 | Clyde Pucket
founder of Carept Care of Wichita, has been a business owner and operator in Wichita for 32 years, cleaning, installing, and repairing carpets. His certifications include Bane Clene systems, Scotch Guard, water restoration, furniture, draperies, Oriental rugs, and custom rugs. Currently certified through the Bane Clene Institute and certified through the IICRC. Clyde has been married for 40 years with 2 children. You can reach Clyde at (316) 721-0800 or toll free outside of Wichita at (800) 360-9093. |
Carpet, Tile & Floor Covering
2003-07-01 13:43:00
Why buy wool carpeting?
QUESTION: My builder has recommended wool carpeting for our new home. What are the benefits of wool?
ANSWER: Choosing the right carpet for your home or business is a critical decision because you want a carpet that will both look good and last a long time. Wool is the superior fiber choice for woven and tufted carpets because it meets the rigorous demands of the consumer with ease. Wool is soft yet resilient; it can withstand the toughest treatment and still bounce back. Wool is easy to keep clean-its surface has a thin film which resists water penetration. Stains are water based, this means that they do not affect the actual fiber. The fiber itself is covered with scales much like tiles on a roof. These scales act as a barrier against dirt and dust preventing it from reaching the base of the carpet. Keeping these particles on the surface of the carpet makes vacuuming it much easier.Wool is also fire resistant, it traps humidity from the air, which together with the natural chemical structure of the wool, resist combustion.There is historical evidence that wool is one of the first fibers to have been made into textiles. It is known that wool existed in Babylonia as early as 4000 BC. Wool as a carpet fiber is almost unbeatable. It is luxurious; just touch it to feel the difference from other carpet fabric. It takes color beautifully and retains its beauty for years. It is soft and springy, the fiber is naturally curly and can be drawn out to 70% beyond its normal length and when released will simply spring back to its normal shape. Once you've decided to consider wool carpeting, you should know what to look for when shopping. Wool is sorted by its characteristics: fiber length, fiber diameter, color, cleanliness, how it was removed from the sheep's skin, and region or country of origin. The words fine and coarse refer to the size or diameter of the fiber; not the judgment of quality. There is several count systems used to denote fiber size. One, derived from the English worsted yarn system, is a scale that runs from the 30's to an abstract ideal of 100. The higher the count, the finer the fiber. Merino, the finest wool breed, is 60's - 100, crossbreeds are 36's - 60's, and carpet wools fall at 46's and under. The micron count system is more direct. The count numbers represents the actual size of the fiber in microns, so the higher the number, the coarser the fiber. This is the system that is used most often now. As far as color in wool is concerned, whiter is better, at least, it is a factor in price, with super white wools costing more than yellowish wools. In fact, though, very white is most important only if you need to dye the fiber bright, clear colors. Crimp refers to the waves you see in a lock of wool. Crimp gives wool its amazing springiness and elasticity, and is one of the reasons that wool is the easiest fiber of all to spin. On the whole, finer wools have more crimp than coarser ones. A good carpet yarn will have some crimpy fibers in it so the carpet will resist crushing and creasing from the weight of furniture. Lamb's wool is finer than that from the same sheep as an adult. Virgin wool is fiber that has not been spun before.
