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Construction Basics
The specific construction or manufacturing method of a carpet
affects both its appearance and performance. Most carpet is
made by one of four methods; tufted, woven, needle-punched
or hand-knotted.
Tufted carpet
Tufted carpet is made on a high-speed machine that stitches
big loops of yarn through the backing fabric. A latex coating
locks the loops in place, and then a secondary backing material
is applied for strength and stability. Over 90 percent of
the carpet available is tufted. It's efficient and less expensive
to produce than woven carpet, and offers consumers a complete
range of styling.
Woven carpet
Woven carpet construction is similar to woven fabric. The
pile, weft and warp yarns interlace on the loom, allowing
for wide versatility of design. Velvet plush, Axminster, and
Wilton carpets are all woven.
Needle-punched carpet
This style is made by punching layers of fiber through a
mesh fabric by thousands of barbed needles. The result is
a felt-like carpet. This type if carpet was developed first
for indoor-outdoor use. It's relatively durable but limited
in available styles.
Hand-knotted carpets and rugs
These have been made (mostly in wool) for centuries, primarily
in the Middle East and China. Commonly referred to as Oriental
rugs, they follow distinct traditions of color and pattern
and are usually very expensive
Judging carpet construction
If you are interested, Great Choice can explain the relative
merits of different carpets. There are also some general guidelines
to help you determine the durability of a carpet and how well
it will keep its original good looks.
Durability depends on three important factors: The type of fiber,
the yarn twist, and the pile density. Choosing a carpet based
on any one of these factors can be misleading. It's important
to select the right balance of all three.
First, choose a strong, resilient carpet fiber such as nylon;
this is the strongest, most resilient carpet fiber used today.
Second, carpet with tight yarn twist will resist changes in
appearance and texture. And third, the density of the pile is
important for good resiliency and appearance.
Look at twist. Yarn twist, particularly in cut-pile, is critical
to carpet performance. All pile yarns in cut-pile carpets have
been heat set for permanence. The tighter the twist, the better
the carpet will retain its appearance. Look to see that the
cut ends of the carpet pile are neat and tight.
Check pile density. Press on the carpet with your fingers to
see how easily you push through to the backing. Then, with tufts
facing outward, bend the carpet into a 'U" and see how
much of the backing shows. The less backing you see, the denser
the carpet.
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