available in a vast array of dynamic colors and its resistance to fading provides Polyester fibers with a lot of advantages. Polyester fibers are easy to clean and are resistant to water based stains.

There are other carpeting fibers available like silk and cotton but they are not commonly used. So before you make a decision as to what carpeting fiber to use, analyze first the carpets uses and where would you like to place it.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.