CARPET BUYERS INFO

Determine Carpet Quality Even though color may be the first consideration, quality should be a major factor in choosing the right carpet for your home. Quality plays a big role in the longevity of your carpet. To determine quality, you should check the carpet's pile or yarn for texture, depth and density.

Carpet Pile "Pile" is the yarn on the top surface of the carpet. Long-wearing carpet has a closely packed, dense pile attached firmly to the backing of the carpet. Therefore, carpets which have a firmer, fuller feel have a greater longevity. A good way to check the density of the carpet's pile, is to bend back the corner of the carpet. The more you see the carpets backing, the less durable your carpet will be and the less fiber there is to walk on. Different types of piles have different degrees of durability.

Common Carpet Pile Types or Styles

Cut - The pile loops are cut to expose the ends of the yarn. There are four basic cut pile styles:

Frieze - A frieze pile is very highly twisted with a firm, lean feel and appearance. This is a good choice for areas of high traffic - kids rooms, family rooms, halls, foyers, and stairways. Other than possibly a loop pile, a frieze pile does provide the best resistance to appearance change.

Saxony/Saxony Plush - The tufts are usually under one inch high, and a better Saxony plush has tightly twisted yarn tufts that don't flair open. In fact, you can easily see the tufted ends. Saxony has a larger pile which tends to give a less formal look to a room. Saxony Plush is the same as Saxony but with a smaller yarn which gives a room a very formal look.