Carpet Fibers

Have you ever wondered why a natural fiber carpet costs so much more than a blended fiber carpet? Do you wonder if discount fiber carpet padding is as good and comfortable to walk on as its higher end cousins? Have you ever thought of carpet fiber waste recycling and wondered if post consumer carpet fiber materials are included in the carpet you are resting your naked feet on – right this very moment? If this describes you, then you are ready to get up close and personal with your carpet and get down to the nitty gritty of carpet making: the actual carpet fiber.

Today, carpet fibers are usually made of man-made materials that may look and even feel like the fibers used in the old days of carpet weaving, but by and large today’s plastic fibers in carpets have added durability, cleanliness, and ease of use in all situations.

There are three main carpet fibers in use today. The most famous of them is of course nylon. Carpet fibers made from nylon are known to create the most durable kinds of carpets and rugs money can buy, and very frequently these are the kinds of carpet fibers chosen for carpets and rugs that are placed in areas which experience high traffic, such as entrance ways, hallways and also bathrooms. While generally speaking it is not recommended to carpet a bathroom, more and more homeowners have decided to do so in order to cut down on heating costs, and considering not only the durability of nylon but also its stain resistance as well as its ability to withstand the formation of mildew, the soaring popularity of this fiber in carpet making will not soon bee stopped.

Polyester are the second most famous fibers used in carpet manufacture and while carpets made from these materials are cheap and easy to clean, the durability is not as good as nylon fibers, and thus this is perhaps not the best choice for a high traffic area, but more for a room carpet that may be protected with a rug. Those whose hearts are set on natural carpet fibers quite often will favor wool carpets and while it is true that this material makes for some stunning looking floor coverings, the fact of the matter dictates that even though wool had been used since time immemorial for the creation of carpets, it is not as durable and prone to animal infestations, mold, mildew formation, and natural deterioration. In addition to the foregoing, pure wool carpets are very expensive. Blended wool and manmade carpet fibers have been used in a sort of compromise, and the durability of the carpets has been greatly increased.