Carpet Styles and Where to Use Them
Choosing carpet can be a little confusing. There are so many styles to choose from. Which one is best for the room you’re carpeting? Kenny’s Tile in Kansas City wants to help, so we’ve put together a little carpet guide to help you when you’re buying new carpet. We’ve broken it down by style and the pros and cons of each different style. Of course, you can always come in and talk to our friendly carpet specialists and they can help walk you through the process as well. We hope this helps narrow the field of choices for you. To make it easy, all carpet falls into three basic styles: cut pile, (plush, Saxony, textured, frieze and cable) loop pile (uncut, commercial) and cut & loop pile (sculptured):
CUT PILE
Cut pile carpet constructed with fibers that are sheared at a uniform level and tightly twisted in the same direction.
Plush
Plushes or velvets are lightly twisted. This is the softest carpet available. It is thick and cushions the feet and has a velvety, luxurious finish. It will show footprints and vacuum tracks and wears more quickly than other carpet styles. It is best for low-traffic areas like bedrooms and living rooms. It is available in a wide range of colors. If you're looking for formal elegance, Plush carpet is your best choice.
Saxony
Saxonies consist of two or more fibers twisted together in a yarn. Saxonies are much like plushes, but are more tightly twisted. They provide a soft texture for formal and informal areas. Like plushes, Saxonies show every footprint and vacuum mark and have medium durability.
Textured
With textured carpets, the yarn is twisted tightly and placed with different orientation angles during the heat-setting process to create a finished carpet with a relaxed, casual appearance. Each angle reflects light differently, resulting in a textured appearance. It is trackless, masking footprints and matting, and is ideal for households with children and pets. Textured carpet is casual and cool and it will show far less wear and tear than other styles. Not surprisingly, it's the most popular style of carpet sold. It can be used in formal or casual settings so it is ideal for the whole house.
Frieze (also called Shag)
Pronounced "freezay", this long cut carpet has lightly twisted fibers that create a bouncy, springy feel and a soft, casual look. It is extremely durable, hides footprints, traffic patterns, and seams. Its laid-back and informal look is very forgiving in high traffic homes. If you’re looking for casual comfort, Frieze is a good choice.
Cable
Constructed of thicker, longer yarns than other cut pile carpets, Cable is beautiful and feels very comfortable and luxurious underfoot. It can crush and matte with heavy foot traffic though, so it is best suited for low to medium traffic areas.
LOOP PILE
Loop pile is how all carpet actually begins - uncut. It is made from fibers that are looped into the backing. It is commonly known as commercial carpet. It can have a smooth, consistent surface or high and low loops giving it a more textured appearance. A multi-colored look can comes from combining different colored fibers. This also helps hide traffic patterns and dirt. This style is perfect for high traffic areas of the home and can be found in many commercial settings.
Berber
Made with a bit larger loop, Berbers offer a low-profile, yet warm look. They are equally at home in country or contemporary settings. Berbers are extremely durable and great at hiding traffic patterns. They are ideal in playrooms, basements, and other high-traffic areas. The lower profile look can make seams more visible.
CUT & LOOP
These patterned styles use a cut pile and loop pile combination to create a variety of patterned effects. Also known as “sculptured” carpets, this style hides foot traffic well and comes in a wide variety of surface finishes.
Patterned
Manufacturers can create some very interesting patterns with cut and loop carpets. You’ll find texture on texture designs in a wide variety of color combinations. Visually speaking, these sculptured carpets provide much more interest than other styles. The patterns can range from small dots to large scroll, floral, and geometric designs. Be careful with large patterns, because you may have to buy more carpet to allow for pattern matching at the seams. Patterned carpets can be formal or contemporary and can handle heavy traffic.
We hope this guide will help you when it’s time to buy your new carpet. Remember, if you need help, come see the friendly carpet specialists at Kenny’s Tile. We are always ready to help you.
