Styles

Velvet / Plush

Smooth, soft and elegant. The carpet pile is cut several times to create a luxurious, velvety sheen that shows every footprint. It’s ideal for formal areas such as living rooms.

Saxony

Similar to velvets, but not quite as smooth. It’s a soft texture created by twisting yarns tightly, then straightening them with heat. It retains foot and vacuum marks. In a Saxony carpet, the tufts have high enough twist to be distinct [as opposed to creating a velvet-like uniform look]. The twist level of the cut pile determines whether a carpet is a velvet or Saxony. The lower the twist, the less end point definition you’ll notice in the carpet. It’s that lack of distinct end point definition that distinguishes Velvet from Saxony.

Textured Saxony

Textured carpets are great for any room and available in the widest range of colors. Whereas a Saxony has distinctly visible tufts that stand straight up in a carpet, a Textured Saxony has had those tufts ‘bent’ to add texture to them; this also means that the tufts reflect light, creating the distinctive Textured Saxony look. It also explains why Textured Saxonies don’t show footprints and vacuum marks as readily as Velvets or Saxonies.

Loop

Loop carpets are marked by a continuous uncut surface that resists crushing and matting. These carpets wear well and are suited for casual rooms with lots of traffic and activity. You may also hear about level loops or pattern loops, variations on the loop theme.

Cut and Loop

Cut and loop carpets combine cut and uncut loops to make a pattern. With an explosive number of unique geometric and overall patterns, this style is suited for both formal and contemporary settings.

Frieze

Highly twisted yarns give frieze carpets a contemporary look and make them a smart choice for any active part of your home. Best of all, they're less likely to show vacuum marks or footprints than other cut pile styles. For added perspective on Frieze carpet, read Pray Tell: What is a Frieze Carpet?

Shag

Bolder and more stylish than what you remember, the new shags often combine a variety of yarn thicknesses and textures to make a trendy and bold design statement in your home. By the way, Shag carpets don’t like vacuums with beater bars. Learn more in General Carpet Care Tips. For perspective on Shag carpet, read What About Shag and Cable Carpets?

Cable

Cable carpets are characterized by fat, nubby yarns that lend a touch of luxury to a casual setting. For perspective on Cable carpet, read What About Shag and Cable Carpets?

Berber

Although many people refer to loop style carpets as Berbers, the term Berber actually refers to flecks of color against a pale background, similar to the flecks of color that would be present naturally in wool. Berbers are therefore available not only in loop style carpets but also in other styles like shags and friezes. If you’re still not sure which style is best for you, our professional flooring consultants will be happy to help you select the perfect option for your home. Just call today to schedule an in-home appointment... 586.755.2022.

 

 

Types of CARPET FIBERS

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 four major types of carpet fiber - nylon, polypropylene (olefin), polyester, and wool; the most popular being nylon.

NYLON

A highly desirable fiber because of its exceptional durability, versatility, and reasonable pricing. It can be dyed in an endless variety of colors and made into numerous styles and textures. Nylon is commonly used in residential and commercial applications.

POLYPROPYLENE

Also known as Olefin, polypropylene resists fading, generates low levels of static electricity, is favorably priced, and can be engineered in outdoor applications.
Due to its manufacturing process, polypropylene inherently resists stains. This is because it is "hydrophobic" and does not absorb stains as readily. It also does not absorb dyes, so it must be subjected to a process called "solution dyeing."
While the yarn is still liquid, the colors are added. Then the yarns are extruded with the color locked in. It's more stain resistant and fade resistant as a result. When used in specific carpet constructions, this yarn will perform as well as most resilient fibers.

POLYESTER

Used in residential and a few commercial applications, polyester has good color clarity, colorfastness, and resistance to water-soluble stains. The best polyester yarn comes from "food-grade" PET Polyester fiber, which is considered to be better quality than "carpet-grade" polyester fiber.

WOOL

Wool is the most expensive of the fibers we've included here. It is a natural fiber with moderate soil and stain resistance. It possesses a durable, luxurious "hand", with reduced visible soil due to fine, light-scattering characteristics. Wool also absorbs color very easily and can produce some very rich looks not possible in artificial fibers.