Know Your Carpet Fibres...

Carpet Fibres Explained - Each fibre has strengths and weaknesses that must be recognised. This will influence how carpet is to be used and how carpet is constructed. It should be emphasised that there is no perfect fibre and carpet is a fabric that is subjected to incredible abuse through foot traffic, accidental spills, environmental contaminants, and other abuses.

The majority of the carpet sold in the UK is one of the following four pile fibres:

Nylon
Polyester / Chromolon
Wool
Polypropylene (olefin)
Nylon

Nylon is a very durable fibre with excellent performance characteristics.

It’s strengths include:

1. Resiliency
2. Yarn memory to hold twist
3. Carpet cleaning efficiency
4. Stain resistance with stain treatment applied
5. Soil hiding ability
6. Mould and mildew resistance
7. Abrasion resistance

Available in both solution dyed and various yarn dyed methods it's the strongest fibre, making it an excellent choice for the heavy traffic of an active household or commercial facility. It is also the most durable of the synthetics. Most nylon is treated with an anti-static treatment to reduce static. Continuous filament fibres minimise pilling and shedding concerns.

Polyester/Chromolon - Polyester fibre produces some of the most beautiful colorations available. It also is extremely fade resistant and provides excellent resistance to stains. It is not as resilient as nylon however polyester is quite durable and has a strong resistance to wear.

Its strengths include:

1. Non-allergenic
2. Sheds moisture
3. Resists moths and mildew
4. A lower cost than wool or nylon
5. Polyester fibres can be made from recycled PET bottles making it very environmentally sustainable
6. Polyester is an all-round good choice for residential carpet offering performance and value for money.

Wool - This traditional favourite offers a deep, rich look and feel. It has very good resilience and durability, but it's more expensive and can be twice as much per metre as nylon.

It’s strengths are:

1. Soft to touch
2. Natural looking colours
3. Luxurious look
4. Good resilience

Other synthetic fibres have done an excellent job of duplicating the characteristics of wool. Special care should be used in cleaning wool carpet. Wool is naturally a staple fibre. Although it is naturally stain resistant, it requires a high level of maintenance including mothproofing. Since wool can hold 4-10 times its weight in moisture, it is susceptible to shrinking and mould and mildew growth.

Polypropylene - Also called olefin, and is a fast growing fibre segment. It is a relatively inexpensive fibre, which is easily extruded by most carpet manufacturers.

It’s strengths include:

1. Resistant to moisture
2. Superior stain resistance, with the exception of oil-based stains
3. Superior resistance to sunlight fading, solution dyed construction means it is colour fast
4. Low cost

Polypropylene is great when used in a needlepunch carpet as each layer of staple yarn is needled into each other providing an extremely durable construction. Polypropylene as a tufted carpet has poor resiliency, which can lead to crushing/matting.

Polypropylene cleans very well and most staining is non-existent. It is favoured for outdoor carpeting and basements due to its resistance to moisture, mildew, water damage, staining, pilling, shedding and static.

All the above carpet yarns are available online now at www.remlandcarpets.co.uk | Tel 01303 253399

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