Carpet Selection Guide
STAINMASTER CARPET
Selecting
Your Carpet--
Selecting a carpet is an important process because it's a
decorating investment you'll want to enjoy for years to come.
That's why STAINMASTER carpet, the carpet brand America
trusts most, wants you to be able to make a better-informed
decision. This guide will give you basic information on carpet
fibers and construction, how to judge equality and performance,
and how to determine which carpet is best suited for each room
or area.
So, read through this informative page and you'll soon understand the
jargon of carpets. And, most important, you'll gain the
confidence to help select the best carpet for your decor, budget,
and lifestyle.
For additional information on selecting the carpet just right
for you, please log on to www.stainmaster.com.
Construction Basics--
The specific construction or manufacturing method of a
carpet affects both its appearance and performance. Most carpet
is made by one of four methods: tufted, woven, needle-
punched, or hand-knotted.
Tufted carpet is made on a high-speed machine that stitches
big loops of yarn through the backing fabric. A latex coating
locks the loops in place, and then a secondary backing material
is applied for strength and stability. Over 90 percent of the
broadloom carpet made in North America is tufted. It's efficient
and less expensive to produce than woven carpet, and offers
consumers a complete range of styling.
Woven carpet construction is similar to woven fabric. The
pile, weft, and warp yarns interlace on the loom, allowing for
wide versatility of design. Velvet plush, Axminster, and Wilton
carpets are all woven.
Needle-punched carpet is made by punching layers of fiber
through a mesh fabric by thousands of barbed needles. The
result is a felt-like carpet. This type of carpet was developed first
for indoor-outdoor use. It's relatively durable but limited in
available styles.
Hand-knotted carpets and rugs have been made (mostly in
wool) for centuries, primarily in the Middle East and China.
Commonly referred to as Oriental rugs, they follow distinct
traditions of color and pattern and are usually very expensive.
Carpet Styles
and Textures--
Texture. Curled or twisted
tufts make for a textured
surface that helps mask
footprints. Especially suitable
for less formal decors.
Frieze. A type of textured
carpet with highly twisted
tufts that curl at the pile
surface. Especially suitable
for higher traffic areas.
Loop. Loop pile with tufts
of equal height or multi-level
loops. Multi-level loops form
beautiful patterns using solid
colors. Broad application
with durable wear in either
construction.
Pattern Cut Pile. Sophisticated
look made using saxony yarn,
but generating a pattern look,
by tufting cut pile and loop
pile with a level pile height.
Appropriate for formal or
informal room schemes.
Cut Pile Berber. Casual cut pile
construction using a combination
of big tufts and small tufts. This
type of carpet usually contains
small flecks of dark color on
lighter shade background colors.
Informal in construction but
adds excitement to any room.
Saxony. A dense level-cut
pile. Yarn tufts are closely
packed, presenting a smooth,
luxurious surface. Generally
for formal settings.
Cut-Loop. Yarns are tufted
into large islands of high cut
tufts and lower loop tufts to
form a sculptured pattern.
Suits more informal settings.
Choosing The
Right Carpet Fiber--
Carpet fiber and how the carpet is constructed
affect the appearance, performance, and value of your
carpet. During manufacture, fiber is converted into yarn, which
is tufted or woven to form the pile -- the surface you see and
walk on.
Retailers' carpet samples are labeled to identify fiber
content. Most carpet styles are made entirely of one fiber type --
nylon, olefin, or polyester. Some styles may contain blends of
these fibers.
There are two fiber classes -- natural, such as wool, and
man-made, such as nylon, olefin, and polyester. Each has
different characteristics. The following can help you make the
right choice for your needs.
Nylon continues as the ideal carpet fiber. Its many attributes
combine to provide outstanding durability, performance,
resilience*, and appearance. Nylon lends itself to an unlimited
variety of styles and colors at reasonable prices.
Polyester fiber produces carpets that are soft to the touch
but not as resilient* as carpets of nylon. Polyester is best suited
for low traffic areas.
Olefin (also called polypropylene) is often used in
indoor/outdoor carpet and in loop-pile carpets. Due to its
relatively low resilience*, its use should be restricted to areas of
low traffic.
Wool, of course, is a natural fiber and presents a beautiful
appearance in carpeting. However, wool may not be as resilient
as man-made carpet fibers and is quite a bit more expensive.
STAINMASTER carpet is made of 100% premium nylon fiber
and created by the world's finest mills to make beautiful
carpeting following precise specifications.
Ideas on Carpet
Color and Design --
The interior of you home should be designed as an
interrelated unit. Think of it as a whole rather than a series of
unrelated spaces. Rooms open into other rooms. The textures,
colors, and patterns of your carpets can create a pleasing,
harmonious effet -- or one that is jumbled and visually
disturbing.
Your floors are the "fifth wall" of a room, connecting all the
design elements. When choosing a color scheme, consider the
walls, window treatments, and other furnishings, as well as any
special effects you with to create.
For example, wall-to-wall carpet tends to expand the space
of a room. An unbroken sweep of color, especially a light color
with a smooth texture, fools the eye into seeing more space
than really exists. In very small rooms, paint the walls the same
light color as the carpet. Cover the sofa or bed in fabrics of the
same hue, varying the texture for visual interest.
Conversely, larger rooms can seem more intimate with a rich,
deep-color carpet in a sculptured texture. Upholstered pieces
can be covered in contrasting or bolder colors or patterns that a
large area can accommodate.
Color dynamics. The right color carpet in a room can affect
its character. A room that lacks sunlight can be warmed by
sunny, bright yellows, oranges, and reds. On the other hand,
cool colors, such as blues and greens, can create a serene feeling
in a room that's too sunny.
Vibrant, lively colors are good for family rooms or kitchens.
More formal rooms are enhanced by elegant pastels or
traditional, old-world colors.
Judging Carpet
Construction and Durability --
A knowledgeable salesperson can explain the relative merits
of different carpets. There are also some general guidelines to
help you determine the durability of a carpet and how well it
will keep its original good looks.
Durability depends on three important factors: The type of
fiber, the yarn twist, and the pile density. Choosing a carpet
based on any one of these factors can be misleading. It's
important to select the right balance of all three.
First, choose a strong, resilient carpet fiber such as nylon;
this is the strongest, most resilient carpet fiber used today.
Second, carpet with tight yarn
twist will resist changes in appearance and texture. And third,
the density of the pile is important for good resiliency and
appearance. STAINMASTER carpet is manufactured to strict
standards for these factors to help assure outstanding
performance and lasting beauty.
Look at twist. Yarn twist, particularly in cut-pile, is critical to
carpet performance. All pile yarns in cut-pile carpets have been
heat set for permanence. The tighter the twist, th better the
carpet will retain its appearance. Look to see that the cut ends
of the carpet pile are neat and tight.
Check pile density. Press on the carpet with your fingers to
see how easily you push through to the backing. Then, with tufts
facing outward, bend the carpet into a "U" and see how much
of the backing shows. The less backing you see, the denser the
carpet.
Some practical guidelines. Light-colored carpets will show
soil more than dark colors, and dark colors will show lint more
than light colors. The appropriate color carpet can help disguise
soil tracked in from the outside since the colors of dirt, sand, and
clay vary widely.
Tweeds, pebbled textures, and patterns are good choices for
rooms where spills and soiling are likely to be a problem.
Final color selection. In selecting your final color, it's wise to
look at large carpet samples in your home -- both by daylight
and by lamplight in the evening. The color you choose in the
store may appear completely different in the room with your furnishings and under different light sources.
Cushion --
Don't skimp on cushion. Quality carpeting needs quality
cushion for maximum durability, comfort, and beauty retention.
That's because the cushion helps absorb foot traffic pressure. Its
primary purpose is to provide a firm support for the carpet; thus,
a dense, resilient cushion like STAINMASTER carpet cushion is
recommended because it performs better than a thick,
soft cushion.
Cushion is available in sponge rubber, foam rubber,
urethane foam, bonded urethane, or felted combinations of hair
and jute. It is also manufactured in a variety of densities,
thicknesses, and weights, to meet light, medium, or heavy traffic
conditions.
In the U.S., STAINMASTER carpet performance and luxury
brands must be installed over cushion that meets the HUD UM
72a Class 1 standards for carpet cushion density (lb./cu.ft.),
thickness (in.), and weight (oz./sq.yd.) to qualify for texture
retention warranty coverage.
In Canada, carpet must be installed over cushion which meets
all the minimum parameters as per *CGSB Standard 20-GP-23M-
1978 entitled "Standard for: Cushion, Carpet, Flexible Polymeric
for density (kg/m^3), thickness (mm), and other physical
characteristics which determine performance.
Your retailer can help you select the right cushion.
Carpet Installation --
Proper installation is critical to beautiful appearance and
carpet performance. A quality installer will follow these
guidelines.
1. Measure the yardage needed for each room or area.
2. Inspect the actual carpet prior to installation for any defects.
3. For patterned carpet, consider proper matching of the
design. In cut-pile carpets, make sure the pile direction is the
same between the two seamed pieces.
4. Determine the position of seams and how the edges will be
finished in doorways.
5. Make certain seams are strong enough to withstand
stretching and traffic and yet be as inconspicuous as possible.
6. Stretch carpet properly during installation to avoid wrinkles
or buckles caused by traffic, humidity, and temperature.
Power stretching is strongly recommended.
Why Choose
STAINMASTER carpet? --
More consumers know and trust STAINMASTER carpet than
any other brand. That trust has made STAINMASTER carpet
today's best-selling carpet. Why? It's the unique combination of
carpet technology systems that makes the difference.
The DuPont Advanced Teflon repel system.
Now STAINMASTER carpet stays cleaner than other carpets
thanks to the DuPont Advanced Teflon repel system. The fibers
in STAINMASTER carpet actually repel, or "push away" soil,
reducing its ability to stick to the carpet fibers. This dirt-repelling
action also increases vacuuming efficiency, so you get better
results each time you vacuum your carpets.
The repelling action of the DuPont Advanced Teflon repel
system also works on spills, causing them to bead up on the
carpet fibers. The bead-up action reduces the ability of the spill
to be absorbed into the fibers, helping to keep spills from
becoming stains.
STAINMASTER carpet has always been an industry leader in
stain and soil resistance technology. The DuPont Advanced
Teflon repel system, now a standard on all STAINMASTER
carpet, makes that technology even better and backs it with a
comprehensive warranty package.
The Fiber Technology System.
All STAINMASTER carpet is made with Type 6,6 nylon, the
strongest carpet fiber for a more durable and long-lasting
carpet. Type 6,6 nylon features a unique molecular structure
which provides the carpet with superior resiliency over other
types of carpet fiber such as polyester and polypropylene.
The premium quality of Type 6,6 also protects against fiber
loss from high foot traffic and assures you superior appearance
retention and outstanding fade resistance.
The Anti-Static Technology System.
All STAINMASTER carpet provides you with lifetime
protection against static shock. Each carpet contains unique
carbon-filled fibers that control static electricity. Because this
protection is built in, it can't wear off from use or diminish from
repeated cleanings.
And what does this combination of technologies mean to
you? Since we invented these systems we are able to make them
completely compatible -- the stain and soil technology works
with the fiber technology, which works perfectly with the anti-
static technology. It's this perfectly matche combination of
innovation and technology that makes STAINMASTER carpet
your best choice for high performance, fashion and function.