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CARPET… MADE SIMPLECarpet Styles | Carpet Construction | Carpet Installation
Carpet is made through a process called “tufting”. The yarn is stitched through a backing material by gigantic sewing machines with hundreds of rows of sewing needles, creating thousands of tufts made of “looped” yarn. The backing material is then coated with an adhesive or latex to lock the tufts in place.
Carpet is generally categorized as:
There are many different styles, colors and textures of carpet to choose from, each creating a different feel in the home, and conveying a different message about the homeowner’s personal style. The Design Consultant’s job is to help the homeowner select the carpet that is right for them.
Cut Pile Carpet Cut pile carpet, the most popular style of carpet in the residential market, is available in a number of different styles.
Saxony, sometimes referred to as “Plush”, is noted for its luxurious elegance and soft, dense carpet pile and is available in a wide array of solid hues.
“Nap” refers to the direction in which the tufts of yarn lay. If the nap runs in one direction, as it does with Saxony carpet, light reflects the same off each tuft. If you change the direction of “some” tufts (by walking on the carpet, for example), light will reflect differently off that section of the carpet, creating a mark. That’s why Saxony carpet tends to show footprints and vacuum cleaner marks. Sculptured Saxony is a form of Saxony in which the tufts are cut at various heights to create a pattern or design.
The yarn used to make textured carpet is steamed, causing the yarn to curl. As a result, the tufts face in different directions, creating the appearance of multi-colored yarn and producing a “textured” look. In addition, because the tufts already face in different directions, walking on the tufts does NOT create a visible path. That’s why textured carpet is less likely than Saxony to show footprints or vacuum cleaner marks. Frieze (“Free Zay”) is made with a tightly twisted, longer yarn that tends to “curl” or “bend over” on itself (more so than even textured carpet). This produces a distinctive look and creates a soft, comfortable, casual feel. Colored flecks are often added to increase the “visual” texture.
Buyer’s
Tip: The durability of Frieze carpet, coupled with
it’s ability to hide
seams, makes it ideal for high traffic areas of
the home.
Friezes are made in a variety of densities and styles, including:
Loop Carpet - Berber Customers often refer to loop carpet as “Berber” (because of the fleck coloring and woven appearance of many loop carpets). Berbers are made with both level loops and multi-level loops.
Multi-level loop carpets are harder to clean than level loop carpets because the soil tends to migrate to the lower loops.
Berber carpet can be:
Cut and Loop Carpet (“Patterned”)
Patterned carpets can also be created using multi-level loops or printing a design directly onto the carpet for a stylish, often dramatic look.
Buyer’s Tip: Berber and
Patterned carpets tend to show seams more than
Saxony, Textured or Frieze.
How well a carpet will “perform” (e.g., stand up to regular wear and tear, including daily traffic, spills and pets) is determined primarily by:
Carpet Fiber The type of carpet fiber, along with the method by which the fiber is turned into yarn, significantly impacts both the price and performance of a carpet. Carpet fiber is turned into yarn using one of two common methods: Staple or Bulk Continuous Filament (BCF). Staple is a short strand of fiber (usually around 6 inches long) that is twisted together with other similar pieces of fiber to create a tuft of yarn. BCF is one long continuous strand of fiber that is used to create the yarn. Because carpets made with staple fiber use many small pieces of fiber, they tend to shed, or “pill”, significantly more than carpets made with BCF. As more fiber comes off the carpet’s surface over time (through foot traffic, vacuuming, etc.), the carpet literally “wears” away. Better quality carpets are typically made with BCF. The only benefit of staple fiber is its lower cost, which is why lesser quality carpets are often made with staple fibers. Carpet fiber represents about 75% of the cost of making carpet, so it has a significant impact on carpet price. But the type of fiber also impacts how the carpet will perform in the home. Most carpet today is manufactured from synthetic, or man-made, fibers, such as olefin, polyester or nylon. Each fiber has different performance characteristics affecting the look, feel and performance of the carpet. Olefin (Polypropylene) is a relatively inexpensive synthetic fiber that is extremely resistant to stains and moisture. Olefin is a solution-dyed fiber, which means the color is added during the production process rather than after the yarn is produced. The color is in the fiber through and through, not just on the surface. Think of solution-dyed fiber like a carrot: when you slice it, it’s orange all the way through. Fibers dyed through more traditional topical applications are like radishes: red on the outside, but white on the inside. More importantly, the color is “locked-in” and only extreme heat will cause the dye sites to reopen. This makes olefin and other solution-dyed fibers “colorfast” (e.g. highly resistant to staining and fading). While it is relatively inexpensive, there are some disadvantages to olefin: Olefin is NOT “resilient”
Because it is solution-dyed, Olefin can NOT be made in bolder, vibrant colors.
Olefin tends to have an oily residue on its surface.
Olefin’s low cost,
combined with its increased stability when made
in “loop” form
and its resistance to stains and fading, make it
the fiber of choice for less expensive Berbers
(as well as for the majority of commercial carpets). Polyester is the most widely used fiber for residential carpets. Polyester offers a number of benefits:
Polyester fiber is dyed after the yarn is extruded. Because of the chemical structure of polyester fiber, a tremendous amount of heat is required to open the dye sites. This characteristic makes polyester inherently resistant to fading and highly stain resistant, even to water-soluble stains (because, unless extreme heat is applied to the carpet fiber, the dye sites remain closed, blocking the staining agents from getting in). Buyer’s Tip: There is a wide range of polyester fibers used to make carpet, from staple polyester to bulk continuous filament polyester made from virgin polyester to premium polyester made with advanced engineering to increase softness and durability. The differences impact both price AND performance. Make sure you know which polyester you are buying. Nylon is the most expensive synthetic fiber. It is an incredibly soft, durable and resilient fiber. Combined with its ability to hide soil and stains, nylon is the ideal fiber for carpet used in the most highly trafficked areas. The benefits of nylon can be summarized as follows:
Special, branded nylon fibers have been developed, using state-of-the-art technology in chemistry and engineering to produce softer, yet more durable and stain resistant fibers. Branded fibers, such as Dupont’s STAINMASTER Tactesse Nylon, have the added benefit of quality assurance: they are manufactured to strict parameters and subjected to specialized testing. Although nylon is not inherently stain resistant like polyester, nylon can be solution-dyed, a process that makes the fiber as stain resistant as polyester. And because nylon does not have an oily-residue, dirt does not adhere to nylon the way it adheres to olefin. As described above, solution-dyed fibers can not be made in bold, bright colors. However, there are nylon fibers which are NOT solution-dyed, such as STAINMASTER Tactesse Nylon. These nylons CAN be made in vibrant, bold colors. Since nylon is not naturally stain resistant, nylon fibers that are not solution-dyed must be treated with a topical stain treatment, such as STAINMASTER. Buyer’s Tip: Not all stain treatments are equal. Lesser quality carpets use generic treatments that wear off after only a few cleanings. Even Scotch Guard, a recognized brand, wears off relatively quickly. It’s best to go with a carpet fiber that is inherently stain resistant or treated with a premium applicant, like STAINMASTER, which does not wear off.
Wool Wool is the preeminent natural fiber used to make carpet, noted for its luxurious appearance, natural softness and high performance (e.g., natural resilience, good texture retention and good resistance to soil). Wool is shorn from sheep and the natural shape of wool fiber keeps dust and dirt near the surface of the carpet pile, making it easier to clean. However, wool is not naturally stain resistant (although stain treatment can be applied). On the downside, carpets made from wool are significantly more expensive than carpets made from synthetic fibers, which explains why wool carpets account for less than 1% of the total market.
Carpet Construction In addition to the “type” of fiber used to make the yarn, carpet performance (or how well a carpet will wear and how long it will last) also depends on the manner in which the yarn is constructed.
Twist
After the yarn is twisted, it goes through a heat setting process to lock in the twist, giving the yarn “memory” so that it retains its shape over time. The twist level of a fiber significantly impacts how a carpet will stand up to wear. Generally speaking, the tighter the twist, the better the performance.
Some lesser expensive olefin berbers are made using a method called “Air Entanglement” (AE), rather than the standard method of twisting the yarn together. Air entanglement is a suitable method to make berber carpets because of the added stability created by tight loop construction. It is not suitable for cut pile carpet.
Buyer’s Tip: Some carpet dealers
promote lower priced carpet that is made with high
pile height but “low” twist,
creating the appearance of a fuller yarn. Unfortunately,
the yarn will unravel, or “flower”, over time.
Gauge & Stitch Rate Gauge rate is the number of needles per inch used to “tuft” the carpet. It is a function of the sewing machine used to make the carpet. Stitch rate refers to the speed at which the carpet is fed through the sewing machine.
Pile Height
Face Weight Face weight refers to the “amount” of fiber in one square yard of carpet (ounces of fiber per sq. yd.). The “weight” of the yarn has a significant impact on both the cost and feel of the carpet, but not necessarily on the carpet’s performance. Density is a more critical measure of how a carpet will perform.
Density
Carpets with higher density (i.e., the tufts are closer together) will generally perform better. You can measure density by pressing down on the carpet pile with one finger and seeing how easy or difficult it is to penetrate to the backing. Better, denser carpets are more difficult to penetrate.
Buyer’s Tip: Beware of lower
priced carpets that feature relatively high weight
in ounces but low density. As stated above, density
is a more critical measure of how a carpet will
perform. Carpets with high pile height and low
density tend to matte and crush very easily, causing
the carpet to wear very quickly (with the exception
of Frieze, which has added stability due to high
twist levels).
Carpet Backing As stated above, yarn is stitched through a backing material to create “tufts”. The carpet backing holds the yarn in place, impacting the carpet’s durability, seam strength and overall appearance, including pattern straightness and the ability to keep its shape and not wrinkle. Carpet backing is NOT all the same. Standard backing is made from woven polypropylene. Lower quality carpets use backing made from cheaper chemicals that make the backing tough and brittle. Over time, the backing loosens up, causing the carpet to sag and wrinkle. Premium backing made from fiber offers many benefits over standard backing:
Buyer’s Tip: Beaulieu is the only major carpet manufacturer that uses premium backing made from fiber as the secondary backing. Other mills apply premium backing on top of the secondary backing (as stated above, typically made from woven polypropylene), which defeats the purpose of having premium backing – which is Beaulieu is the only company that offers a No Wrinkle warranty for carpets using its premium backing.
Carpet Pad
Carpet pad is as important as
the carpet itself in terms of a carpet’s performance. Carpet pad helps increase comfort and maintain the carpet’s original appearance by absorbing foot traffic. When you walk on carpet, you put pressure on it. Carpet pad helps to alleviate that pressure, which makes the carpet feel softer, thicker and richer. Carpet pad improves the efficiency of vacuuming. A quality pad makes cleaning more efficient because it raises carpet off the sub-floor and provides air space underneath, allowing the carpet to “breathe.” When you vacuum, that space allows more air to come up through the carpet, picking up more dirt. Selecting the “correct” pad (as specified by the manufacturer) helps minimize matting and crushing, as well as soiling and staining. A quality pad can increase the useful life of carpet as much as 50%. Pile crushing can make carpet “look” worn out before the fiber is actually worn out. A quality pad helps decrease pile crushing, allowing the carpet to maintain its pile height and stay looking new much longer. The latest advancements in carpet pads are stain and odor fighting capabilities. A special moisture barrier on the surface of premium pads prevents spills or pet accidents from saturating the pad or soaking into the sub-floor, causing mold. This barrier gives the homeowner time to blot up the spill and prevent it from wicking back to the surface causing recurring stains. Some premium pads have a special enzyme that helps eliminate offensive odors.
Pad Construction Most carpet pad is made from foam or rubber, with foam pad accounting for approximately 75% of the market. Bonded polyurethane, referred to as re-bond, is the most common form of foam pad. It is formed by combining chopped and shredded pieces of recycled foam, in different sizes and usually different colors, into one solid piece. The re-bond foam that is produced is itself recyclable. Premium re-bond pad features:
Product warranties typically specify the minimum type and grade of pad to be used with a specific carpet. The “grade” of pad is determined primarily by weight and thickness. Note: A thinner pad is used for Berber carpets because a thicker, less dense pad would produce too much “give”, pulling on the seams.
Buyer’s Tip: Many contractors
lower the cost of new carpet by reusing the existing
pad or using a less expensive pad that does not
meet manufacturer specifications for thickness
and weight. In addition to causing wrinkling and
buckling and separation of carpet seams, reusing
the existing pad or using a non-specified pad will
likely void the product warranty.
Carpet installation consists of:
Removing Existing Flooring The first step in installing carpet is removing the existing flooring (typically carpet) and inspecting the tack strip. Generally, the existing tack strip can be reused, provided that it is fastened securely around the perimeter of the room where the carpet will be installed. However, some portions of the tack strip may be rotted (such as around a patio door) and will need to be replaced by the installer. Note: Carpet can be installed over an existing wood or vinyl floor (in which case, there is no need to remove the existing flooring). Under such circumstances (or when carpet is installed over concrete), the installer will install new tack strips.
Installing the Carpet Pad The carpet pad is laid on the floor, trimmed and securely fastened to the sub-floor with staples (on a wood sub-floor) or glue (on concrete).
Installing the Carpet The carpet roll is cut to the size of the room and rolled out. The carpet must be properly stretched, using a power stretcher, and firmly hooked onto the tackstrip.
Many installers won’t invest in a power stretcher, choosing to use less expensive devices, such as a knee-kicker. A knee-kicker can damage the carpet or sub-floor and may provide an inadequate amount of stretch, resulting in wrinkling or buckling over time. Knee-kickers should only be used for positioning and hooking the carpet onto the tackstrip (although they can be used to install carpet on stairs). The installation is finished along the wall and the carpet is trimmed, leaving sufficient material so that it can be tucked under the baseboard. Minor scratching of baseboards and moldings may be unavoidable during the tucking process.
Seams If the width of the room is greater than the width of the roll of carpet, it may be necessary to seam together multiple pieces of carpet to complete the installation. Seam placement is very important. The general rule for seams are:
Buyer’s Tip: Seams are never invisible. So while adding seams may cut down on waste, reducing the amount of material required for the job, it can also negatively impact how the carpet will look. Make sure you review seam placement BEFORE the installation. Too many installers will try to add seams without telling you (in order to reduce their cost of material). To create a proper seam, the edges of the carpet are trimmed leaving a smooth seam without gaps or overlaps. This is particularly important with Saxony, Berber or Patterned carpet where the seam may be more noticeable.
Glue-Down Method Carpet can also be installed using the glue-down method, in which the carpet is glued directly to the floor (usually with no pad underneath). Glue-down is typically used for installation of commercial grade carpets. However, some residential customers request commercial grade carpet in order to minimize cost. Stretching-in a carpet over pad is “preferred” to the glue-down method because:
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Saxony is produced
by cutting the tufts of yarn to a smooth, uniform
height with consistent color, creating a relatively
formal look.
Textured carpet also offers a level finish,
but the yarns have more twist than Saxony, causing
the tufts to bend over just slightly, producing
a more casual style.
The high twist level of Frieze
increases the carpet’s
durability because the yarn:
Level Loop carpet has
looped tufts that are all the same height. This makes
the carpet easier to clean because soil doesn’t penetrate
deep into the carpet. Loops are typically short and
densely situated, making the carpet crush resistant.
Consequently, level loop carpets are popular for
high traffic areas in the home, such as family rooms,
stairways or hallways.
Multi-level Loop has loops
at two or more different heights. The different heights
can be arranged to create an array of patterns and
textures providing visual interest, such as straight
rows, geometric patterns or random textures. Adding
a touch of color adds dimension to the design.
Patterned carpets blend cuts and
loops in varying heights for dramatic, unique patterns,
ranging from floral to geometric designs. The shading
created by the variety of heights and/or textures
also helps to hide dirt.
Twist refers to how tightly
the yarns in each tuft are twisted together. It is
measured in terms of the number of twists per inch
of yarn (TPI).
A tighter twist
level will generally produce a carpet with more consistency
in appearance and greater resistance to matting and
traffic marks (because the yarn is more likely to
bounce back to its original position after being
walked on). A carpet with a low twist level will
likely become unraveled with regular use and the
ends will fray over time.
Pile height refers to the height of the tufts
of yarn, measured from the backing to the top of
the tufts. Generally, carpet with tall pile height
is plusher, while carpet with low pile height is
firmer.
Density refers to the thickness of
the yarn and how close the tufts of yarn are spaced
together (which is a factor of the gauge and stitch
rate).
The use of a
power stretcher is critical. A power stretcher
uses a lever system to multiply the installer’s
applied stretching force. It creates tension across
the entire length of the carpet, which helps to
avoid wrinkling and buckling.
The
trimmed edges must be sealed with an appropriate
latex seam sealer to prevent the edges from fraying.
Unfortunately, many installers skip this step in
order to save costs.
Seaming tape (referred to as
hot-melt tape) is placed under the carpet and a heating
tool, similar to an iron, is used to fuse the two
pieces of carpet together, with the seaming tape
acting as the adhesive.
