Carpet Construction
You are what makes a home, here is what makes a carpet.
Family, friends, and good memories make a home. So does making cookies, game night, and a
warm fire on a cold winter’s night. These and many other experiences make a house your home.
But while home consists of what’s under your roof, don’t forget what’s under your feet. Floor
coverings have a huge influence you life.
Because they enhance interior beauty, décor, comfort, and livability, floor coverings can make or
break your home.
Knowing the different materials that make up various carpets, helps you understand and evaluate
their performance. You will understand why some carpets are easier to install, why some last
longer, wear better and why others are easier to care for and clean.
Most importantly, understanding carpet manufacturing and materials can make you an educated
customer. This will help you determine the value and the beauty of the long-term investment you
are about to make.
Fibers are the DNA of Carpet
Fibers are the basic materials that a carpet is made up of. Over ninety percent of all carpet made
today, is made up of synthetic fiber. The rest is natural fiber like wool. Let’s look first at the
most common synthetic fibers.
Synthetic fibers are usually made up of one of three materials: nylon, polypropylene or polyester.
All three are created by similar chemical processes using oil and natural gas.
Nylon
Almost 75% of carpet today is made of nylon. Compared to the other fibers , it performs the best
overall. Nylon is the leader in: appearance, fade and heat resistance, soil/ stain resistance, color
and styling. The best performing nylon is Type 6.6, which has a tighter molecular construction,
making the carpet more resistant to stain penetration.
Polypropylene.
The next most common material used in carpet is polypropylene. Introduced in the late 1950’s ,
polypropylene BCF has grown in popularity over the last twenty years, and today represents
more than 35% of the total fibers used in the carpet industry.
Polypropylene fiber is usually found in looped pile carpets and is most commonly used in
commercial installations.
Although polypropylene is not as resilient or resistant to abrasion as nylon, it is naturally stain
and fade resistant. It also has a more limited range of color options available, as its natural
resistance to moisture means that it must be dyed before being extruded
Polyester
The third type of material commonly used in carpet manufacturing is polyester. Polyester
was introduced to the industry in the mid 1960’s, and has been well received for its bulk,
color clarity, and good stain/ fade resistance. Also not as resilient as nylon, Polyester carpets
constructed with today’s technologies, can be an excellent performer.
Wool…the all natural fiber
The other type of fiber used in carpet construction is wool fiber. While synthetic fibers are more
commonly used in the manufacturing of carpets today, the original fiber used in the making of
carpet was wool.
The wool used in carpet today, comes primarily from New Zealand, Argentina, and the United
Kingdom. Because wool is a natural fiber, it ranges in color from off-white to black, with many
earthy tones.
The term “Berber” actually comes from the name of a group of North African sheepherders
called the Berbers. The Berbers were known to produce very coarse wool, with characteristic
color flecks in their yarns.
Although wool fibers don’t stand up to abrasion and moisture as well as synthetics, it does clean
easily and is known to age beautifully.
Wool is the most ecological fiber used today. The choice of floor covering for Royals for
centuries, wool carpet is the investment of a lifetime.
Carpet making is a 3-step process
There are three steps to manufacturing carpet. The first step is called tufting. Tufting begins with
the process of weaving the synthetic or wool fiber into a primary backing material.
The primary backing material is made of woven polypropylene, and its main purpose is to
provide a base cloth to hold the carpet yarn in place.
The tufting machine looks like a very large version of a sewing machine. It has anywhere from
800 to 2000 needles working together to push and pull the yarn through the primary backing
material.
The tufting machine sits about 12 feet wide, and as its needles penetrate the backing, a small
hook called a “looper”, grabs the yarn and holds it in place. This process produces what is called
loop pile construction.
An alternative step
In some carpet styles the “looper” then rocks back against a knife, where the small loops of yarn
are cut, creating a cut pile carpet. The length of these cut pieces of yarn is referred to as the pile
height.
These precision cuts are controlled by a computer, and are programmed to cut only some of the
loops. This method of selectively cutting, creates a visible pattern on the surface of the carpet.
This is called cut loop construction.
Pile height, sometimes referred to as “nap”, is the length of the tuft measured from the primary
backing to the yarn tips. Shorter pile heights tend to show less matting and crushing than longer
pile heights.
The stitch rate of a carpet is measured in penetrations, or tufts, in a given length of carpet. The
stitch rate is controlled by how fast the carpet is moved through the tufting machine. Stitch rate is
an indicator of the finished products density. The greater the stitch rate the denser the carpet.
The gauge of the tufting machine is measured by the number of needles measured across a given
length. The smaller the gauge means more needles and a denser carpet construction.
Twist refers to the number of times the yarn ends are twisted together and generally reflects
the performance of the carpet. The more twists, equals greater performance. It is usually
the “untwisting” of the yarns that leads to poor performance. So when looking at twist, more and
tighter is better.
Face weight is determined by the actual amount of fiber per square yard, and is measured in
ounces. Face weight is only one of the many criteria that determine the lasting beauty of carpet.
Step two is dye application
The carpet is then taken through one of two dyeing processes. The first is called yarn dyeing, or
sometimes pre-dyeing, where the color is applied to the yarn prior to tufting.
The advantages of all yarn dyeing methods include good color consistency, large dye lot sizes,
and uniformity throughout.
The second method involves applying color to the yarn after the carpet has been tufted. This is
the method in which most residential carpeting is dyed.
The first method, referred to as Beck, or batch dyeing, involves stitching the ends of the carpet
together, and then running the tufted carpet loop through large vats of dye and water for several
hours. The Beck process is ideal for smaller production runs, and heavier face weight products.
Continuous dyeing involves running the carpet through several dye heads that apply color
directly to the carpet face via a continual spraying or printing. This process is also used to create
multicolor or pattern effects in the carpet.
Screen printing is another common method , where color is applied through anywhere from one,
to as many as eight, silk-screens.
The major benefit of carpet dyeing is greater color flexibility and efficiency.
Step three is the finishing process.
This process is a single production line that completes the final stage of the carpet construction.
In the finishing process, a coat of latex is applied to the tufted & dyed carpet’s primary backing.
Then it is applied to a secondary backing. The secondary backing is typically made of a woven
synthetic polypropylene material. The two parts are squeezed together in a large heated press,
where they are held tightly to preserve the backings stability.
Shearing, which is one of the final stages, is the process of removing all of the loose ends and
projecting fibers that might have been created during the tufting process
Finally, each carpet is carefully inspected for color uniformity and other manufacturing defects
before it is rolled, wrapped, and shipped.
We hope that the information here helps you better understanding how this beautiful and
versatile product is created.
That’s our brief explanation of how carpet is made.
We hope that the information here leads you to a better understanding of how this beautiful and versatile product is created and that how a well-made, well- chosen carpet can help make your home.
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