I was contacted by a retail dealer the other day asking about a product a customer wanted to use in a particular application and whether or not it would be alright to use it. The carpet is a 100% wool product with a jute backing. The pad they wanted to use was a 3/8 inch 7 pound density rebond. The consumer wanted to use this product in the lower level of their home with a walk-out to the pool area. Inside the house they were going to install about 7 feet of ceramic tile between the door and the carpet. His question was is the wool carpet a good idea? Will the chlorine/pool water harm the carpet? He would not expect a lot of water to get on the carpet but some always will from dripping bathing suits, hair and kids who don’t dry themselves off. He wanted my opinion on this situation.

First, let me preface my response by saying I love wool carpet. It is the standard by which all other products are judged. One of the first things I learned in this business, over 30 years ago, was that wool carpet is like a beautiful woman, It grows old gracefully. That being said, one of the things all people selling carpet should know is what works best where and why. In this situation wool carpet with a jute backing would not be the best choice for carpeting in this area. Why? First, wool would not withstand one drop of chlorine from the pool. Wool is dissolved in bleach, chlorine is a bleach and if it gets on the wool it will physically destroy it. Second, if the chlorine or other pool chemicals got on the wool the least they would do would oxidize the color out of the carpet. In place of the color would be left a yellowish colored, brittled fiber that would be forever damaged. Wool will also absorb about 27% of its weight in moisture and any water that falls on it will be sure to be absorbed, so it is difficult to prevent the fiber from damage in this environment. Sure as the sky is blue, someone will drip chlorine on this carpet and the dealer will be eating his words for suggesting this carpet would work here.

The next issue of concern is the backing. Jute is a natural product that will be affected by moisture of any kind-it absorbs it. Water dripping from the top down or possibly being absorbed from the slab from the bottom up could create havoc. Jute, in this environment, could support rot, mildew, mold and bacteria. The product being considered is not a good choice because there are too many potential problems that would need very little influence to cause complaints.

The pad would be the next consideration. In this case I would want to see a foundation lower and firmer than what is being suggested. 1/4 inch thickness and 10 pound density would be my choice because it would optimize the performance of the product and it would be in line with the quality of the carpet installed on top of it. People looking at this type of carpet aren’t buying price and every component should be commensurate with the quality of the carpet chosen.

In this situation the carpet used must be able to withstand traffic, pool chemicals, water and other influences tracked in from the outside onto it. So what would we have to use? A low profile, level loop, solution dyed nylon or even polypropylene. Yes, you read right, polypropylene. Why? Low profile because soil will have less of an opportunity to fall deep into the carpet as long as it is fastidiously maintained. It will be easier to pick up by hand or vacuum any tracked in large debris. Solution dyed because it is virtually impervious to bleach, pool chemicals and environmental influences which could compromise the color. A high quality, solution dyed nylon product would work here. Polypropylene would add one more feature which should be considered. Since there is a very good chance of water being brought in on the carpet let’s try to fight that off as well. Polypropylene hates water, this fiber is hydrophobic, which basically means it pushes water away. Polypropylene is always solution dyed so it is virtually impervious to bleaches and oxidizing agents. The considerations for its use in this obviously higher end environment means it would have to be constructed in a very dense, level loop, aesthetically pleasing construction, such as a patterned and textured loop. It would have to be very dense to maintain its appearance and not show any compression of the face to fight off one of its downside characteristics. Tufted densely enough, this carpet would be a perfect choice because it would perform without anyone every having to worry about water, chlorine or pool chemicals adversely affecting it. The backing on this type of carpet, and even the nylon, would be a woven synthetic, which is also polypropylene, so any moisture would not affect the backing either.

The magnificent wool carpet could be used in the upper level living areas of the home to allow guests and the home owners swoon over it. This case is exactly what we mean when we tell you, know what to use where, why and how to use it. My hat’s off to the dealer who asked first what he should use and why, before he got himself into a predicament that could have been costly and painful. You can all take a lesson from this.