Basic Carpet Terminology

Cut pile

Here the carpet loops have been cut to create individual upstanding tips, creating a luxurious look and feel. Cut pile carpets are available in a wide range of qualities and finishes, from dense rich velvets to textured saxonies that mimic footprints. The variety of cut pile styles makes these carpets suitable for virtually any area of the home.

Loop pile

In this construction, the carpet looks are not cut or sheared, and the loops themselves form the surface of the carpet. Multi-level loops and the increasingly popular berbers offer exciting design alternatives to cut piles. As a rule, loop pile carpets are very durable and well suited to high-traffic areas.

Cut and loop piles

These carpets combine cut pile and loop pile constructions to create various design effects. Available in solids and multi-colorations, these styles can offer very striking patterns or subtle tracery designs. Cut and loop multi-colorations with prominent random patterns have excellent soil-hiding properties. More subtle and less-defined cut and loop versions called traceries or carved saxonies and are often used in formal settings. Traceries closely resemble solid color saxony styles with only a suggestion of pattern.

Fiber Types

Most residential carpet today is made from one of the following four fibers or a blend of them.

Nylon is the most commonly used carpet fiber due to its durability and resiliency. Nylon is the most inherently soil resistant. Many manufacturers further treat their nylons for added stain and soil resistance.

Polyester is an exceptionally soft fiber that provides great color clarity. The fiber is inherently stain and fade resistant is less expensive than nylon.

Polypropylene (Olefin) is the fastest-growing carpet fiber because it is extremely resistant to stains, fading and moisture. Polypropolene's lower price offers excellent value in a carpet.

Wool is the original carpet fiber and is still used because of its luxury and natural beauty. Expensive compared to synthetic fibers, wool provides only moderate resistance to soil and staining.

Face Weight of Fibers

Face weight is the number of ounces of fiber in a square yard of carpet. All other things being equal, the higher the face weight of a carpet, the better.

Face weight is measured as tufted pile yarn weight according to the ASTM (American Society for Testing Materials) method D-418. Due to several processes involved in manufacturing, such as shearing, the actual finished weight may reflect a variance of up to 7%. The weight is determined compensating for the factor of commercial moisture regain, as defined in ASTM D-1909. The ASTM measurements are accepted industry norms and the most accurate means of determining face weight.

Fiber Density

Density is how tightly carpet fiber or yarn is packed together and bound into the carpet backing. Higher density affects the appearance of the carpet and provides greater comfort and luxury underfoot. Density is evaluated in accordance with the federal government standard Use of Materials bulletin UM 44D (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development).

Twist/ Tuft Bind

Twist is the number of times fiber strands are twisted together in a one-inch length of carpet yarn. Twist affects the texture and look of cut pile carpet. In general, the tighter the twist, the more durable the carpet. Loop pile styles have closed loops, so twist is not a major factor. Rather, tuft bind is a consideration. Tuft bind is the relative strength of the attachment of the yarn loops to the backing of the carpet. The higher the number, the better.

Twist is measured in accordance with test method D-1423 by the American Society for Testing Materials, while tuft find is tested by the ASTM method D-1335.