cut pile carpeting

Cut Pile Carpet

Cut pile carpet, an underfoot favorite, is noted for its elegance and array of solid hues. It is a versatile tufted carpet features clipped yarn loops. This type of carpet has soft, dense cut pile with well-defined individual tuft tips. Many dealers call their smoother finished carpets "plushes." New generation carpets resist stains and are less susceptible to traffic wear. It is the most widely used type of residential carpet.

Cut pile carpet constructions can be used in both residential and commercial installations. However, they are used far more widely in residential applications and comprise the largest share of the residential market. There are numerous sub-categories of this type of carpet. Each category provides a different appearance or finished look.

Cut pile carpet's most popular style is textured cut pile. Textured cut pile carpet also may be called “trackless”, “foot-print free”, “stuffer-box”, and mistakenly, “frieze”. These names describe the tendency of this construction to show fewer footprints and sweeper marks than other cut pile carpet constructions. It should be noted that no cut pile can be classified as being completely free of shading. These constructions are obtained by stuffing yarn into a steam box (stuffer box) and providing a kinked or curled yarn. The fiber is exposed to live steam to set yarn memory in this curled position. This curling of the fiber reduces light reflectance, thus reducing the appearance of footprints. Generally, when viewing a texture from the top, kinked yarns may provide a two-tone effect as a result of shade variations from reflected light. The look is created by cutting looped carpet fibers at the top, leaving yarn bundles standing straight. Pre-shearing the pile several times creates a luxurious appearance. This type of carpet is less resistant to crushing than other types of carpet.

Another favorite is the Frieze. A true frieze is similar to a textured cut pile carpet in that footprints and vacuum sweeper marks are disguised. The textured appearance is acquired by placed a high twist level on the plied yarns. This high twist level causes the tuft to twist back upon itself providing a kinked appearance. In general terms, higher twist levels provide enhanced performance characteristics, when compared to lower twist products with the same construction attributes. True friezes tend to be more costly because of higher costs of production and they may not provide the same perceived value as lower twist, textured products.

While other categories exist, these constitute the most popular styles of residential carpet. These include shag – a low density, high pile height product popular during the 1970’s. This construction tends to increase and decrease in popularity depending upon design trends. Also, multi-level carpets, sometimes called carved saxonies, utilize higher and lower cuts to form patterns.

Still one of today's most popular constructions, its durability is achieved with factors including the type of fiber, density of tufts, and the amount of twist in the yarn.

Cut Pile Advantages:

An exciting new berber look with all the wonderful color and interest of traditional loop berbers
The great plush "feel"
Beautifully crafted and colored yarns add personality to any room
Very versatile decoratively, ideal for casual rooms, kids' rooms, etc.
Subtle color flecks help hide soil that might appear between cleanings

See Also: Cut Pile Carpet Guide

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