Carpet and Flooring Terms | Weaver Carpets | Denver's Flooring Company

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Glossary of Terms

Information to assist you in making your flooring selection.

Term	Description
Nylon	Nylon is utilized in approximately 65% of the carpet sold in the U.S. It is a very durable fiber with excellent performance characteristics. Its strengths include good resiliency, good yarn memory to hold twist, good carpet cleaning efficacy, good stain resistance with stain treatment applied, good soil hiding ability, and good abrasion resistance. Nylon is manufactured in both BCF and staple fiber. It is the strongest fiber, making it an excellent choice for the heavy traffic of an active household or commercial facility. It's also the most durable of the synthetics. It is soil and mildew resistant and resilient, but is prone to static. Most nylon is treated with an anti-static treatment to reduce static. Continuous filament fibers minimize pilling and shedding. There are two basic types of nylon, higher density molecular structure (HDM), and open molecular structure (OMS). Each provides different performance characteristics. For many years, HDM has been considered to be the premium nylon fiber, but technological advances in dyeing and twisting processes have narrowed the gap between the two. However, HDM remains the premium nylon fiber used today. If you are looking for value goods, type OMS nylon fibers offer a considerable benefit for the money. Nylon fibers also can be branded or unbranded. For example, DuPont nylon is manufactured by DuPont and is a premium fiber. Many fibers that do not carry a brand name may be extruded by the carpet manufacturer (typically OMS) and can be considered value goods. Branded fibers traditionally cost more than value goods. This can be attributed to a number of factors including the shape of the fiber (soil hiding), topical treatments (stain inhibitors), minimum construction requirements (twist level, pile weight), and consistency of fiber quality.
Olefin	Polypropylene is a long-chain synthetic polymer.
PET	The common name for the type of polyester used in plastic soft drink bottles which is spun into carpet.
Wool	Imported from New Zealand, Australia and England. Wool is the fibrous growth from sheep. The fibers of wool are made of keratin, and have rough, scaly cuticles, which hook into one another when the fibers are spun into yarn.

Term	Description
Cable	Fat, nubby yarns which lend a touch of luxury to a casual setting.
Cut Loop	Cut and loop carpets combine cut and uncut loops to make a pattern. Suited for both formal and contemporary environments.
Frieze	Highly twisted yarns (sometimes kinked) to give a textured and contemporary look. Less likely to show vacuum marks or footprints.
Loop	Marked by a continuous uncut surface that resists crushing and matting. Used in rooms with lots of traffic and activity.
Saxony	Similar to velvets but not quite as smooth. A soft texture is created by twisting fibers tightly, then straightening the yarn with heat. Retains foot and vacuum marks.
Shag	Bolder and more stylish than what you remember, the new shags often combine a variety of yarn thicknesses and textures to make a trendy and bold design statement in your home.
Texture	Each fiber is twisted differently. They are less likely to show vacuum marks or footprints than a true Saxony.
Velvet/Plush	Smooth, soft, and elegant; creates a sheen that shows footprints, etc.

Term	Description
One of the most important decisions for your carpet purchase is the choice of carpet cushion. This is the foundation (think of it like the foundation of your house-you want a solid basis). Weaver Carpets, Inc. has always explained to their customers that an upgraded cushion makes your carpet last 20-30% longer. Quality NEVER costs as much as the money it saves!
Rebond Cushion	Carpet cushion made of polyurethane foam scrap. The foam scrap is graded according to density, shredded and then rebonded with urethane adhesive, and then cut to the desired cushion thickness (bonded cushion).
Rubber Cushion	Made of foam or sponge. Used exclusively for in-floor heat systems. Better comfort for concrete, and can absorb some moisture from concrete floors.

Term	Description
Berber	Although many people refer to loop style carpets as berbers, the term berber actually refers to flecks of color against a pale background, similar to the flecks of color that would be present naturally in wool. Berbers are also available in cut-piles and friezes.

Term	Description
Square Feet	Area in flooring is measured in square feet, which is equal to the length (in feet) multiplied by the width (in feet).
Square Yards	Area in flooring is measured in square yards, which is equal to the length (in feet) multiplied by the width (in feet) divided by 9. There are nine square feet in one square yard.
Carpet Roll Sizes	Carpet roll are typically 12-foot wide but some goods come in 13-foot 2-inch and 15-foot widths.

Term	Description
BCF	Bulked continuous filament. Continuous strands of synthetic fiber formed into yarn bundles.
Beck Dyeing	Tufted carpet (no backing) is run through a large stainless steel tank called a Dye Beck usually at 220� or higher to achieve the best dye process available.