About Carpet Flooring
Carpets are without a doubt one of the most popular flooring choices in the US and rightfully so.They are soft, provide comfort and can make a room feel cozy in an instant. The history of carpet goes all the way back. It has to be part of living arrangements of different cultures forever.
Thanks to recent innovations in the field, carpets of this century can endure the constant foot traffic and unfortunate spill with a lot more ease and glamour than their counterparts from the decades ago. Carpet is great for not only families with kids but also it’s the least allergenic flooring option for people who are over-sensitive to dust and other irritants.
How is carpet flooring made?
Some carpets are more resistant to wear, others are easier to care for and clean. The secret lies in the manufacturing process.
Different carpets are made differently. Closely examining what steps were taken in the process and what materials were used in
the making of a certain carpet will give you a better idea about the performance of the finished product.
Making educated choices always pays off. Here’s how a carpet is made:
Stage 1
Once the fiber is selected it has to be weaved into a primary backing material, a woven fabric typically made out of polypropylene. It acts as a base while the tufting machine with it’s 800-2000 needles pulls the yarn through. Once the yarn is through the backing material it’s held in place with a small hook (looper), just like in a sewing machine.
Carpets made this way (the loop pile construction) are known to hold appearance longer, since only the sides of the yarn are exposed and yarn tips are securely hidden inside.
The looper can also be used to make a pattern (cut and loop construction). Computer cuts some of the loops to change the height of the carpet in some areas and create a distinguishable image on the surface.
Stage 2
There are two ways to dye a carpet. Pre dying or carpet dying.
Pre dying refers to yarn dying before it’s woven into a carpet. Carpets dyed this way usually have great color consistency.
Carpet dyeing takes place once the tufting is done and allows for greater color flexibility and better gradients.
Stage 3
This is the last stage of the carpet production process. The backings of an already dyed carpet are coated in latex and pressed together under the force of a large heated press. They are held this way over some time to maintain shape. This is followed by a cleanup process (so-called ‘shearing’) during which all loose ends and jutting yarn are removed.
Before the carpet is finally packaged and shipped, it’s checked for any color uniformities or other minor imperfections for one last time.
