Understanding Carpet Construction
Courtesy The Carpet and Rug Institute
Introduction
Carpet Types
Facts on Fiber
Facts on Backings
Introduction
The look and performance of a particular carpet is determined by its construction, which may be loop, cut or combinations of the two. In corridors, lobbies, offices, classrooms, hotel rooms, patient care facilities and other public areas, loop piles of low, dense construction tend to retain their appearance and resiliency and, generally, provide a better surface for the rolling traffic of wheel chairs or food carts. Cut pile or cut and loop pile carpet are very good choices for administration areas, libraries, individual offices and boardrooms.
Various types of high performance backing systems have additional advantages, including higher tuft binds, added stability, imperviousness to moisture and resistance to edge raveling. Consideration should be given to the functional needs of a particular area.
Understanding carpet construction assists in specifying elements that will provide the best performance in a particular location. Commercial carpet is primarily manufactured by tufting or weaving. Each process will produce quality floor coverings, but tufted carpet accounts for 95 percent of all carpet construction. Both tufting and woven manufacturing are efficient and employ advanced technologically to provide capability for a myriad of patterns and floor covering.