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Choosing Carpet Fiber
Ideally, carpet will retain its original texture and appearance for years to come.
Durability depends on finding the right balance of three important factors defined
below:
Fiber
During carpet manufacturing, natural or synthetic fiber is converted to yarn and
tufted, or locked into a backing to form the pile or surface that you walk on. There
are five major types of carpet fiber; the most popular being nylon. Ideal for carpeting,
nylon is a man-made fiber that is wear-resistant, resilient, and provides brilliant
color.
Twist
The twist of the fiber is the way the fiber filaments are spun into yarn, and how
the yarn is in turn twisted upon itself. Twist is usually locked into the fiber
with a steam or heat-setting. The tighter the twist, the more the carpet will resist
changes in appearance and texture.
Density
Density describes the amount of pile in the carpet and how close the tufts are to
one another. In general, the more dense the carpet the better the quality. Check
density by pressing your fingers on the carpet and trying to reach the backing.
It will be difficult to reach the backing of a very dense carpet. With the tufts
facing outward, bend the carpet into a U shape to see how much of the carpet backing
shows. The less backing you see, the more dense the carpet.
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