In this section we will be discussing carpet fibers,
one of the most
important aspects in selecting the right carpet for the home, office or rental
property.
NYLON
Nylon is a synthetic fiber and outperforms all other fibers.
It wears well, resists abrasion and is easy to clean if treated with an
anti-stain treatment. It comes in all styles and
colors. This is the longest wearing, most durable fiber
available. There are two types of nylon fiber available. Nylon 6 and Nylon 6.6,
they are both very good. Retailers will try to tell you which one they
think is better.
Olefin is a strong good-looking synthetic fiber that is
inexpensive to manufacture. Some carpets that are made of olefin are Berbers or
commercial carpets with small loops. Olefin wears well and has good stain
resistance when anti-stain treatment is applied. Olefin has good anti-static
properties. However, Olefin is hard to clean. It has poor resiliency and tends
to look dingy when soiled. It is also called polypropylene or polyolefin.
POLYESTER (may also be called P.E.T.)
(May be manufactured from recycled soda pop containers)
Don't be fooled by the softness of this fiber. This is a very soft synthetic fiber that holds its color
well; however it is difficult to keep clean and has very poor resiliency. Traffic
areas will usually mat down quickly and may never return to its original
appearance. When new, polyester looks great and feels so soft and wonderful, but
it won’t be too long before it doesn’t.
Sales people often recommend this type of
carpet to consumers without sufficient fiber knowledge or experience. Because
polyester is so inexpensive to manufacture and higher profits
using this fiber, carpet
manufacturers continually try to enhance carpets made with polyester hoping that they can
create a carpet that wears well. So far they have had limited success.
Sorona® aka Smartstrand
by Mohawk®
Another somewhat new fiber on the market
today is called Sorona®, or Smartstrand®. It is a polymer made
from or derived from corn. (Actually it was invented way back in the 1940's
but it was too costly to manufacture) Originally invented by Dupont™, they
are very proud of this fiber and go so far to say that this fiber has the best
anti-stain properties, cleans easier than any other fiber and is very durable
too! Reports from my readers and other flooring professionals have been very
favorable so far with only a few negative reports. I believe Sorona is a
viable option for many consumers if it fits into your budget and you have need
for a carpet that is practically stain proof! However, no carpet fiber is
totally stain proof.
I’m not completely sold on this fiber yet
because it has not been available to consumers long enough for me to cast my
vote, but please understand that it is my job to question and test every
product before I recommend it to my readers. My gut feeling is that this is a
good product and worthy of consideration.
Should you buy carpet made with Sorona
(Smartstrand)? If you want a carpet that is able to resists stains and clean
easily and have good durability, then yes, you should seriously consider
buying Sorona. However, if you want the absolute best and most durable carpet
fiber known to man for the past 70 years then you should consider choosing a
good quality continuous filament Nylon carpet.
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