Yarn Characteristics
| Characteristic |
Wool |
Nylon |
Olefin |
Polyester (PET) |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Color |
Limited |
Excellent |
Limited |
Good |
| Abrasion Resistance |
Fair |
Excellent |
Excellent |
Good |
| Resilience |
Excellent |
Excellent |
Poor |
Poor |
| Soiling |
Good |
Very Good |
Good |
Fair |
| Cleaning |
Good |
Very Good / Good |
Excellent |
Fair / Good |
| Spot Removal |
Fair / Good |
Fair / Good |
Excellent |
Good |
| Pilling |
Good |
Excellent |
Excellent |
Poor |
| Static Electricity |
Bad / Good |
Poor / Very Good |
Good |
Good |
| Allergy Problems |
Fair |
Good |
Good |
Good |
| Chemical Resistance |
Fair |
Good |
Good |
Good |
Wool
| Brand Names |
New Zealand Wool®, British Wool® |
| Construction |
Natural Based Environmentally-friendly Spun (staple) Yarn |
| Staple or BCF |
Staple |
| yarn memory |
Excellent |
| Dye Method |
Skein Dyed |
| Hand |
Warm, soft |
| Coloring |
Excellent, wide range |
| Wear Characteristics |
Excellent, resists compaction, resists crushing |
| Stain Resistance |
Good to excellent |
| Resistance to sunlight fading |
Poor |
| Flame retardant |
Does not melt - self extinguishes - used in Airplanes |
| Moisture resistance |
Poor, highly absorbant |
| Static |
Builds up in low humidity |
| Cleaning |
always follow manufacturer guidelines, alkaline substances and household cleaners can damage |
| Maintenance |
always follow manufacturer guidelines, do not vacuum with beater bar |
| Shedding |
Some initial shedding from staple fiber |
| Advantages |
Long lasting appearance and performance, luxurious |
| Disadvantages |
Price High typically > $50 sq yd, Most expensive yarn in tufted carpets. |
| % installed |
1% |
| installation: |
stretched, laid with pad, Certified Professional installation only |
notes
|
natural humidifier |
| mfgs |
Karastan, Godfrey Hirst, Nourison, EcoByDesign |
Wool Blends
| Brand Names |
Woolessence 80/20 is popular ratio of wool/synthetic, unbranded |
| Construction |
Natural Based Environmentally-friendly Spun (staple) Yarn with blend of synthetic yarn |
| Staple or BCF |
Staple/Staple or Staple/BCF |
| Yarn memory |
Excellent |
| Dye Method |
Skein Dyed |
| Hand |
Varies from warm and soft to cold and coarse with synthetic components |
| Coloring |
Excellent, wide range |
| Wear Characteristics |
Excellent, resists compaction, resists crushing |
| Stain Resistance |
Good to excellent |
| Resistance to sunlight fading |
Poor |
| Flame retardant |
Blend yarn will melt |
| Moisture resistance |
Poor, highly absorbant |
| Static |
Builds up in low humidity |
| Cleaning |
always follow manufacturer guidelines, alkaline substances and household cleaners can damage |
| Maintenance |
always follow manufacturer guidelines |
| Shedding |
Some initial shedding from staple fiber, do not vacuum with beater bar |
| Advantages |
Long lasting appearance and performance, luxurious |
| Disadvantages |
Price High typically > $50 sq yd, Most expensive yarn in tufted carpets |
| % installed |
1% |
| installation: |
stretched, laid with pad, Certified Professional installation only |
notes
|
natural humidifier |
| mfgs |
Stanton, Van Dijk, Unique Carpets Ltd. |
Nylon
| Brand Names |
Woolessence 80/20 is popular ratio of wool/synthetic, unbranded |
| Construction |
synthetic petroleum based:Type 6 (softer and easier to dye) and type 6,6 (harder and more stain resistant) |
| Staple or BCF |
Staple/Staple or Staple/BCF |
| Yarn memory |
Excellent |
| Hand |
Varies from warm and soft to cold and coarse. |
| Dye Method |
Piece Dyed or Solution Dyed |
| Coloring |
Excellent, wide range |
| Wear Characteristics |
Excellent, even at lower weights |
| Stain Resistance |
Good to excellent |
| Resistance to sunlight fading |
Poor |
| Flame retardant |
Burns slowly with melting |
| Moisture resistance |
Poor |
| Static |
Builds up in low humidity |
| Cleaning |
always follow manufacturer guidelines |
| Maintenance |
always follow manufacturer guidelines |
| Shedding |
Moderate with staple fiber, light with BCF fiber |
| Advantages |
stain resistance with treatment, wears well, does not flatten, durable |
| Disadvantages |
sunlight fading, moderately high price |
| % installed |
65% |
| installation: |
stretched, laid with pad, Certified Professional installation only |
notes
|
unbranded yarns are generally less expensive that branded yarns |
| mfgs |
Shaw, Mohawk, Beaulieu |
Polyester (PET)
| Brand Names |
Sorona® (PTT), Corterra®, Pentron®, Trevira® |
| Construction |
Synthetic Recycleable based Spun |
| Staple or BCF |
Staple |
| Yarn memory |
Fair |
| Dye Method |
Solution Dyed |
| Hand |
Varies -- finer deniers are soft and silky. |
| Coloring |
Can Fade in Sunlight |
| Wear Characteristics |
crush resistance depends on density |
| Stain Resistance |
Good to excellent -- oily stains should be promptly treated. |
| Resistance to sunlight fading |
Good - may reduce with prolonged exposure |
| Flame retardant |
Burns slowly with melting |
| Moisture resistance |
Poor |
| Static |
Builds up in low humidity |
| Cleaning |
always follow manufacturer guidelines |
| Maintenance |
always follow manufacturer guidelines |
| Shedding |
Moderate |
| Advantages |
good sunlight resistance, cleans easily, relatively inexpensive and is used in moderate to low traffic areas |
| Disadvantages |
can flatten, crush resistance is poor in lighter carpets, shedding |
| % installed |
5% |
| installation: |
glue down DIY or laid with pad Certified Professional installation only |
notes
|
inexpensive, bright colors, good colorfastness |
Polypropylene Olefin
| Brand Names |
Royaltron®, Marquesa®, Lana®, and Genesis® |
| Staple or BCF |
BCF or staple |
| Yarn memory |
Fair |
| Dye Method |
Solution Dyed - Built into yarn during extrusion |
| Hand |
Waxy, soft |
| Coloring |
Excellent clarity, colorfastness |
| Wear Characteristics |
varies, but generally not as good as wool or nylon |
| Stain Resistance |
Good if oily soils and stains are treated promptly. |
| Resistance to sunlight fading |
Excellent |
| Flame retardant |
Flammability rating typically lower than nylon, burns slowly with melting |
| Moisture resistance |
High |
| Static |
Good |
| Cleaning |
Excellent, always follow manufacturer guidelines |
| Maintenance |
always follow manufacturer guidelines |
| Shedding |
Excellent |
| Advantages |
highly stain resistant, retains luster well, cleans easily, durable, colorfastness, price. |
| Disadvantages |
can flatten easily, poor crush resistance, does not retain appearance as well as wool or nylon |
| % installed |
30% |
| installation: |
glue down DIY or laid with pad Certified Professional installation only |
notes
|
Berber carpets (olefin), fastest growing segment, easily extruded by manufacturers
outdoor grass carpets |
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