Floor Coverings

War Rug

Afghanistan rug which has its origins in the decade of Soviet occupation of Afghanistan from 1979. Incorporates the apparatus of war into their design.

Aubusson

French town of Aubusson. Made of wool, linen, and cotton. Has a pale cream ground with floral designs and arabesques in pastel shades of rose, blue, lavender, green, and beige. 2nd most expensive.

Modacrylic/Modified acrylic

Has better heat retention and is flame resistant compared to acrylic.

Arraiolo

Portuguese hand-embroidered accent rugs made in bright or pastel colors.

Rya

Scandinavian rugs of hand-knotted shaggy weave with alternating short and long pile, in abstract or contemporary peasant designs. Colors are varied and vivid and has simple designs.

Dhurrie

Tibetan carpet of Kelim weave. Flat-woven and reversible rug. Made by nomadic people, with bold geometric designs in bright colors. Made of cotton and wool and is practical.

Tackless Stripping/Stretch-in Installation

Traditional installation wherein pre-tacked thin strips pf plywood are fastened all around the perimeter of the space to be carpeted. Most common installation method for residential applications and is used commercially for woven wool carpets and in areas where underfoot comfort and luxury are required.

Face Weight/Pile Weight/Yarn Weight

Weight of the pile yarn stated in ounces per square yard of carpet. Describes the amount of yarn in the wear surface of the carpet.

Turkish/Asia-Minor

Woven in both geometric and floral designs but with smaller patterns than the Persian or Indian, and brighter sharper colors than the Turkoman and Caucasian.

Self-stick

a flexible adhesive layer is applied to the carpet backing and covered with a protective plastic film.

Primary backing

a ground on which to hook the yarns. The foundation is the canvas on which the yarns are woven.

RUGS

a single piece of compact, woven, knitted, tufted fabric that has borders, and intended as a floor covering. Meant to cover only a portion of the floor area.

Random Multicolor Dyeing

achieved with a random dye application or a TAK random pattern machine which disperses regulated amounts of dye on carpet that is already dyes a single ground color or even on undyed goods.

Combination Loop and Cut Pile

adds a degree of warmth to an all-loop pile. Can be produced in tufted and woven constructions.

Ply

affects color, surface texture, and feel underfoot. The number of strands of a single yarn twisted together to form one pile yarn.

Random Shear loops

are sheared to different heights, forming a pattern that can be definite or irregular. Produces tonal contrast between the cut and uncut loops of varying heights.

Persian knot

asymmetric knot invented by the Persian who developed the art of rug making. A short piece of thread is laid across the warps but one end is carried down outside and up between the 2 warp threads. The other end passes down between the 2 warp threads and up outside. Also called Sehna or Senneh Knot.

Field

background of the rug inside the borders.

Edge

bindings made by wrapping several warps at the edge of the rug with yarn to reinforce this part of the rug.

Bachtiari

bright yellows, greens and reds.

Hamadan

camel's hair rug with a coarse weave in light browns, reds and blues.

Power Stretcher

carpet installation tool used to stretch carpet for installation with tackles strip.

Secondary backing

carpet pads. Bonded to the primary backing in the latexing stage. Either Jute (stable and heat resistant but tends to shrink when wet and can stain the carpet face) or Polypropylene (moisture resistant).

Puckering

carpet seam flaw due to poor layout or stretching.

Soil Retardant

chemical finish applied to fibers or carpet surfaces that inhibits attachment of soil.

Sehna

close woven small rug with minute patters.

Turkoman

closely woven with a short, firm pile, predominantly red with designs including squares, diamonds, octagons, and other simple angular motifs.

Ispahan Herat

coarse pile weaving intricately done and stately design on claret ground Ispahan using a Turkish knot.

Alpurija

coarse, heavy rugs originally meant as bead spreads, hand-loomed by peasants in Alpurija, Spain. Bold designs woven in 2-10 colors. Tree of life patterns, flowers, leaves and grapes.

Sizing

coatings applied to the back of woven products to enhance stiffness and reduce raveling.

American Indian

colorful hand-woven rugs (Navajo) of wool in the Indian reservations of the Southwest. Motifs of primitive geometric patterns, stripes and borders. Weave is flat.

Blends

combinations of two or more fibers into a single carpet yarn, with each yarn lending to the other its dominant characterstic.

Double Glue-down

combines the underfoot comfort of stretch-in installation with the stability of the direct glue-down method. Carpet cushion is adhered to the floor and the carpet is glued to the cushion.

Face

composed of the pile. The upright ends of yarn whether cut or looped. Forms the wearing surface of carpet or rugs.

Cut Pile

cutting each loop of pile and produces wide range of textures.

Border

decorative designs repeated in one direction around the outside of the rug.

Stitch Rate

defines the number of times per inch a stitch occurs in tufted carpets. The number of times an individual needle inserts a tuft into the primary backing as the primary backing moves one inch through tufting machines. Also called Stitches per Inch.

Persian

delicately colored all-over pattern of flowers, vines, or leaves, which start from a center medallion and almost completely cover the background color.

Polonnaise

delicately colored antique silk rug.

Densified Foam

denser than modified foam and is highly resistant to bottoming out.

Corner Brackets/Spandrels

designs that fill the corners of the field.

Space Dyeing

different colors are printed along the length of the yarn before it is manufactured into carpet, with different color baths for each of the yarns.

Gauge

distance between the needles in tufted carpets.

Continuous Dyeing

dyeing carpet in a continuous production line, rather than piece-dyeing separate lots.

Deep dye Printing

electrostatic charge forces the pre-metallized dyes used in this process deep into the pile. Puts down all the colors in the design at the same time.

Roller Printing

embossed cylinders deposit the design on the face of the carpet.

Saraband

entire field covered with a repeating pattern of palm leaves with rose or blue ground. Finest of these rugs are called Mir-Saraband.

Tufting

far less expensive and faster to produce than woven carpet. It enabled to mass production of an affordably priced textile floor covering. Constructed by punching tufts of yarns into a backing. Yarns are threaded through hundreds of individual needles on a device that extends the entire width of the finished carpet. The needles are forced through a loosely woven or non-woven primary backing material, which forms the loops or tufts. Adhesive is added to hold the loops in place and then a secondary backing.

Bearding

fiber fuzz on level loop pile carpets.

Needlepunched Carpet

fibers, usually acrylic or polypropylene are punched into a web of synthetic fiber to form a homogenized layer of fiber. Put under heavy compression to form the characteristic of fabric.

Wefts

filling yarn that are woven through the warps, they run across the width of the rug, over and under the warp strings and between rows of knots.

Sarouk

fine pile in dark reds and blues mixed with lighter colors.

Kerman and Kermanshah

fine pile in soft cream, rose, light blue and other pastel colors.

End

finishes hold knots and wefts from working off the rug's warp strings.

Sponge Rubber Cushions

flat sponge, ripple sponge, or reinforced foam rubber. Provides a firm feel for flat sponge and a Soft feel for Ripple Sponge rubber. Highly compressible and has a smaller cell structure.

Screen Printing

flat templates, or screens, through which dyes are forced to form finished pattern on the carpet pile.

Glue-down Method

for bonded carpet. High density foam rubber is used as the secondary backing and is cemented directly to the floor.

Fringes

gathering and knotting together bundles of warp strings at both ends of the rug after the rug has been cut from the loom.

Sisal

grass-like product is twisted together into strands and sewn into squares. Attached together in any given number make up he finished rug. For contemporary settings and country homes.

Savonnerie

hand woven rug with a high pile, in pastel colors and floral and scroll patterns. For the 18th and 19th C houses and palaces. Very much in demand and command high prices.

Braided

hand-made by American in the late 18th C consisting of many fabric scraps braided and sewn together into colorful round or oval rugs of various sizes.

Moroccan

hand-woven from Morocco with thick, shaggy, and fringed edges. Dominant geometric patterns with strong contrasting colors.

Gabbeh

hand-woven pile rug of coarse quality characterized by an abstract design that relies upon open fields of color and playfulness with geometry. Much thicker and coarser than other Persian carpets.

Kelim/Kilim/Kelem

hand-woven rugs with all-over geometric patterns with a center motif. Colors are strong usually deep red or blue. Old ones of wool, newer one of cotton. Very durable.

Binding

handmade fabric edge applied to soft floor coverings to prevent fraying.

Hand hooked

has a loop on the surface.

Jet Beck Dying

has a very consistent level of color. Carpet is sewn together end to end, forming a continuous loop places in a large circular tubes called jet becks.

Ingrain Carpet

historic reversible weave that is a double-faced pile-less carpet of colored filling yarns. When reversed, the design and colors are often opposite from the other side. Also called Summer/Winter.

Berber Carpet

modern style of carpet distinguished by a loop pile construction type and usually contains small flecks of dark color on lighter shades of background colors. Typically in a plain color mix with no pattern and are relatively cheap and durable.

Direct Glue-down

most common method of commercial installation because it is economical and practical. Carpet is glued directly to the floor without a cushion. Most dimensionally stable installation method and is often required for stair and ramp applications.

Chenille

most expensive rug-weaving method as 2 loom operations are required. Chenille blanket is woven and then cut into strips to make the filling for the second loom. A dense pile with wide range of designs, colors, widths, and depths.

Nylon

most popular carpet fiber used today. It is versatile, and easy to maintain and clean, and withstands heavy foot traffic. Because of its excellent durability, appearance retention is a concern. Its appearance can be permanently ruined. It is the most widely used man-made fiber and is often combine with wool for durability.

Indian

motifs of flowers, vines and animals. Has more brilliant colors and a more naturalistic style.

Shag

multi-directional, high pile twist, giving an attractive, informal look. Has a heavily textured surface created by the long twisting yarns.

Axminster

named after Axminster England. Inspired by European and Oriental patterns. Combinations of patterns and colors are virtually limitless, because the colored yarns are inserted individually. It is intricate, multi-colored patterns and a backing heavily ribbed, and can only be rolled lengthwise. Tends to stretch quite a bit in length and very little in width.

Wilton

named after a town in England. Constructed on a modified Jacquard loom. Used to produce carpet of more than one color with as many as 5 colors possible. Floral-patterned hotel lobby carpet is a common example of a Wilton. It is thick and heavy.

Guard Border

narrow decorative designs flanking the main border.

Fiber Cushion

needlepunching natural fiber, synthetic fiber, or a combination of the two into a felt like pad. Tends to have a firm feel under foot.

Polypropylene Olefins

newest and most economical. Comparable to nylon in durability, strength, and wear resistance. It is the lightest commercial carpet almost completely free of static build-up. Used in outdoor carpeting. Most resistant synthetic fiber because it repels water and impervious to stains, and is less expensive than other fibers.

Pitch

number of ends in a woven carpet.

Rows/Wires

number of ends per inch lengthwise.

Woolen Count

number of running yards in one ounce on finished yarn.

Acrylic

one of the first synthetic fibers to be used successfully in the production of carpet. It is always used as a staple fiber and has many of the characteristics of wool and has the lowest static build-up factor. It is highly resistant to sunlight, stains, and mildew. Used in bath mats and rugs.

Blooming

opening and untwisting of the pile yarns. Very common and a desired trait with tightly woven wool products.

Warps

parallel strings stretched from loon beam to loom beam upon which rows of knots are tied.

Drop Match

pattern that drops down to create a diagonal repeat.

PRINTING

patterns are applied to carpet after it is manufactured. Simulates the intricate patterns of woven carpet at a much lower cost.

Set Match

patterns that match straight across.

Flattening

pile flattening or pile being repositioned.

Wilton Loom

pile is woven between two backings and the split down the middle to get two separate rugs.

Dyeing

predyeing the carpet fibers before the carpet is manufactures or postdyeing the finished piece of carpet.

Feraghan

produced with a small all-over design of lowers of conventional forms arrayed in rows.

Open Beck Dyeing

produces 1000 yards of dyed carpet. Carpet ends are attached to form a large loop, which is submerged in a dye vat.

Twist level

products with higher twist levels have the tendency to hold their original appearance longer than lower twist products.

The Medallion

round, oval, or polygonal design element that sometimes occupies the center of the field.

Beveling

rounding off the parts of a carpet that have already been carved, recessed, or embossed.

Jet Printing

rows of very closely spaced jets are used to spray the carpet with color.

Cross Seams

seam created by joining carpet end-to-end rather than side-by-side.

Boukara

shade of red and ivory.

Flokati

shaggy wool area rugs made in Greece, in solid colors as well as natural off-white shades.

Kazakh

sharp reds, blues, and off whites.

Knitting

similar to woven carpet because pile and backing are made in a single operation. Uses 3 sets of needles to loop the pile backing yarn and the stitching yarns together. Latex is given to the back for additional strength and body. Known for their plush piles because there is more yarn in the wear surface than tufted carpets. Has a tendency to stretch, especially on the diagonal, and is difficult to seam during installation.

Caucasian

small rugs with contrasting, strong colors woven by nomadic tribes with geometric designs, often incorporating stylized people and animals. Dyed in different colors other than blood red.

Cut Pile Plush

smooth cut pile. The cut ends of the yarn blend with each other for a consistent surface appearance. Has a luxurious look and feel but is subject to shading and shows foot marks

Polyester

soft and luxurious. It is strong, durable with high abrasion resistance. Dyes well, and has low static build-up factor. Used for residential carpet applications as shags and random sheared carpet.

Chinese

soft ground colors of yellow, rose, salmon-red, beige, browns. Pattern in one blue color. Designs are Chinese religious symbols.

Cotton

softer than wool but less durable.

Jute

softest of all natural fibers. May fade or darken in color when exposed to sunlight, and its fiber disintegrates with prolonged exposure to moisture

Level Type Shear

some of the loops are cut and some remain uncut. Adds interest to colors and gives a desirable pattern effect.

Breadth

span across the weft of the carpet and generally used when several sections are seamed together.

Package Dyeing

spun yarns are wound on large perforated forms. Under heat or pressure, dyes are forced through the perforation and onto the yarn.

Coir (Coconut Plush)

strong and flexible hair like fiber from coconut shells. It is tough, does not pill, ca withstand a great deal of abrasion, is highly rot resistant, and is proven to be unfriendly to insects.

Turkish Knot

symmetrical. A short piece of thread is laid across two warps, and the ends are carried down outside and up between them and pulled tight. Also called Ghiordes knot.

Needlework (Needlepoint or Gros-point)

tapestry-stitch embroidery worked with wool yarns on a canvas mesh backing. Tightness of the backing determines the tightness of the needlepoint. Designs and colors depend on where it is produced.

Saxony Plush

texture between cut pile plush and cut pile shag. Makes use of thicket yarns and has a twisted yarn, which gives definition to each tuft. Made with heat-set yarn usually in a dense, low-pile construction.

Seam Slippage

the pulling apart of a sewn seam often a result of improper or inadequate sewing techniques.

Delamination

the separation of the secondary backing or attached cushion from the primary backing of the carpet.

Pile

the surface yarn that makes up the face of the rug.

Bijar

thick as two or three ordinary rugs.

Knots

tied by looming yarn around pairs of warps and cutting off the standing end.

Latex

to glue on the roots of the yarns onto the cotton canvas backing on which they are woven. Provides superior tuft lock and resilience in stretching, especially for wall-to-wall installations.

Berber Rugs

traditional hand-woven carpets of the Berber people of North Africa, which uses a distinct know that gives a similar appearance to a modern Berber carpet but are brightly colored with designs that are different from oriental rugs.

Weaving

traditional way of making carpet on a loom. Produced by intertwining the surface pile and the backing simultaneously into an integrated whole. It produces heavy, dimensionally stable, and strong carpets and does not require a secondary backing. It is a slower, more labor-intensive process than tufting and is more expensive.

Geometric Rugs

tribal and primitive village people of Persia. Each tribe is distinguished by its own rug style.

Carpet

used as floor covering. It provides floors with both visual and textural softness, resilience, and warmth in a wide range of colors and patterns. It absorbs sounds, reduces impact noise, and provides a comfortable and safe surface to walk on and is fairly easy to maintain.

Hairline Carving

used between colors in a multicolor design rug in order to accentuate and give a design some dimension.

Wool

used for centuries in the manufacturing of carpet. It is still the standard against which other carpet fibers are judged. It is generally the most expensive carpet fiber and is commonly used in woven carpets. Its outer layer is scaly, which diffuses light, thus hiding soil. When exposed to flame, wool chars, rather than melting like most synthetic fibers, making it naturally flame resistant.

Flocked Carpet

uses an electrostatic method. Fibers are electro-statically treated and sprayed onto an electrically charged backing sheet which has been treated with adhesive.

Abrash

variation or striation of color in a rug.

Scalloping

wavy or puckering around the perimeter of a room from improper stretching angles.

Embossing

weaving a design in a higher level.

Recessing

weaving a design into a low level rather than shearing down or carving it into the carpet.

Loop Pile

weaving, tufting, or knitting the pile yarn into loops. Left uncut and is called Round Wire. Tougher and more easily maintained than cut pile, but is less versatile in color and pattern.

Pile Density

weight of pile yarn in a given volume of carpet face.

Main Border

widest decorative design around the outside of the rug.

Flat Weave

without knots. Constructed without a pile, but colored weft yarns are woven through the warps to create the pattern (like Tapestry weave).

Resist Dyeing

yarn is treated to resist additional dyes. It produces no discernible pattern and used for shading only.

Total Weight/Finished Weight

Includes the face weight and the weight of backing materials, finishes, and coatings.

Denser

measurement of weight in grams of a standard 900m length of yarn.

Carving

incising a design into a carpet or rug which has already been woven.

CARPET CUSHION OR UNDERLAY

increases wearability, gives added insulation, helps deaden sound, provides comfort underfoot, improves cushioning, helps maintain carpet appearance, and prolongs life of carpet.

Yarn Weight

indicates the fineness or coarseness of the finished yarn.

Shading

irregular light or dark patches occurring in the carpet.

Hand knotted

knot is individually tied by hand. The best kind of rug construction.

Velvet

least complex weaving method and the most inexpensive. Produces solid color carpets and is made on looms similar to Wilton looms, but without the Jacquard mechanism. All yarn in this type appears on the back of the carpet.

Pile Height (Height)

length of the tuft from the primary backing to the tip.

Sisal (Scratch rush)

light cream or oatmeal in color. It is a strong, woody fiber produced from the leaves of the agrave plant. It has a rough texture, is stiff, and inflexible. It tends to stain and crush easily, but is still stronger and more durable than any natural fiber. Used mostly in twine, rugs, floor mats, ad rope.

Hand tufted

loops are sheared to expose thread ends for a softer and plusher pile.

Floral Rugs

made by educated urban people. Made of fine quality woo. Intricate flower patterns indicate a sophisticated lifestyle.

Conventional Rugs

made by townspeople who make their living weaving during winter months. Uses repetitive, stylized, conventional rugs. Small motifs are repeated again and again.

Maize

made from corn husks.

Twist/Frieze

made from yarns that have been tightly twisted and the twist set by a special heating treatment that imparts a grainy appearance. Has a heavier, rougher texture than cut pile plush. Made in solid color or multi-tone effects and it hides dirt well.

Multilevel Loop

made of different pile heights, all uncut loops. Gives a dimensional character to the carpet. Capable of producing sculptured patterns.

Level Loop Pile

made of uniform uncut loops which are of the same height. Very sturdy and offers little textural variation. Has a pebbled surface texture that conceals soilage and hides footprints and other indentations. Used for heavy traffic areas and commercial installations.

Bonded Polyurethane Foam/Rebonded

manufactured from scraps of foam bonded together through an adhesive and heat fusion process.

Modified Prime Polyurethane

manufactured in a continuous sheet and contains fillers.