Not everyone is a carpet expert and you don’t have to be! But, if you’re going to start shopping for carpeting, you should at least know the basics so you can easily follow what a sales associate is explaining to you and also so that you have a better understanding of what type of carpet is best for you and your home.

First, there are different types of construction. Below is an image of the types and a brief explanation of each.

construction types

Cut Pile: one of the most popular constructions – very durable – has dense tufts – highly twisted yarn – great for high traffic areasĀ 

Loop Pile: loops of all the same height – great for high traffic areas – often seen in Berber carpeting – great choice for contemporary areasĀ 

Patterned Loop: loops have two to three different heights – has patterned effects – casual look – great durability

Cut and Loop: combines cut and looped yarns – provides surface texture – often seen in rugs/carpeting with swirls, squares and other geometric shapes – great for hiding dirt

 

Fiber is also important in deciding what carpeting is best for you. Most carpeting today is made of nylon, polyester, polypropylene and wool.