Which Carpet Material is Right for Your Home?
A little knowledge about carpet fibres can mean longer life for your floors. Our guide can help you make the best choice
Jennifer Bishop
16 June 2018
One of the most important parts in selecting carpet is understanding what it’s made of, because different carpet fibres have different characteristics. Before you head to the showroom, figure out which type is right for your room’s style and traffic pattern with this handy guide.
Wool
Pros
Pros
- Hides soil
- Strong, elastic and resilient; great for heavy traffic
- Responds very well to cleaning, as moisture makes the fibre swell and release dirt
- Naturally flame retardant
- Neutralises indoor air contaminants and does not reemit them
- Environmentally friendly
- High cost
- Prone to distortion by excess agitation
- Stains easily, due to its absorbency and ease of dyeing
- Very sensitive to chlorine bleach
Nylon
Pros
Wondering which upholstery fabric is right for you?
Pros
- Most commonly used fibre; readily available in a wide range of colours and textures
- Good elasticity – very important in heavy traffic areas where furniture may be dragged across the carpet
- Abrasion resistant, surpassing even wool
- Wear guaranties often available
- Resilient; can be crushed for long periods and regain its original shape
- Responds very well to most professional cleaning methods and treatments
- Can have problems with bleaching, fading, urine reactions and so on
- Synthetic, so it off-gases
Wondering which upholstery fabric is right for you?
Olefin
Pros
Here’s how to maintain your soft furnishings
Pros
- Moisture resistant
- Difficult to stain
- Great for outdoor applications (pool, stadium)
- Chemical resistant; most chemicals and bleaches won’t damage it at all
- Fade resistant
- Low static
- Not a resilient fibre; when crushed it does not regain its original shape easily
- Like polyester, extended exposure to oil-based soils may become permanent
- Difficult to dye due to its low absorbency rate; almost always solution dyed
- Synthetic, so it off-gases
Here’s how to maintain your soft furnishings
Polyester
Pros
Have some leftover fabric at home? This is what you can do with it
Pros
- Very resistant to bleaching, fading and soil-dye reactions
- Resistant to water-based stains
- Difficult to dye; usually must be solution dyed, which limits the variety
- Not resistant to oily stains
- Can mat down quickly and will not come back the way nylon does
- Synthetic, so it off-gases
Have some leftover fabric at home? This is what you can do with it
Sisal
Pros
Cons
Pros
- Can stand up to high traffic; good for stairs
- Gives your room a great natural look while adding texture
- Biodegradable and nontoxic
Cons
- Uncomfortable against bare skin
- Can be pricey (but generally less so than wool)
- Susceptible to moisture damage
- Can be difficult to clean
Designer’s tip
I generally recommend nylon and wool to my clients; both of those choices are going to perform well in most homes.
Read more:
How to Choose the Right Carpet for Your Home
Tell us:
What carpet material have you chosen for your home? Share your tips and advice in the Comments below.
I generally recommend nylon and wool to my clients; both of those choices are going to perform well in most homes.
Read more:
How to Choose the Right Carpet for Your Home
Tell us:
What carpet material have you chosen for your home? Share your tips and advice in the Comments below.
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Miele makes a great vacuum. Other than the entry level one, all are made in Germany and well engineered. There is a new Soft Carpet model available that has a dual motor and comes with another attachement called the parquet twister ( great for hard surface). We can ship you one - call our showroom 949-722-7224 or email hemphill@RugsAndCarpets.com.
Jennifer, this was so helpful. I've finally gotten my husband to agree to get carpet installed in our home. It's nice to know that traffic patterns are something that we should take into account when picking the type of carpet we want. http://www.profloorsamerica.com/carpet
Hubby & I are neat freaks & I'm OCD. I vacuum weekly, clean up any stains I see immediately according to the instructions that came with the carpet & have it professionally steam cleaned once a year.
Sadly we are discussing having it replaced. It looks awful! The traffic patterns are all smashed down & are no longer soft, silky & shiny. The stains keep coming back & although it looks good after being steam cleaned, it only stays that way for about a week. No more corn smart strand for me!