Five Types of Carpeting

Carpet is an enormously popular flooring choice and for many good reasons: it is versatile, durable, simple to maintain and easily replaced. It's also available in thousands of attractive styles and colors.

Woven Carpeting

Weaving has been a highly developed craft for centuries. While the basic process has remained, modern woven carpets are now produced on sophisticated looms that have advanced considerably over those prior centuries.

Weaving threads over one another creates a strong fabric. And treating the carpeting with modern chemicals makes them stain-resistant to dirt, spills and other common problems. Using a variety of colored threads and weaving them into diverse patterns creates designs that can appeal to a wide variety of tastes.

Tufted Carpeting

As the name suggests, tufted carpets are produced by a tufting machine. In this technique, a backing cloth provides a strong foundation onto which yarn is stitched and then cut. The result is a 'tuft' of carpet, the same as you might think of a tuft of hair sticking up.

This method of carpet construction uses a single-colored yarn, to which dye is added for color and patterns are printed. This results in a cut pile that is both attractive and inexpensive, thanks to the efficient use of materials.

Flatweave Carpets

Flatweave carpeting is created by alternating warp and weft threads. Weft are the threads running crosswise or horizontally, while warp are those running lengthwise or vertically. The result is a very durable surface that can be very distinctive.

Threads of varying colors, thickness and fibers can be utilized in some advanced methods to produce colorful and individual designs. Often seen in oriental rug making, flatweaves offer beauty and longevity.

Hooked Rugs

While durability and beauty are always desirable, not every rug or carpet design needs to be elaborate. Hooked rugs are constructed using a relatively simple process utilizing strips of material pulled through a mesh, a technique similar to crocheting.

With the huge variety of colors and designs possible in the basic strips, the resulting rug can be highly individual and attractive. Generally used in lower traffic areas, they make for wonderful bathroom or office applications.

Pile Carpeting

Pile rugs became very popular in the 1970s and they continue to be a frequent choice today. Often a uniform color, it is possible to create a cut and loop or knotted pile with a very thick and luxurious surface. These carpets are ultra-comfortable and can also last a very long time while being modestly priced.

Frieze is a type of pile carpeting that is especially suited to high traffic areas. Its short fibers of durable material tend to curl, making a strong, crush-resistant surface. Another variety incorporates entwined and heat treated fibers. The resulting carpet has a very soft texture that stands up well.

When shopping for a carpet, whether for a living room or an office or just to place at a doorway, look into several options. Some fibers and designs work better in some applications than another. Choose well and you'll have beautiful, long-lasting flooring that fits your budget goals.