Whether you need flooring solutions for a school, hospital or an office building, it’s hard to beat the versatility of carpet. This guide will help you find the perfect carpet to suit your specific needs.

Types

Broadloom Carpet
This popular option gets its name from the large machines used to create it, most of which are now computer operated. Commonly featuring 3.66m widths – its continuous coverage is ideal for use on large floor areas making fort a seamless finished effect. Its also ideal for rooms where its size makes it very effective for covering the floor without any seams therefore increasing longevity.

Modular Carpet
Also known as carpet tiles, modular carpet is made by inserting tufts into a bitumen or PVC compound, which is applied to a backing fabric. Popular with modern designers due to its wide range of shapes and colours, modular carpet is also extremely forgiving, as soiled or damaged tiles can easily be removed to clean or replace. Modular carpet is easy to transport, simple to install and can even be made from recycled materials. Being a modular carpetwaste factors are minimised making it more cost effective.

Techniques

Woven
Woven carpets are strong, luxurious and commonly made from 80% wool and 20% manmade fibres. While weaving is a time-consuming process and the end product therefore relatively expensive, woven carpets will last up to three times longer than tufted carpets. However the most significant advantage of woven carpets is that they can be made using intricate patterns and designs.

Tufted
Tufted carpets are made using multi-needle sewing machines that stitch pile yarn into a pre-fabricated backing. They are available in both loop and cut-pile varieties and can be made extremely quickly, making them far cheaper than woven carpets. Virtually all tufted carpets are made in a 3.66m wide broadloom format.

Needle Punched
This technique involves using barbed felting needles to punch bating into a central spun fabric, which is then attached to a backing material. Needle punched carpet can be flocked, printed or embossed and its ability to resist fading and water damage makes it suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.

Materials

The materials that a carpet is made from play a major role in determining its overall performance. Here are a few of your main options;

Wool

• Warm
• Soft
• Absorbs sound
• Durable
• Flame resistant

Acrylic

• Resists stains, mildew, moths and fading
• Low static
• Easy to clean

Nylon

• Longest lasting synthetic fibre
• Retains colour
• Durable
• Easy to clean
• Inexpensive

Olefin

• Most stain resistant fibre
• Retains colour
• Resists mildew and shedding
• Ideal for outdoor use

Polyester

• Can take on almost any colour
• Highly durable
• Resists mildew, fading and most stains
• Easy to clean

Few commercial flooring options can compare with the style and versatility of carpet. For more information on flooring solutions talk to the experts at Aussie Flooring Insights.

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