For both weaving and tufting many of the procedures are similar while others differ significantly.

Woven Carpet: The yarn for the carpet is woven through or around vertical fibers known as warps, and then locked into place with horizontal strands known as wefts. The woven carpets can utilize a variety of colors as well to create intricate patterns in the highest quality of carpets.

Tufted Carpet: Tufting machines sew the carpet yarn through a backing material leaving a loop. For cut pile carpet the looped is cut during tufting.  Patterned carpets can also be created on tufting machines. Computers are used to determine the patterns, styles, construction, and density.  No longer does someone have to do everything by hand or mentally, as the tufting machines will take all of the guesswork out and make things easy on the operator.

Once the fibers have been locked into place, the carpet is dyed using a variety of methods that will create patterns or effects.  For cut pile carpets, in the final stage the pile is sheared to give the cut loops a level surface.

A secondary back is applied to the carpet to give it stability and allow it to be stretched during the installation process.  Most of the carpets of this day and age will receive stain protection as well, which happens during the manufacturing phase.

The manufacturing method used will affect how the carpet is installed.  In the past, the creation of carpet was a very complicated process, as there were no computers or technology to do most of the work.  Back then, it was all done by hand.  The carpets were great, although colors and textures to select from were limited.

Today’s faster production level has helped to hold down costs for the end user. This has added to the popularity of carpet and enabled individuals the opportunity to redecorate more often than most of us would otherwise be able to do.

Today’s most popular choices of carpet are tufted loop pile and tufted cut pile.  With a loop pile the yarn is tufted or pulled through the backing of the carpet creating a loop. With cut pile carpet the loop is tufted or pulled through the back and the loop is cut which leaves the cut ends standing erect.

Many people consider cut pile carpet to be more stylish and a looped carpet to be more casual.  Cut piles come in many styles, such as shag, textured, saxony, and velvet.  Loop pile choices include Berber, cable, or sisal.  For high traffic areas, loop pile is an excellent choice.

One of the factors with choosing your carpet is the cost.  For years wool carpet has been considered the hallmark for style. Unfortunately a good quality wool carpet is more expensive than most of us can afford. Manufactures have made it a practice to emulate wool in many of their synthetic products creating a good looking and good performing product an affordable costs.

Synthetic carpet yarns are available in continuous filament and spun yarns. While a spun yarn will look more like wool it will also shed more. Many people find their vacuum bags and canisters filling up with carpet fuzz. This is normally because the carpet is manufactured from a spun yarn and is a normal characteristic and not a defect.

If you are able to afford good quality wool carpeting you’ll find that even though it costs more to purchase and install, it will prove to be far more superior to any other type of carpeting.  While there is some wonderful man made carpet fiber that come close to the durability, rich look, or even the feel of wool they still have a ways to go before they are perfected to the quality of a wool carpet which can both last and look good for 30 years or more.

Acrylic carpeting is very similar in appearance to wool, and sometimes referred to as manmade wool.  It is resistant to moisture, fading, mildew, crushing, and staining, although it isn’t recommended for high traffic areas.

Nylon carpeting is also popular, as it is recommended for high traffic areas.  Nylon is one of the most expensive types of synthetic fibers, although it is still cheaper than wool.

Olefin is a low cost carpet material, often used for indoor or outdoor carpeting.  Olefin is colorfast and strong, very easy to clean.  One of the draw backs to olefin is that it can easily be crushed.

Another consideration you’ll have is the color and patterns of the carpet.  Light carpeting colors help to create a spacious effect, making the room appear to be larger.  Since light color carpet reflects light it will show soil and foot prints easier than your darker colors.

When looking for soil hiding qualities for homes with pets and children your darker colors are usually a better choice. Fortunately there are many choices in dark colors, which is great for those interested in style.  Dark colors are ideal for stains or pets, as they don’t show soiled areas near as much as light colored carpets.

Don’t let the fact that a carpet has been treated for stain resistance make you comfortable in selecting a light colored carpet. If you have children and pets and must have a lighter colored carpet be prepared for the extra care when it comes to stains and spots.