Chapter 4: Carpeting and Area Rugs

difference in performance and appearance difference between a low-twist yarn and a hightwist yarn

A high-twist yarn will be smoother and crisper than a low-twist yarn.

Side match

A problem unique to space-dyed carpet

What would be the performance and appearance difference between a small denier yarn and a thick denier yarn?

A small denier will be finer and, since there is less fiber in it, it could wear faster than a heavy denier. It will have a smoother, finer appearance.

piece-dyed, continuous-dyed, or printed

After the yarn has been incorporated into a carpet construction the carpet

finishing techniques apply to Oriental rugs

All are sheared; many are given a special chemical wash.

What are two organizations that aim to create a socially conscionable world rug market?

Arzurug and Rugmark

Why might your sample for approval not demonstrate your precise pattern?

Because the juxtaposition of the colors is more important than the pattern, which is better shown in the rendering.

Generation.

Changes in style preference over time

What characteristics in this product category pertain to sustainability? To safety

Designers should consider the production of the rug, e.g., were workers fairly compensated and is the production socially sustainable as well as environmentally sustainable? What chemicals are used in the production of the rug, is production (as well as use) safe with no hazards or VOCs? Can the rug be maintained without chemicals?

How can you work with out-of-town rug dealers?

Exchanging color swatches and images is one way to narrow down the search to one or 2 good examples which can be shipped to your location. You may have to pay shipping to and from your office of you do not purchase a rug that you have shipped in.

What are the different carpet cushions made of and what is the strength of each? When would you specify each?

Fiber pads are the firmest and give carpet support in high-traffic situations, frothed foam pads are high-quality pads when they are dense. Waffle pads are also good quality when dense; they attempt to provide a pad that is both dense and cushiony. Rebond pads are the most common and come in varying densities as well so there is a range of quality in this category; they may have recycled content.

Traffic patterns and direction of traffic

If durability of the installation is critical, the most important considerations for the seaming diagram is

Proximity of seams to windows and furniture location

If initial appearance of the installation is most critical, the most important consideration for the seaming diagram is

Axminster, velvet, and Wilton

Kinds of woven goods. Easily woven with intricate colored patterns, Traditionally made on narrow looms so some products still come in narrow widths

What do Oriental and tribal rug names signify

Location of origin is the traditional understanding although some styles are now produced in other locations.

Pitch and stitch

Measurements; one refers to a width and the other to length

minimum age of an antique rug

More than 50 years old

Tufting

Most carpet sold today is produced by this method

What installation methods are used on straight or curved stairs?

On stairs, install a straight run as waterfall or Hollywood but on curved stairs or where you want to position a pattern motif consistently for safety, use cap and band.

How is the Oriental market different form the other craft tradition rugs when it comes to old rugs?

Oriental rugs retain their value better.

materials substituted for silk in area rugs

Rayon and mercerized cotton are used to save fiber cost

implications in cleaning area rugs

Some can not be cleaned with water; others are sensitive to chemicals in cleaners

eliminate the appearance of traffic patterns on carpeting

Specify a loop carpet that is dense because these characteristics will resist crushing.

factors that can add to the cost of your installation

Stairs are more labor intensive if the seaming diagram is complicated non-rectilinear spaces there is a lot of prepwork that must be done

true

True or False: Artisans working in the United States produce custom area rugs.

false

True or False: Custom rugs are best ordered with a verbal description and a rough sketch of a pattern.

false

True or False: If your corner sample for your custom rug order does not display the pattern accurately, you must reject it.

true

True or False: Options for materials for area rugs include diverse filaments ranging from rags to metal to leather.

What are the different installation methods and when would you use each?

Use stretched-in for low-traffic installations like a residence and glue-down for the highest traffic installations requiring the most stability. Use double-glue down if you want to glue the carpet in but need a pad also.

techniques for making area rugs

Weaving, tufting, felting, appointing (, piecing, braiding and sewing, needlepoint

characteristics of carpet that are typically measured

Weight of face fiber, flammability, smoke generated, tuft bind, delamination strength, abrasion resistance, dry-breaking strength, colorfastness, generation of static electricity, and sustainable characteristics such as recycled content.

materials used to make area rugs

Wool, leather, paper, plant fiber, some man-made fiber, and even metal.

difference between tufted and woven product

Woven carpets are more durable.

Tuft bind

a Measurable characteristic of carpet

Why are repairs not necessarily a bad thing in old carpets?

a rug that is not valuable will not be repaired; it will be recycled or disposed of if it is not worth the effort. If repairs are well made they will not disrupt the quality of the design.

staple dying

allows for heathered effects as more than one color can be spun into a single yarn and

Skein Dying

allows for heathered effects as more than one color can be spun into a single yarn and when two fibers react differently to the same dye bath

knot-count

an indication of quality although that is somewhat a matter of opinion. Intricate patterns require higher

Minimize soiling and the appearance in carpet

by using track-off mats before end-users reach the carpet traveling from outdoor select carpet that has a soil-shedding finish. Use carpet that has a mid-range color and has a random, organic pattern.

Custom rugs

can be any pattern or color.

Carpet padding

can extend the life of the carpet by allowing the vacuum to work more efficiently

installation methods for curved stairs

cap and band

Pile density and height

contribute to the face weight of the carpet

crimped fibers

doing this improves a fibers elasticity and hand.

Staple fibers

hort and produce yarn that has a warmer hand

dry cleaning methods

how would you clean any fiber that will react badly to water, like plant-based fiber or silk.

Performance backings

include water resistance, integral cushioning, anti-static characteristics, resistance to damage from rolling traffic are some of the characteristics that you might specify for.

installation methods for stairs

install a straight run as waterfall or Hollywood

Seagrass

is a smooth fiber, usually flat-woven, resists stains, is difficult to dye

Bulk continuous filament (BCF)

is man-made fiber that is not cut into short lengths

printed carpet

it can imitate the intricate patterns of woven goods but the color is not as durable.

finishing processes for carpet

may be treated with flame, pest, or soil repellants. It may be heated to lock in finishing or dyes.

Hollywood

produces a very tailored look for the least cost on a straight run of stairs

retail vendors

sell directly to end-users.

To-the-trade vendors

sell to designers and installers

Glue down

specify this installation method to insure the most stability in the carpet installation.

Whether stains will most likely be oil or water based

the most important consideration when considering stain-resisting properties of carpet fiber for an installation

ply

the number of yarns twisted together

Waffle pads

these carpet are also good quality when dense they attempt to provide a pad that is both dense and cushiony

frothed foam pads

these carpet cushions are high-quality pads when they are dense.

glue-down installation method

use this installation method for the high traffic or places requiring good stability

double-glue down installation method

use this installation method if you want to glue the carpet and a pad

stretched-in installation method

use this installation method or low-traffic installations

Cap and Band

used To position a motif in the same place on each step or to carpet curved steps

Semi-custom rugs

will be based on stock patterns in standard color offerings so you can position the available colors in the manufacturer's pattern to suit your job

Good rags

will be stable fabric cut on the bias to reduce shedding and loose thread

Deniers

The diameter of a carpet yarn is measured in

What would you take into account when considering client budgets?

The kind of conditions that will be present at the site so a durable installation is specified, cost of the product, installation, and maintenance given site conditions and client resources.

When inspecting a completed job, what will likely be on your checklist for any carpet installation?

The condition the site was left in (e.g., clean with scraps removed, check the location and quality of the seams, did they follow the approved seaming diagram and are the seams wellmade?). Is the carpet smooth with no wrinkles and are the transitions installed as described with good-quality workmanship?

How would you qualify an appropriate installer for your job?

See if they have completed any training programs pertinent to your installation or if they have installed product like yours on a jobsite with conditions like your client site. Bid competitively to confirm a fair price. If the installer is new to you, review his or her previous installations.

production process for a custom rug

Select a kind of custom rug and find a craftsperson Decide on a design, either a semi-custom or custom, and work with the fabricator to determine, with samples and drawing, what the construction, materials, and colors will be.

How can you specify for sustainability?

Select carpet that has recycled content, comes from renewable or sustainable sources (like wool or soda bottles), is constructed to be recycled, and comes from a source that will take it back at the end of its life and recycle it. Specify modular carpet tiles to extend the life of the installation. Address toxicity in the selection of pad as well as carpet components.

What kinds of health and safety issues pertain to carpet?

Select carpet that will not off-gas in the space while the client is using it. If clients have allergies, they may not be able to tolerate carpet at all. Carpet is slip-resistant and less likely to break things that fall to the floor.

Describe the difference between custom and semi-custom rugs

Semi-custom rugs will be based on stock patterns in standard color offerings so you can position the available colors in the manufacturer's pattern to suit your job. Custom rugs can be any pattern or color.

protein fibers

Silk and wool

indications of quality for Oriental rugs

The quality of the materials used to make them, usually cotton warps and wool wefts as well as the appropriateness of the components for the design, a high knot-count for intricate patterns. The design of the rug is personal but there will be some objective evaluation possible as well. If the rug is rare in some way, it may command a higher price, which is a quality consideration for some people.

One of the results of tufted construction is that

The secondary backing lends dimensional stability so if the carpet delaminates it will lose its stability, which this shows up first as wrinkles

What services do dealers sometimes offer beyond sales?

They will clean and repair rugs, some will take rugs on commission if you want to buy a different rug.

What characteristics of carpet and carpet installation are mandated by law?

Thickness of carpet is an issue when it abuts thinner floor coverings and the edges might present a tripping hazard.

beck-dyed

When the carpet has had its primary backing applied it can be

Woven carpets

are popular for high-traffic, 24-hour facilities like hotels and casinos.

Rebond pads

are the most common and come in varying densities as well so there is a range of quality in this category; they may have recycled content.

Flocked floor coverings

are very common in cars and some accessory items like mats but less common for floor covering.

Green Label

carpet certification that applies to indoor air quality

Synthetic fiber

comes from petroleum and includes nylon, olefin, polyester, and acrylic.

cellulosic fibers

cotton, rayon, and the plants used to make flat-woven floor coverings like sisal, abaca, seagrass, etc.

Space dyeing and differential dyeing.

these methods produces a random heathered effect that would be good at hiding spotting

Fiber pads

this carpet cushion is the firmest and give carpet support in high-traffic situations

Solution dyeing

this dyeing method produces the most durable color integrates the color into the fiber. locks the color into the fiber. indicates resistance to fading from sunlight

Acrylic

this type of carpet imitates wool most closely so a carpet that characteristics of wool or a wool blend that is less costly are reasons for using.

Polypropylene

this type of carpet is often solution-dyed making it fade resistant, so use it outdoors or where carpet must be cleaned with bleach. feels waxy and is usually solution dyed,

Nylon

this type of carpet is the most abrasion-resistant fiber used for high-traffic locations.

Wool

this type of carpet is the most resilient, so use it when crushing of footfall or moving furniture would be likely. self-extinguishes

Polyester

this type of carpet puffs up in the finishing process giving a lot of coverage for little fiber so inexpensive carpet can be produced.

Needle-punched carpet

this type of carpet tile and indoor/outdoor carpet are specified by designers.

good leather

will have characteristics unlike that used for upholstery because it will come from the thinner parts of the hide so it is more pliable; it will be fully finished so it will not stain as full aniline will.

Good yarn

will still have natural oil, not dried out, and will be stable yarn constructions. Yarn will not shed fiber.