%There is a simple fact that escapes some carpet shoppers... carpet is a textile. In fact, the feel and performance of carpet are similar to the fabric in your clothing, though the application is quite different. The type of fiber used, the construction of the cloth, and the color all play a role in the styling, cost, and performance of that garment just as they do your carpet.
%All carpet yarn is manufactured from a Staple or Continuous Filament (BCF - Bulk Continuous Filament) fiber. Staple fiber is a series of short, 6 to 7 inches in length, strings spun together to form one continuous filament. Several of these are twisted together to form a strand of yarn. BCF fiber is a continuous filament manufactured as one long string. These are twisted and heatset together to form a strand of yarn. Both of these processes create yarns that produce carpet products with distinctly different looks and characteristics.
%One of the characteristics of stapled yarns is noticeable "fuzzing" that continues for a few months post-installation, then abates. The main benefits of stapled yarns, however, are softer feel and greater uniformity of color.

Click here for information on textures and construction.

NYLON
The most frequently used carpet fiber, nylon highly desirable due to its exceptional durability, versatility, and reasonable pricing. It can be dyed in an endless variety of colors and made into numerous styles and textures. Nylon is commonly used in residential and commercial applications.
Brand name fiber such as DuPont Stainmaster®, Solutia WearDated®,and Honeywell Anso® usually indicates additional yarn testing and/or additional soil and stain treatments have been added. You truly get what you pay for with these materials in terms of quality, but also factor in some heavy advertising/marketing dollars that add to the expense as well.

POLYESTER
Used in residential and a few commercial applications, polyester has good color clarity, colorfastness, and resistance to water-soluble stains. The best polyester yarn comes from "food-grade" PET Polyester fiber, which is considered to be better quality than "carpet-grade" polyester fiber.

POLYPROPYLENE
Also known as Olefin, polypropylene resists fading, generates low levels of static electricity, is favorably priced, and can be engineered in outdoor applications.
Due to its manufacturing process, polypropylene inherently resists stains. This is because it is "hydrophobic" and does not absorb stains as readily. It also does not absorb dyes, so it must be subjected to a process called "solution dyeing."
While the yarn is still liquid, the colors are added. Then the yarns are extruded with the color locked in. It's more stain resistant and fade resistant as a result.When used in specific carpet constructions, this yarn will perform as well as most resilient fibers.

WOOL
Wool is the most expensive of the fibers we've included here. It is a natural fiber with moderate soil and stain resistance. It possesses a durable, luxurious "hand", with reduced visible soil due to fine, light-scattering characteristics. Wool also absorbs color very easily and can produce some very rich looks not possible in artificial fibers.