Textured cut pile is the best-selling type of carpet style. Looped carpet fibers at the top are cut to create cut pile with yarn bundles that stand straight. Pre-shearing cut pile several times creates a luxurious appearance. Cut pile is less resistant to crushing than other types of carpet which makes it desirable.
Berber style carpeting is becoming a favorite among carpet buyers. Berbers limit footprints and vacuum tracks. They have thicker yarns than other level loop pile carpets for greater durability. These loops, however, can retain dirt and may be damaged from snags. Berbers are available in inexpensive nylon, olefin, or nylon-olefin fibers and also in expensive wool fibers.
Cut piles that are heat set straight up. Saxonies consist of two or more fibers twisted together in a yarn. They provide a soft texture for formal and informal areas. Saxonies show every footprint and vacuum-cleaner mark and have medium durability.
Velvet (also known as Plush) carpet fibers are lightly twisted and have a uniform color. They are softer and more level than textures. This type of carpet is ideal for formal areas such as formal living rooms and master bedrooms because of its luxurious appearance. Velvet/Plush shows every footprint and vacuum-cleaner mark.
Textures are the best-selling carpets and work well in informal areas such as family rooms and children’s bedrooms, because of their soft feel. Textures are tightly twisted and texture heat set for medium durability. They have a multicolored look that disguises tracks and footprints.
Cut and loop pile combines cut and looped fibers. It provides a variety of surface textures or sculptured effects for medium durability. Cut and loop pile carpets are available in solid or multiple colors. The different levels in this type of carpet can hide dirt and footprints in formal and informal areas.
Frieze is a highly twisted cut pile carpet suited for high traffic, informal areas. It has short fibers that tend to curl in different directions at the surface to hide footprints and vacuum marks. (See also Level Loop Pile below)
Level loop pile is made by weaving even loops of yarn into carpet backing at both ends. This type of carpet is very durable and track resistant because of its strong loops.
Higher loops create a more luxurious appearance. Level loop piles with short and densely packed loops are easy to clean. They prevent dirt from filtering into carpet. This type of carpet is ideal for high traffic areas.
Multi-level loop pile is like level loop pile except that the loop heights vary (usually two to three different loop heights). This carpet creates an appearance of random texture. This type of carpet is good for high traffic areas but the smaller loops can sometimes hold more dirt.
