Performance characteristics of carpet, types of pile and base, advantages and disadvantages of the coating, flooring for different rooms. Carpet is a soft textile flooring made of natural or artificial material, which is used in rooms for various functional purposes. Unlike carpet, this type of carpet is attached to the floor. We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the properties of the most purchased types of carpet and the rules for choosing it for some premises.
Advantages and disadvantages of floor carpet
Carpet has a number of significant advantages over other floor coverings:
- You can cover the floor in one piece from wall to wall.
- The coating does not lose color and shape for many years.
- Does not shrink under the weight of the furniture.
- Does not require special cleaning agents, can be washed with any cleaning agent or a washing vacuum cleaner.
- There is a lot of air between the pile of the carpet and its base, which retains heat and dampens sounds. Thermal insulation creates comfort in the room, allows you to walk barefoot on the floor. High pile smooths out noise from footsteps, dampens sounds from falling objects.
- The carpet is easy to install, no experience is required when laying.
- The price of synthetic carpet is comparable to linoleum, it can be changed frequently.
- The carpeted floor gives the room a cozy feel, it is pleasant to sit or lie on.
- The use of material of certain colors allows you to visually increase the area of the room.
- The cloth is lightweight, you can independently transfer it from one room to another.
The carpet also has disadvantages:
- It is capable of accumulating dirt.
- Certain types of coatings can cause allergies.
- Insects take root well in the pile.
- Under the influence of direct sunlight, the paint of the material burns out.
- Carpet absorbs odors, so it is not recommended to use it in the kitchen.
- It is difficult to remove stains from the surface.
Characteristics of carpet elements
The carpet consists of a pile and a base, which form a panel of various lengths and widths. The coating is delivered to the store in rolls; samples of standard dimensions are less common. The dimensions of the material allow you to cover the floor in one piece.
Carpet pile for floor
Pile is the working surface of the covering, which is obtained from natural or artificial fibers of different lengths. Depending on the method of weaving the pile, the following types of carpet are distinguished:
- Velours … Pile - short, split. The edges of the thread are fluffed up, resulting in a uniform coating that is pleasant to the touch. The carpet is easy to clean, but dirt is clearly visible on the surface. Velor is recommended for use in the living room, bedroom or nursery.
- Saxony … Twisted yarns up to 40 mm long. Externally, it has a grainy appearance with pile of different heights. Belongs to the elite class of coatings.
- Felt … They are made from several layers of compressed woolen yarn impregnated with a special chemical substance. It is practical and does not require any special maintenance. Before use, it is recommended to additionally protect the felt with a special substance that prevents the appearance of stains.
- Scrolling … Forms a multi-level looped pile of cut and uncut yarns and single fibers. It has good wear resistance and is suitable for corridors and living rooms.
- Cutlup … Differs in the presence of long cut fibers and low loops. With their help, relief patterns are created on the surface. Carpet with katlup is laid in the bedroom.
- Frize … Forms high twisted threads. Carpets of this type are resistant to creasing, shoe prints are not visible on the pile, but the cloth requires careful maintenance.
- Boucle … It is distinguished by a special method of tying the pile in the form of knots with "eyes". Very durable, beautiful coating that does not leave traces of heavy objects.
- Print … The best carpet for children's rooms. By dyeing the fibers in different colors, you can get fabulous and fantastic pictures on the surface.
Pile carpets are classified by pile height: short-pile - with a thread length of up to 5 mm, medium-pile - thread length from 5 to 15 mm, long-pile - with a pile length from 15 to 40 mm.
Products with pile of various lengths look beautiful. In this way, a relief pattern can be created on the canvas, but difficulties arise when cleaning the coating. Long pile wrinkles quickly, leaving traces of cabinets, sofas, etc. on it.
A pile with a loop is easily pulled out by the claws of cats and dogs, so this carpet is not worth buying if there are animals in the house.
Dense carpets with thick pile are the most expensive. They have a beautiful appearance, long service life, and look presentable. The denser the fibers, the more difficult it is for dirt to get between the threads. The material has greater wear resistance.
Carpet base on the floor
The carpet pile is attached to the base, which can be single-layer or double-layer. One-layer is obtained by weaving fibers into a dense synthetic fabric. The structure of a two-layer base is more complex. The pile is attached to the first base, then the anchoring layer and another base are fixed. The latter does not allow the pile to "crawl out" and fly around the room.
It depends on the base material in which rooms the coating is allowed to be used:
- Rubber pad … They are laid in public places and rooms where a significant mechanical load acts on the floor. Rubber - strong and elastic, retains its shape, easy to clean. The flooring is elastic and soft, it is comfortable to walk on it. Carpets for outdoor use are made with a rubber base.
- Artificial felt carpet … It has heat insulating properties. It is easy to fit and cut. The felt is impregnated with special water-repellent agents, therefore it is not afraid of washing.
- Jute base … It is made in the form of a mesh of thick threads. Designed for commercial and contact coatings. The durability of the textile base is small, therefore, artificial materials are added to jute to increase wear resistance.
- Foam carpet … Differs in high heat and sound insulating characteristics. The material is soft and flexible, making it comfortable to walk. It is considered an alternative to the rubber base, but the material's durability is only 6 years.
Features of the manufacture of carpet
The variety of carpets is huge. Despite the visual similarity, different types of material differ in their characteristics.
There are several types of carpet, which differ in production technology:
- Needle-punched fabric … It stands out for the lack of lint. The coating is obtained by repeatedly piercing the material with barbed needles. The needles grab fibers, entangle them and create a felt-like surface. On the back, a secondary backing is attached to the material, usually of a rubber material. The cover is a good sound insulator. It has high wear resistance, therefore it is often used for floors in public places - offices, shops. In living quarters, needle-punched carpet with a variegated pattern is laid in the kitchen. It is the cheapest of all materials.
- Tufted coating … Made from dense or silky material. When making the needles, they pierce the base and leave loops of different heights on the front side. Pile is created not only by loop. Special tools can cut the loops or cut off the top to form a clipped pile. The yarn is fixed with latex to the seamy side of the tufted carpet, and then a secondary backing is applied. The product almost does not absorb moisture, does not wear out for a long time, and is very durable. Can be used in the bathroom. Produced in roll or loop.
- Flocked coating … They are made with a secondary base, they are characterized by high strength, ductility and resistance to deformation. For manufacturing, thin threads with a height of 3 mm are used. With the help of a special technology, the threads are placed vertically on a PVC base and fixed with latex. Flocked carpets are moisture resistant. The base of the material is an integral part of the material and never flakes off.
- Fabric carpet … Manufacturers of fabric-based carpets use the technology of weaving oriental carpets. The yarn is interlaced and fastened in knots on a jute base, then the ends of the knots are trimmed. The pile is mixed with the base, the result is a very durable cloth, which is highly reliable. Fabric carpets are very expensive due to the high percentage of handwork.
Floor carpet material
When buying a cover, check with the seller for the material of the pile and base, so as not to regret it later. Often it is the composition that influences the choice of the product. Depending on the material of the thread, which is taken as a basis, the following types of flooring are distinguished: natural, artificial and mixed.
Products made from natural materials are made mainly of wool, with a minor addition of cotton, linen or jute. Natural carpet does not fade, is environmentally friendly, flexible, resilient, not afraid of moisture, does not burn well. Wool absorbs excess moisture and then releases it if the room is too dry. The ideal option is considered to be natural carpet flooring in the bedroom.
Woolen material is considered an elite material and is expensive. The main disadvantage of natural carpet is quick wear. To increase wear resistance, synthetic fibers are sometimes added to the yarn. Carpets made from natural materials sometimes harm people with allergies.
Artificial carpet consists of chemically produced fibers and a latex base. It is durable, elastic and cheaper than natural. Modern artificial textile materials used for the manufacture of flooring do not emit hazardous substances and are completely safe. The coating is ideal for floors in corridors and other areas with high traffic.
Nylon panels are the most popular among man-made products. They are soft to the touch, pliable, durable, but the most expensive of synthetic products. The service life of nylon carpet is at least 15 years.
The polyamide coating has all the properties of a natural material, is distinguished by high wear resistance and easy cleaning. Heavy furniture can be placed on the carpet. The pile has a high degree of melting (+267 degrees) and does not melt from a non-extinguished cigarette. The threads are very resilient and will not be deformed by heavy furniture. But the material absorbs moisture from the air and becomes electrified.
Acrylic carpet cannot be distinguished externally from natural products, it is not electrified, it is cheap. The disadvantages include low moisture resistance, short service life, difficulty in cleaning from contamination. Acrylic products wipe quickly and become unusable. The service life of the samples is 5-6 years.
Polypropylene carpet is heat-resistant, easy to clean. The material is afraid of moisture, traces remain after the furniture, it is unpleasant to the touch (squeaks), but it is inexpensive.
Mixed carpet is made of artificial material with the addition of woolen threads (up to 30%). It is recommended to use it in living rooms.
Floor carpet colors
The color palette of the carpet is huge, there are never any problems with the acquisition of material of the required color. However, when buying, it is necessary to take into account all the factors on which the comfort in the room depends.
In order for the coating to give the room comfort, follow these recommendations:
- When choosing, consider the lighting in the room and the overall color scheme of the interior.
- In poorly lit rooms, lay a light-colored carpet.
- Dark or pastel colors work well in sunny rooms.
- Blue and green carpet colors are appropriate in the hallway and living room.
- A gray, beige or peach color is recommended for use in the bedroom.
- Light-colored floor coverings visually enlarge the area of the room.
- Carpet with a simple pattern allows you to cover the floor in any direction. Furniture on such a coating can be rearranged without prejudice to the composition on the panel.
- Warm and discreet shades of the coating give the room a cosiness.
- Cool shades (green and blue) create a catchy and energetic effect.
- Before choosing a carpet, decide on the color of the furniture. Large objects and coverings should be of different colors.
- The burgundy coating should not match the color of the curtains, otherwise the room will be oversaturated with bright colors.
- Red carpet is used in rooms where there are no large items of the same color.
- In order not to regret the purchase later, use the rule: the brighter the carpet, the more neutral the color of the walls.
- To facilitate the joining of individual parts, choose a carpet with a small pattern.
It is believed that rolled brown carpet is a versatile coating that will suit any interior.
The purpose of the room when choosing a carpet
There is a huge selection of carpets in stores, and it is not easy for an inexperienced consumer to navigate. Most often, the buyer makes a decision after visual inspection or tactile sensations. We also advise you to pay attention to the following points: thick carpets are suitable for a bedroom, products with a low pile or without it - for an office.
Living room carpet should combine practicality with originality. A family gathers in the living room, guests are received, holidays are arranged, so the coverage should be attractive, demonstrate prosperity. The living room is a crowded room, so the material is chosen to be resistant to wear and tear, which is easy to clean.
An ideal option would be a synthetic fabric with a pile of a short thread or a long continuous loop, for example, made using tufting technology. It is available in numerous color variations, which allows you to choose the flooring that matches the overall style of the interior. Material of medium hardness, does not fade for a long time, does not shrink.
In the bedroom, practicality fades into the background, the room should have a cozy atmosphere. It is not necessary to choose expensive products, the main thing is the presence of long pile. It is recommended to buy natural carpets, such as woven carpets. It is better to take the cover with a split loop, it can be large - it is softer.
The colors are chosen calm, corresponding to the interior, creating an intimate atmosphere. The fabric material is expensive, but the bedroom does not belong to the premises with high traffic, so the carpet will last a long time. The textile cover is cleaned of dirt by dry method, otherwise the fibers may deform.
Buy soft carpet for a children's room. Make sure it cleans quickly beforehand. It is undesirable to lay products from natural materials in a nursery. The pile often delaminates, and the villi can enter the child's body. Insects take root well in natural pile, they are difficult to remove. Mold can develop and damage the health of the child. Artificial material is devoid of such disadvantages.
The height of the pile should provide comfort and warmth to the baby, softness of falling, as well as ease of cleaning. The optimal pile height in the nursery is 5-7 mm. The threads should be firmly attached to the base, because the child will play active games on the floor. Cheap material will not be able to withstand difficult tests, therefore it is necessary to buy a high-quality coating, regardless of the costs. These properties are possessed by a material made of synthetic threads. The carpet should be with bright drawings from cartoons, with images of nature, cars, roads.
The hallway is characterized by a fairly large amount of dirt that is brought on the shoes. To keep the carpet clean and remove quickly when dirty, choose a dense, short pile with a rubber base. An ideal option for a hallway is a lint-free carpet. The flooring must be durable, with high water-repellent properties, retaining its appearance after washing by any means. The recommended type of carpet for the hallway is needle-punched.
The floor in the kitchen is often filled with liquid of different composition, so the carpet should not be changed after washing with special products. It is recommended to use a low pile material that is dirt-repellent.
Manufacturers apply symbols on the carpet by which the purpose of the material can be determined. The icons indicate the resistance of the coating to furniture, the degree of color fastness, the possibility of using it on the stairs, the presence of antibacterial impregnation, etc.
In accordance with the European standard EN 685, there are several classes of carpet, which differ in the intensity of use. For residential premises, purchase material with an index of 21 or 22, for public - 31 or 32. Products with a high index are laid in all rooms where a lower index is recommended.
When choosing a carpet for public spaces, check the flammability (D), smoke production (D), flame spread, which should be no higher than 2 (G2, D2, RP2). Otherwise, there will be trouble with the fire services.
How to choose a carpet - look at the video:
The choice of carpet is a pleasant event, not very difficult. The decision is always taken by the owners, but you should definitely take into account the peculiarities of the operation of the coating. In order for the purchased material to serve for a long time, does not cause discomfort and does not complicate the cleaning of the apartment, study the main characteristics of the carpet in advance.
