A popular choice among homeowners and professional office spaces alike, installing new carpet will bring a fresh new look to any space. Carpet is valued for its warmth and home like appeal, combined with its sound absorbing acoustical properties. With a wide variety of styles, colors and applications, the professional sales staff at Floormasters will help you select the perfect carpet for your space.
We believe that our customers need to make an informed decision about which carpet is the best choice, keeping in mind both the area to be covered and the budget.
Once a decision has been made, our skilled installation staff will ensure that your carpet is installed properly so you can enjoy it for years to come.
Berber Carpet
Named after a group of people in North Africa, Berber carpet is a durable loop carpet that has grown in popularity in recent years. Originally the term “Berber” was referring to carpet that was a solid colour with small spots of another color woven in. In more recent times, the term Berber carpet is referring to a type of looped carpet made of a durable material like polypropylene.
Berber carpet is highly durable, cost-effective, and can be used in both commercial and residential settings and the loop construction makes it easy to clean up spills and stains
Loop Pile
Loop pile is one of two types of carpet construction (the other is cut pile). Pile refers to the fibres from which a carpet is manufactured, and the loops are created when the pile is woven in and out of the carpet backing.
Most commercial carpets are made of loop pile carpets as they offer greater durability than cut pile, especially when the fibres have a high twist and high density. Cut pile commercial carpeting is generally a tighter plush than found in homes. Instead of wall-to-wall carpeting, cut pile is more often used in a commercial setting to add elements of style, such as a border.
One of the most popular types of loop pile carpet is Berber, but there are others:
Level Loop
Most often used in commercial settings, this type of carpet has loops which are all the same size, giving it a simple, uniform look. Patterns are typically printed on the surface of the loops.
Multi-Level or Textured Loop
The loops in these carpets are of varying heights, creating textures or patterns as light shines differently on the different-sized loops.
Carpets with small loops are quite durable, but carpets with larger loops, though more interesting texturally, can matte down more quickly on high traffic areas. Another purchasing consideration is the presence of pet claws and other abrasive household items that potentially can snag and damage these larger loop piles. Cut pile carpeting does not require these types of considerations.
Shag
Made popular in the 1970’s, shag carpet is named for its shaggy appearance and while some appreciate its soft and cozy appearance, others may think it looks sloppy and too informal. Shag carpet is made of long tufts of carpet fibers that are set far apart (low density); the fibers lie on their side, rather than stand upright.
If shag carpet is constructed well, with each carpet fiber having a high twist level, then it should last a long time, provided it is cleaned and vacuumed regularly.
Cut Pile
Cut pile is one of two types of carpet construction (the other is loop pile). When a carpet is constructed, the fibers are looped in and out of a solid backing. When the loops are cut, the result is cut pile carpeting. Cut pile carpets are most often found in residential environments, especially because they are less prone to snags. If they are a lower-quality carpet, however, the cut ends can wear and look frayed, making it look more worn than it actually is. Plush carpeting is one of the most popular styles of cut pile carpets.
Plush Carpets
When the carpet loop is cut, it gives an even appearance and makes it ideal for solid-colored wall-to-wall carpeting. Plush carpet is soft underfoot and tends to hold up well if it is well constructed, but can show dirt, vacuum marks and footprints more easily.
Cut & Loop Pile
Cut and loop pile carpets incorporate both construction types into one carpet allowing for unique textures and patterns. Because cut and loop pile construction can wear differently, a cut and loop pile carpet may be best used for a low-traffic area.
Sisal
Sisal is a long fiber derived from a species of agave plant which is found in southern Mexico and other tropical and sub-tropical environs. Each plant can provide up to 250 leaves containing as many 1000 fibres each. The fibres are extracted through a process where the leaves are beaten until only the fibres remain after which they are dried, cleaned by brushing and then baled.
When woven into carpet, sisal is fairly durable and easy to maintain, but it does absorb and release humidity and moisture, causing it to expand or contract. Because of this, it can also be susceptible to staining.
Sisal is also sometimes combined with other fibres such as acrylic or wool to give it a softer feel.
Carpet Tile
Carpet tile consists of interlocking carpet tiles made up of dense cut or loop pile carpet with a synthetic PVC backing, or other synthetic backing. Having gained popularity in the commercial office environment due to their durability and cleaning performance, carpet tile technology is making its presence felt in the Residential sector as well. Advantages include durability, ease of cleaning, and the ability to replace damaged or worn carpet tile without the need to replace the entire carpet installation. Though having a higher price point in terms of initial purchase, carpet tile design and random patterning means that such carpet tile replacement is virtually seamless, and actually can save 80% of carpet replacement costs.
Another type of commercial carpet construction is carpet tile. The carpet pile is set into a rubber backing and then is laid on the floor is tiles making it much easier to remove and replace if the carpet is damaged or stained in one area.
Patterns
Carpet patterns can be derived in different ways:
Coloured Patterns
Carpets with different coloured patterns are produced one of two ways – coloured fibres are woven into the carpet in a pattern, or the pattern is printed on top of the carpet, as is often the case with loop pile carpets.
Textural Patterns
Patterns of texture are created when multi-level loops are used in one carpet, or loop pile and cut pile are used together. Light shines differently off the different loops or pile type creating a tone-on-tone pattern in the carpet.
