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How Modern Carpets are Produced

The modern carpets you find in homes today are often created with a fusion of the classic craftsman styles from the old world and other, more contemporary, techniques. The combinations of production methods give us the various styles of carpets that you likely enjoy in your own home. What exactly goes into creating a carpet?

There are two common types of carpet construction styles: weaved and tufted. Woven carpets usually use materials such as wool. Though they usually have excellent durability, they can fetch a premium price. A woven carpet can either be hand-made, or created in a factory by machinery. Regardless of what kind of hands, human or mechanical, work on the carpet, the basic techniques used remain fairly consistent.

The material is woven between or around standing fibers called warps, and then strands running horizontally called wefts hold them in place. Fancier woven carpets might also display elaborate patterns within the threads, which can increase the price even more.

The tufting process is usually automated nowadays, especially on carpets that contain intricate patterns. Computers are used to calculate the style and thickness, and consistently create the desired pattern. In the past, the person creating the carpet by hand had to keep track of everything himself. The automation of today tends to create a more consistent and reliable carpet.

While handmade carpets in the times before computers were often works of art that required much skill to craft, it was a long, complicated and tedious process to produce and install. Modern carpet-makers have many tools available to do most of the work, or at least assist with the process.

Once the material is formed and everything is in its proper place, the carpet is dyed to the desired colors. Depending on the style of carpet, there may also be the extra step of cutting the loops. Different styles, cut pile or loop pile, produce very different textures.

An additional stretch backing is applied to the carpet as well, which will keep the carpet strong and stable when it’s installed and stretched. The majority of modern carpets also come equipped with stain resistance, often in the form of a coating applied to the fibers during production.

Carpets are a common and appreciated feature in most homes. It can always be interesting to know the story of how everyday objects come to be.

This article comes to us from our friends at Nip & Tuck Flooring, Carpet Stretching and Repair Experts in Denver, CO.

8-24-2016