Carpet Fibers
The truth about carpet fibers. Selecting the Right Carpet Fiber for You.
In this section we will be discussing carpet fibers, the most important aspect in selecting the right carpet for your home, office or rental. There are several fibers to choose from, the most popular carpet fibers are listed here.
NYLON
Nylon is the best wearing fiber available. You may choose another fiber for various good reasons, but nylon is well known for being the best choice if you want your carpet to last a long time. Nylon is a synthetic fiber and outperforms all other fibers. It wears well, resists abrasion and is easy to clean. It comes in hundreds of beautiful styles and colors. What more can you ask for? Nylon is the best wearing, most durable fiber available. Insist on nylon to reap these benefits:
Exceptionally strong
Abrasion resistant
Easy to clean
Resistant to damage from oil and many chemicals
Can be pre-colored or dyed in wide range of colors
Most resilient of all fibers
Low in moisture absorbency
"Soft" Nylon fibers
Some people love the look and soft feel of wool carpets but can't afford to buy it. Now consumers have a less expensive option with a new type of "softer" nylon carpet. Sold under the registered names of Tactesse®, Lisse'®, Anso Caress® and others, this nylon carpet fiber may be exactly what you are looking for. While less expensive than wool, the prices for this softer nylon carpet will be higher than most standard nylon carpets. And there are some drawbacks to buying this new "softer" nylon carpet.
Ask to see these softer nylon carpet styles at your carpet dealer, but more importantly, be sure you know if this style of carpet will meet your needs and lifestyle. These softer nylons are not meant for every residential situation.
OLEFIN (Polypropylene)
Olefin is a strong good-looking synthetic fiber that is inexpensive to manufacture. Some carpets that are made of olefin are Berbers or commercial carpets with small loops. Olefin wears well and has good stain resistance when anti-stain treatment is applied. Olefin has good anti-static properties. However, Olefin is hard to clean and tends to attract dirt like a magnet. It has poor resiliency and tends to look dingy when soiled. It is also called polypropylene or polyolefin. Outdoor grass styles are made from Olefin.
Olefin is not the best selection for rental units in most cases, however some have had great success using a commercial level loop Olefin carpet in apartments. Glued directly to the floor it will last significantly longer than if used with a pad placed under it. Wheelchairs roll easily over glued down commercial level loop Olefin carpets and are a good choice for handicapped units, schools, businesses, institutions and retirement home applications.
Abrasion resistant
Colorfast
Quick drying
Low static
Resistant to mildew, rot and weather
Strong
Sunlight resistant
Lightweight
POLYESTER (also called P.E.T.)
(May be manufactured from recycled soda pop containers)
Don't be fooled by the softness of this fiber. This is a very soft synthetic fiber that holds its color well; however it is difficult to keep clean and has very poor resiliency. Traffic areas will usually mat down quickly and soon afterwards may never return to its original appearance. When new, polyester looks great and feels so soft and wonderful, but it won’t be too long before it doesn’t.
Sales people often recommend this type of carpet to consumers without sufficient fiber knowledge or experience. Because polyester is so inexpensive to manufacture and higher profits using this fiber, carpet manufacturers continually try to enhance carpets made with polyester hoping that they can create a carpet that wears well. So far they have had limited success.
Because prices are lower for polyester carpets you may be tempted to buy a carpet made from polyester, just be sure that your expectations are not very high. Generally, I do not recommend buying carpets made from polyester fibers to those who need a carpet that wears well and resists matting and crushing.
Strong
Resists stretching and shrinking
Quick drying
Mildew resistant
Abrasion resistant
Cleans easily
DuPont™ Sorona® Polymer (PTT)
Another new fiber on the market is called Sorona®TM, or Smartstrand®TM, and is a polymer made from corn. (Actually it was invented back in the 1940's) Invented by Dupont™, they claim this new fiber has great anti-stain properties and very durable. For me to rate this product will take some time because it is too new on the market. Although the manufacturer claims the product is great, I never recommend any products to my readers until I have personal "long-term" experience with the product. It may be a few years before I will be able to give anyone my recommendation of Sorona®TM.
Should you buy carpet made with this new fiber? If you want a carpet that resists stains better than any other carpet on the market today, the perhaps you might want to consider buying this product. If you want your carpet to last as long as possible and still resists stains and cleans easily then I suggest you buy a carpet made from Nylon.
There is more you need to learn about carpet fibers before a wise choice for you can be determined. Your choice must be made based on your needs, goals, expectations and your lifestyle. If you have kids or pets that needs to be considered too. If you choose a carpet that cannot handle the amount of foot traffic you have, the carpet will wear out much sooner than you might expect. My Carpet Buying Guide can help you with that.
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