Fun on the Floor logo - Carpet Flooring Inspiration
- All about carpets
- Carpet fibres & styles
- Samples
- Benefits
- Carpet care
- Planning & fitting
- I love my carpet
Carpet Styles
Carpets are made from four main types of fibre. Each type of fibre has its own unique qualities, ideal for different kinds of uses and applications. There’s the traditional, natural luxury of a wool carpet, the hardwearing qualities of manmade synthetics, and fibre blends which give you the best qualities of both. Although much less common than these, carpet flooring is sometimes made from other materials too, such as Sisal, Coir and Jute.
Twisted pile is created from yarn which has been twisted tightly together. The loops are then cut in order to achieve its textured appearance. It is the most popular kind of carpet currently being produced. This style of carpet comes in plain colours, and also a 'heather' look which is made by combining yarns of complimentary shades together in the process of twisting. Ideal for any room in the home, Twists come in the widest variety of colours, shades and prices.
Velvet Pile
Carpets with a Velvet or Velour pile have a very smooth, elegant cut pile finish. Their gorgeously velveteen feel makes them absolutely perfect for bedrooms. Luxury carpets are often of a velvet construction.
Shag pile
This extremely luxurious carpet is made the same way as a cut pile but with extra long tufts for that shaggy look, which is becoming increasingly popular again for the first time since its initial heyday in the 1970's!
Looped pile carpet, often referred to as a Berber, is extremely durable, practical, and fantastic for all-purpose use. The yarn used in making looped pile is quite heavy and wide, and the loops can be made at either a uniform height, or even different heights, to form a textured pile. Sometimes both cut and loop pile is combined for a more dramatic, sculptured effect. It's very good at maintaining its appearance well throughout a long lifetime.
Saxony
This type of dense, cut pile carpet is made with longer tufts than the other styles of carpet. Often used in living rooms or bedrooms.
Wool is the most traditional natural carpet fibre, and has been used to make carpets for literally hundreds of years all around the world. British and New Zealand wools are the most popular choices for luxury carpet production. Its properties include excellent resilience (the ability to spring back into shape), good resistance to soiling, low flammability, and it's easy to clean too.
However it isn't the most hard wearing carpet fibre on its own, so wool is often blended with a synthetic fibre like polyamide or polyester to give added strength. This is usually a blend of 80% wool, 20% man made fibres. The results produce a luxury carpet fit for any home decorating.
Polyamide is the hardest wearing synthetic fibre used in making carpets, retaining both its looks and its style much longer than other fibres. It's also one of the most versatile carpet fibres, since carpets manufactured from this can be dyed or printed after tufting. It's also frequently used in blends with wool carpet due to its high performance.
Polypropylene is the most popular manmade carpet fibre. Colour is locked in during the fibre manufacturing process, which means that carpet made from polypropylene yarn is resistant to stains. It also means that it can be cleaned using a mild bleach solution, making it extremely practical.
Polyester, although less commonly used, is still a well performing fibre. It's easily cleaned, and has a soft feel along with an attractive, lustrous look. This fibre is most commonly used in the manufacture of Saxony carpets.