subject: Carpet: Comfort and Variety That Doesn't Fly Away [print this page] Carpet: Comfort and Variety That Doesn't Fly Away
The word carpet could be defined as a blanketing layer of electronic jamming signals, but for practical purposes it refers to a type of manufactured floor covering that is somewhat cushioned. Their use didn't always encompass covering floors but had referred to covering tables and beds. As they became larger and more complicated in design and creation, they began covering floors, and that use continues today.
Carpeting v Rugs
When most people think of carpeting, they think of either the magical flying kind or the wall-to-wall flooring in their living room or bedroom. However, that mythical flying carpet was actually a rugor was it?
A rug is smaller than standard carpeting, but when it reaches proportions above 14 feet, an area rug becomes carpeting even if it doesn't extend the full length and width of a room. The size determines its name, not the color, design, pile or fibers.
Brief History
Until the Industrial Age, most carpeting was either woven by hand, on manually operated looms or they were braided. While both methods are still used for special types of rugs, it wasn't until weaving machines were invented that carpeting began its commercial expansion.
As technology and chemistry advanced, artificial materials called synthetics became interwoven in the manufacturing process, and carpeting became even more popular and affordable.
Today, not only are natural fibers used but also a wide array of synthetics and blends in modern carpeting. Stain-resistant coatings and wear-resistant composites enable comfortable and long-lasting carpeting choices.
Creation Methods
Carpeting is either hand-made or it's manufactured. It can be woven or braided, but how it's created remains the same.
Silk, cotton and wool are the most common natural fibers used in carpeting. Size, design and quality interplay with the materials used to determine pricing, but a hand-woven Persian creation that spans five feet by ten feet can cost more than indoor-outdoor carpeting spanning a larger space, simply because the Persian piece is generally of a much higher quality.
Pile Types
The textile industry explanation of a carpet pile denotes the yarns or fibers, either looped or cut, that create the upper surface of carpeting.
Closely woven, even-height piling defines a popular type called Berber. It's also used in carpeting that can be used either indoors or outdoors, as mentioned above. The closer the weave and tighter the pile, the easier it is to clean the carpeting, and the type tends to last longer than other pile designs.
Longer piles lend a rich, luxurious looks to rooms. Usually softer than Berbers, they also require more care than shorter piled flooring choice. Dirt, grit and liquids can sink farther into the carpet and damage the strands, so frequent cleaning can be required. Longer piling shows vacuum marks, furniture indentations and footprints more easily as well.
Many people choose the middle grounda blend of fibers and a mix of pile lengths, bringing a bit of the best of both worlds into the home.
