In a special advertising section on September 18, there is an
article titled "Tips for choosing the right carpet." There are other
pertinent points which I feel should have been included.
It is true that carpet insulates, reduces heating costs, absorbs
noise, provides a cushioning layer of comfort and protection and, with today’s new
stain-resistant technologies (acid-dye blockers), is easy to maintain.
Another important attribute of wall-to-wall carpet is that when
properly and professionally maintained, it is helpful to people with dust allergies. In a
home with hard surface flooring, the dust will continue to circulate and remain airborne.
In a carpeted home, the carpet will act as a filter and keep the allergies at ground level
away from the sinuses.
The article mentions the need to "Factor in the fiber content
when choosing carpet," but fails to cover most of the truly relevant points. When
wool is referred to as "the best" carpet fiber, this can be misleading. In terms
of appearance, and durability, this may be true. However, wool is more susceptible to
permanent staining and discoloration than any other fiber. Children’s markers, animal
urine, beverage spills and heavy grease can be impossible to remove.
Also, more frequent maintenance is required for a couple of
different reasons. First, wool is more sensitive to aggressive cleaning techniques and
chemicals and if allowed to become visibly soiled is much less likely to tolerate
restorative measures without damage to the fibers. Secondly, because wool has a natural
tendency to hide soil within the fibers, people often assume that cleaning is not
necessary until irreversible damage from embedded and abrasive soils has already occurred.
Synthetic carpets are less sensitive to aggressive cleaning
techniques, and will allow the homeowner more leeway in terms of maintenance. However,
among the various synthetics there are significant differences.
The best overall option is nylon. In its untreated state, nylon is
susceptible to stains from acid-based dyes, such as Kool Aid, but nowadays stain-resistant
technology will give excellent protection to these carpets for several years, and can be
reapplied by professional carpet cleaners when the factory applied acid dye blockers have
worn out. It also stands up well in terms of crush-resistance in high traffic areas.
The second most common synthetic fiber is olefin. The advantages of
olefin are that apart from heavy oil, it is nearly impossible to stain (even bleach cannot
change its color!) It can only be dyed in the mil while it is in a melted liquid state).
It is also the least expensive fiber, and due to its low absorbency, is most likely to
survive flooding, making it the number one choice for basements.
However, it has several drawbacks. It has poor crush resistance and
heavy traffic patterns will become permanently matted, as will marks from heavy furniture.
It is rough and "plasticky" (it is what Astroturf is made out of). Also, spots
and dirt sit right on the surface, so it doesn’t always look clean for very long.
Less common, but unfortunately (in this cleaner’s opinion)
still available on the market are the other two synthetic options: polyester and acrylic.
They both share roughly the same qualities as olefin, but are even more susceptible to
crushing damage in high traffic areas. At one time, acrylic was very popular because of it
similarity to wool in appearance, but that look doesn’t last long after it is off the
showroom floor and on your floor. It has a tendency toward "pooling" or
unsightly nap-reversal.
These five different fibers essentially represent the entirety of
fabric options available. It is important to note that words like Berber, velvet, saxony,
etc., are not fiber types but the names of various styles of design.
Thank you for printing an article to assist people in making
floor-covering choices. It is an unfortunate reality that often people are sold carpet
that they simply like to the look of rather than based on the practicalities and
difficulties of maintenance that are inherently very different from fiber to fiber.
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