Carpet Styles-Residential

Most residential carpets will fall in to about 5 different styles. Now of course there are no absolutes so I will try to cover as many of the variables as I can think of.

Sculptures:

The multi color sculpture is still available, a little harder to find, but still a great style to choose for hiding stain and traffic. We have a really nice nylon style from Gulistan on our showroom floor in R.C. Willey Meridian, ID

Now ...... the newer updated versions of this type are called Loop Cut Loop (LCL). You can get vines, floral, basket weave, geometric, deco, and even palm fronds. It's crazy they have just about any pattern you can think of.



It is a cool style....I really love this type of carpet. The durability is awesome. In fact, I have this type of carpet in my own home.

FUN and FUNKY...................................... Some of my favorite LCL's are from Tuftex, Dixie Home and Masland.

Plush:

These have not changed much over the years. There are pretty much two kinds. Saxony and Plush(velvet).

Plush(velvet) has a really fine finish so all the fiber has a smaller denier yarn and no crimp to the yarn. That means the yarn is standing straight up. In the right area this is a very elegant style. Not for the kiddies though, because the fiber stands straight up it shows the light and dark sides of the fiber when you vacuum.

Denier:

a unit of fineness for yarn equal to the fineness of a yarn

The difference between the two styles is in a textured they give the yarn a crimp towards the top of the yarn. This allows for texture thus giving the carpet a better ability to hide traffic.

LOOP:

This style is commonly referred to as a berber, however a berber is a color reference. Loop can provide exceptional durability. There are drawbacks if you chose a full looped version.
When you have pets their claws can can grab and pull the loop. If this happens the beater bar on your vacuum can catch that yarn and run. Leaving a line in your carpet with no yarn. Like I said this can be a very durable style in the right circumstance.

Frieze:

This is about the most popular style right now. It gives a nice warm soft feeling, and a lot of texture to the floor.

You can find quite a bit of variation within this style due to the length of yarn and multiple deniers (or thickness) of yarn.

In this picture you can see the different yarn deniers.

When you pick a carpet style think about what best suits your circumstance. For example, if you have larger dogs, loop pile is probably not the best bet. However if you love that look consider a loop cut loop, you get a very similar look but the yarn is tufted(stitched) to where it won't run if snagged. If you want a carpet that hides the day to day traffic choose a frieze in what ever length you are comfortable. With this style the carpet will lay down when you walk on it, this is a good thing, walking on the sides of the fiber extends the life of that fiber. It is much harder for the yarn to untwist and wear.

The more conscious you are about your carpet style and the way it will perform, the happier you will be.

FYI: I don't think I will ever talk much about color. You the consumer will know more about what suits your home than I will. Just remember that carpet in general will install a shade lighter. Have fun; re-carpeting your home can be a great experience that can change the entire feel of where you spend a lot of time!