How to identify carpet types? What are the differences – low pile vs high pile carpet? Every flooring remains in trend for some or other time but one flooring that is always in demand is carpet flooring. Carpet flooring is one of the most popular floorings across the country. Carpet flooring is very soft to walk on, comes in various colors, designs, tones, and shades. It adds beauty to your home or office. And helps you to easily impress people who visit your home or workplace. There are many types of carpets such as deep pile, cut loop pile, woven carpets etc. How to identify carpet types?
The most demanding one out of all this, which remains in fashion in every season is low pile carpet. Pile carpet means carpet made from fabric, which makes it very adorable. These deep or low pile carpets have smaller fibers and loops. And high pile carpet means the fibers are taller and looser.
Benefits of carpeting
Easy maintenance
Low pile carpets have a very smooth surface as compared to high pile carpet, hence it’s very easy to maintain a low pile carpet. You can easily clean low pile carpet and another advantage in low pile carpet is that much dust is not visible. As in low pile carpet, short fibers are present that do not give much place for dirt and grime to hide. Low pile carpet is weaved very tight, so staining does not occur much.
No allergy
Often we see that carpets are not much preferable for people who have allergies. But if you are a great carpet lover and love to walk on smooth, soft surface then you can go for low pile carpet. Low pile carpet’s short, tight, fibers stop allergens from staying in your home flooring. Still, frequent cleaning of carpet is important if you have allergies.
Wonderful for playrooms
If you have children or pets and you want to have a flooring for them, it’s best to go for low pile carpeting. Low pile carpeting has a very soft surface that does not cause pain even though you fall on it. So if you are thinking of going for carpet flooring Phoenix, try considering low pile flooring for your home or office.
How to identify carpet types?
The word “pile” is simply a way of describing the fabric loops that make up carpets. A carpet is a collection of fibers (whether natural or synthetic), and the height and looseness or tightness of these fibers (as well as their softness, color, and overall texture) affect how we perceive them when we step, sit, or lie on them. How to identify carpet types? What are the differences – low pile vs high pile carpet?
High pile carpets are carpets with taller (longer) and looser fibers. If you’ve ever stepped on a frieze or shag carpet (hello ’70s children!), you’re familiar with a high pile carpet; there are other varieties, but that’s one of the most popular. Low pile carpets, in contrast, feature shorter fibers with tighter fabric loops, such as berber and saxony carpets.
Most residential and commercial carpets in apartment buildings, houses, and hotels are low pile carpets. While they can be made from a variety of fibers, you’ll most often find high-pile carpets in synthetic options like nylon, polyester, triexta, and olefin. How to identify carpet types? What are the differences – low pile vs high pile carpet?
Carpet type – Nylon
How to identify Nylon carpet types? Nylon is very soft, durable, and resistant to stains and abrasion. It is the most popular of carpet fibers by a large measure—by some estimates, about 90% of all residential carpets are made of nylon. It has good resistance to wear, mold, mildew, and rot, and it is easy to dye and holds its color well. It is usually affordably priced—less expensive than wool but more expensive than other synthetics. These carpets, if cared for well, can last 12 to 15 years, making it the most durable of the synthetic fibers.
Polyester carpet type
Polyester is prized for its ability to hold vibrant, fade-resistant colors. The fiber is also non-allergenic. How to identify Polyester carpet types? One type of polyester carpet, known as polyester/PET, is made from recycled plastic bottles, making it eco-friendly. Its main drawback is that polyester is prone to flattening under weight, making it a bad choice for high-traffic areas. It can also be prone to oil stains, which are very hard to remove from polyester fiber.
Polypropylene (Olefin) carpet type
Polypropylene is the next best-selling carpet fiber, used in almost 80% of commercial applications and in growing numbers of residential settings, since it wears very well and is almost as soft as nylon. How to identify Polypropylene carpet type? Also known as olefin, polypropylene fibers are similar to natural wool and are often used as a synthetic wool substitute. This fiber is highly stain-resistant but is prone to soiling and holding onto oils which in turn, collect dirt. It is, however, relatively easy to clean—bleach can even be used in some cases. Polypropylene is not as resilient as nylon, so is therefore commonly used for loop-style carpets, such as berbers. The cost of polypropylene is slightly less than most nylon carpets, but more than polyester and acrylic.
Carpet type – Wool
Wool, a natural, luxurious, long-lasting material, is the softest carpet fiber you can find. Unfortunately, low-grade wool is more susceptible to staining, while high-grade wool is extremely expensive. Some manufacturers combine wool with synthetic fibers to create a carpet with the benefits of both. Wool/acrylic blends are especially common.Pure wool carpet is made with no chemicals or additives, which makes it an excellent choice for those with allergies or sensitivities to chemicals. But as a natural material, wool can be prone to damage from mold and mildew, which feed on organic substances. Wool is therefore not a good choice for areas where high humidity and moisture are an issue.
Acrylic carpet type
Sometimes marketed as “synthetic wool” because it offers the feel and appearance of wool at a fraction of the price, acrylic has good resistance to static electricity, moisture, mildew, fading, and staining. But it is not a very durable material, and it doesn’t hold up well in high-traffic areas. It is sometimes blended with wool. Acrylics can sometimes turn brown if stained with certain alkaline chemicals, such as those found in cleaning products.
Loop Pile carpet type
Also known as “uncut pile” or “Berber pile” (named for a particular type of knotted pile used in North Africa), loop pile leaves the entire yarn loop intact on the surface of the piece. These carpets tend to be highly durable, easy to clean, and resistant to stains, making them perfect for high-traffic commercial applications or high-traffic family areas, such as recreation rooms.
Loop pile carpets also don’t show indentations caused by footprints and vacuum marks.Loop pile carpet comes in variations, such as level loop, where the fiber loops are all the same length, and patterned loops, where the loops are different heights. It is also possible for a carpet to have cut-and-loop construction, where some fibers are cut and others are looped. A particular type of loop-pile carpeting is the sisel carpet, in which loops of different colors, and sometimes different heights, are arranged in rows, to produce a textured, patterned surface.
Cut Pile
Cut pile is a style of carpet where the exposed fibers are sheared off. This typically produces soft, inviting, easy-to-clean carpets. Different styles can be created by changing the angle of the shearing that slices the loop, or by using different treatments on the thread before and after it is inserted into the backing. Cut pile comes in different lengths and thicknesses, and these carpets work well when an entire house is carpeted, as it blends well from room to room.On the downside, cut pile makes it easier to see footmarks and vacuum trails.
This tendency can be reduced by the twist of the fibers. The individual fibers contain a twist that helps the carpet stand up against matting and crushing. The heavier the twist, the more resistant the carpet will be to matting. Heavy twist also helps create texture that hides wear and dirt.Although much more popular than loop-pile carpet, cut-pile carpets are not as durable and will need to be replaced more often. They come in several variations, including shag carpet, a term which refers to a carpet with extra-long (1/2 inch or more). Shag carpet is now relatively rare, but other specialty cut-pile forms (described below) are quite popular and used for particular effects.
Plush Pile
Sometimes called velvet-cut pile, this style is a variation of cut pile in which the fibers are even shorter than with a Saxony cut and very densely packed, which creates a rich and luxurious carpet surface. Unfortunately, this carpet style is fairly temperamental. Prone to wearing down, scuffing, and showing footprints, velvet carpet pile should only be used in luxurious, low-traffic settings.
Saxony Cut
The term Saxony pile refers to a particular type of cut-pile carpet with fibers that are very soft and dense. The relatively short fibers stand straight up and down to create a lush, fuzzy surface. The drawback to this style is that those strands are easily crushed down by feet and vacuum cleaners, leaving impressions on its surface. It is also susceptible to wear-and-tear, as well as staining, making Saxony carpets a floor treatment best suited for use in low-traffic areas, such as formal living rooms or dens. They are also somewhat more expensive than traditional cut-pile carpets.
Textured Cut
The term textured-cut pile refers to a form of cut-pile carpet in which the fibers are of uneven lengths. They are also twisted into spiral strands using a special steam treatment that curls the individual strands so that they remain kinked. This style is also called “trackless” because it doesn’t show footprints and other marks on its surface as do other cut piles, such as Saxony. The spiral strands do not reflect light as much as straight strands, so it’s not as noticeable when spirals are crushed down. This pile is suitable for mid- to high-level traffic areas.
Sculpted Pile
A sculptured carpet has both looped and cut-pile fibers, which creates height and texture variations in the surface of the carpet. These carpets are sometimes known as cut-and-loop or patterned carpets. The different fiber cuts are sometimes arranged in geometric patterns, giving the carpet a three-dimensional texture. The different fiber cuts can all be the same length (level cut-and-loop), or they can be at different heights (textured cut-and-loop).
Frieze-Cut Pile
Matti MattilaThe term frieze-cut pile refers to a carpet in which relatively long cut fibers are twisted together and kinked, causing them to curl erratically across the surface of the carpet. (This style is sometimes known as California shag.) This highly durable style tends to hide dirt and wear and is suitable for high-traffic and commercial settings.
What is the difference – low pile vs high pile?
It is the most common question from carpet buyer as well as vacuum buyers – What is the difference – low pile vs high pile? or, what are similarities – low pile vs high pile carpet?
Low/No pile
- Low pile rugs are 1/4″ or shorter.
- Typically, we use low pile rugs in a space like a kitchen or mudroom (ie: indoor/outdoor rugs with a flat weave). However, we don’t limit our use of low-pile rugs to only these areas – sometimes a bedroom or lounge area just calls for this type of rug!
- Low pile rugs are great because they are easy to vacuum and clean, they prevent allergens from getting stuck within the fibers, and they help create a smooth surface, which is perfect for high-traffic areas.
- Keep in mind that a low-pile rug won’t provide the same comfortable and warm feeling as something more plush.
Medium/High pile
- Medium/high pile rugs are anything taller than 1/4″.
- We like to use medium-to-high pile rugs in living rooms and bedrooms, where we want things to feel more cozy. Higher pile rugs work better on carpet than low pile rugs.
- These rugs are known for their comfortable, warm, and luxurious feel.
- A high pile-rug will show indentations from furniture legs more than a low pile. It’s also important to remember not to use vacuums with a rotating brush because it can catch the fibers. Lastly, high pile rugs are harder to keep clean because it’s easy for dirt and debris to get trapped in the fibers.
These are key differences – low pile vs high pile carpet. There are some other differences.