nylon carpet

Four Basic Fibers Used in Carpet: Nylon Fibers

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nylon carpet

Four Basic Fibers Used in Carpet: Nylon Fibers

When it comes to carpet fibers, nylon is especially renowned for its strength and versatility. Nylon’s inherent durability make it ideal for lively, busy families and whether cut or loop pile, nylon can produce the greatest variety of carpet styles in the broadest array of colors, making it a great addition to your home.

Because it’s the toughest of synthetic fibers, Nylon carpet fibers make far more long-lasting carpets than any other. Naturally resistant to wear and tear, a nylon carpet will last up to 20 years. Nylon carpets are also super easy to maintain as nylon carpet fibers naturally resist dirt, stains, rot, mold and mildew, allowing your carpet to look and feel new for many years. And even with such a great reputation and wide range of benefits, nylon carpet is surprisingly affordable.

Of course, like with any other flooring material, nylon carpet fibers have some drawbacks. To maximize the life of your nylon carpet be sure to stay away from cleaning materials containing bleach or heavy acids as these can discolor and damage the carpet fibers. You should also make sure that your new nylon carpet is treated with an antistatic coating, as untreated nylon carpet fibers can build up quite a static charge, which may be harmful to some household electronics.

Out of the four basic fibers used in carpets, nylon is the strongest, most durable and common carpet flooring option around. Nylon fibers not only make super durable carpets, they allow for greater variety in color, pattern and design, making it a great and practical choice for any space in your home.

This post was written by Thais Sousa. Follow Thais on Google.

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Four Basic Carpet Fibers: Polypropylene – Olefin fibers

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This carpet fiber is the most colorful of all the fibers and it is great in a sunlight-exposed area.

Only second to nylon, polypropylene, or more easily known as olefin, is one of the most popular and most used carpet fibers. Although it may not be as durable as nylon, it is very resistant to acid and bleach.

Olefin fibers are less expensive than nylon and is a great alternative when looking for a carpet that doesn’t necessarily have to be the toughest of the tough. This carpet fiber is the most colorful of all the fibers and it is great in a sunlight-exposed area.

Olefin is water resistant so it protects well against mold and mildew making it a great selection for an outdoor carpet. It always dries quickly so don’t worry about walking on a wet carpet for three days.

Olefin can be hard to keep clean. Even after the carpet is clean, streaks of dirt may reappear from being brought up off the base. Although this carpet fiber is very water resistant, it can fall victim to oil-based stains and grease.

This carpet fiber is best used in low traffic areas in the house, so avoid using it in the family room. It is also ideal for damp areas like basements and patios.

When shopping for an olefin carpet, look for one that has low pile or low loops. These low loops are very common and make it easier for wheelchairs or simple rolling chairs to roll over. Also, consider a darker color for it will help hide dirt or any scorch marks.

This post was written by Thais Sousa. Follow Thais on Google.

carpet fibers

Carpet Fiber: PTT (Triexta Polyester)

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PTT basic carpet fiber made from polyester carpet fiber

PTT, that’s Polytrimethylene Terephthalate-Trexita for your carpet gurus, is a basic carpet fiber made from polyester carpet fiber and by 1998 all the bugs were fixed and PPT could be commercially produced.

PTT is a resilient, yet soft, durable, easy to dye carpet fiber that can offer carpet buyers vibrant colors. It  is resistant to abrasion, stretching, shrinkage, and mildew; which shows its strength. Other qualities of the PPT carpet fiber include stain resistance to most chemical and all acid dyes and low water permeation and static generating properties.

In studies, PTT is shown to have a lower melting point than PET (similar carpet fiber), which means that the fibers are more easily damaged. However, PTT is more resistant to color loss caused by exposure to chlorine bleach.

PTT is not able to be treated with stain and soil resistance systems due to technical issues and the yarn’s lack of repellency can make spills difficult to clean up. Oil-based stains can be extremely hard to remove from a PTT carpet.

This post was written by Thais Sousa. Follow Thais on Google.

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Four Basic Fibers Used in Carpet: Polyester (PET) Carpet Fibers

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When it comes to shopping for carpet, more and more buyers are looking at polyester carpet fibers.

Polyester is long-lasting, naturally stain resistant and incredibly affordable, which makes it a great option for any home. Out of the four basic fibers used in carpet, nylon gets the biggest rep for efficacy and durability. But PET (polyethylene terephthalate) polyester carpet fibers are every bit as capable and resilient as nylon and with a cheaper price tag to boot.

When it comes to shopping for carpet, more and more buyers are looking at polyester carpet fibers. PET polyester is engineered to impress, making for tougher carpets with more varied styles. But polyester carpet fibers are not only resilient, they make for excellent eco-friendly flooring. Made out of recycled materials, PET polyester carpet fibers can help you reduce your carbon footprint while keeping your home elegant and comfortable.

If you are concerned about polyester not being tough enough to make the cut, don’t sweat it. Thanks to many technological advances in yarn processing and carpet construction, PET polyester’s reputation as a high-performance fiber continues to grow. A well-constructed polyester carpet will be as resilient and perform just as well as nylon, while delivering exceptional softness and stunning color clarity.

Of course as with any carpet, keeping your carpet healthy requires some work. To get the most out of your polyester carpet, keep bleach and acid-based cleaning products at a safe distance. Also, polyester is super comfy and best-suited for low-traffic spaces, making it an excellent choice for bedrooms.

If you’re in the market for a new carpet remember, PET polyester carpet fibers offer exceptional stain and fade-resistance, and make for a really soft and budget-friendly option for any space in your home.

This post was written by Thais Sousa. Follow Thais on Google.

HarrisWoodFloors

Green Flooring Series: The History of Green Flooring

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HarrisWoodFloors

Use sustainable materials to produce a “green” floor for your home.

We are always hearing the term “Go Green” but do you ever think of how you can follow that mantra? It’s quite simple: green flooring. Green flooring, or sustainable flooring, is an easy concept to understand: you use sustainable materials to produce a “green” floor for your home.

There are many advantages of using green flooring. The biggest is probably that it reduces the demands on the ecosystem during its life-cycle. From production to its use to its disposal, green flooring is lessening its effect on our ecosystem and is helping create healthier and safer buildings.

There are many types of green flooring ranging from hardwood substitutes to natural carpet fibers to linoleums. Bamboo flooring and coconut timber are also great alternatives because both materials grow quickly and offer good durability.

One green non-wood flooring option is natural cork, which can be harvested from the bark of a particular type of oak tree. Another great material can be produced from the sap of a rubber tree and it creates a durable and resilient green flooring material.

Linoleum is a material that is made from sustainable plant materials and it is mainly created from ground flax seeds. Linoleum can also be made up of other renewable resources such as pine resin and cork. There are also a few types of green carpet fibers, such as a carpet made from plant fibers like jute and wool.

Green flooring may have popped up overnight or it could have been a long awaited gem, but no matter, green flooring is here to stay.

This post was written by Thais Sousa. Follow Thais on Google.

mohawk

Monthly Manufacturer Spotlight: Mohawk Flooring

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Mohawk Flooring offers unlimited styles and designs across every flooring category.

As the biggest flooring company in the world, Mohawk Flooring is renowned for manufacturing innovative and exciting flooring options for the modern home. Whether hardwood, tile or carpet, Mohawk Flooring offers unlimited styles and designs across every flooring category.

Hardwood

Mohawk Flooring combines innovative technology with the bucolic beauty of natural hardwood to deliver elegant hardwood floors that will last a lifetime. Engineered for durability, Mohawk’s hardwood floors come equipped with advanced ScratchGuard technology, which can prevent stains and repel moisture.

Ceramic Tile

Tile makes for dynamic and striking floors that capture the imagination. Mohawk’s Ceramic Tile fuses performance and style flawlessly, delivering stunning surfaces without compromising quality and durability.

Carpet

Mohawk Flooring offers a myriad of exciting carpet patterns, colors and textures, including bold designs such as carpet tiles to liven things up with style. Mohawk Flooring offers all five types of carpet fibers, including Polyester (PET), Nylon and Triexta.

Vinyl

With Vinyl, Mohawk Flooring offers a chic and unique alternative to traditional flooring options. Available in a wide variety of finishes and styles, vinyl’s versatility and durability make it a popular flooring option.
Mohawk Flooring has been manufacturing exceptional flooring products for over a 100 years. Whether in your business or in your home, Mohawk Flooring can help to define your vision. Whichever type of floor you choose, with Mohawk Flooring you can enjoy the beauty and value of quality floors for years to come.

This post was written by Thais Sousa. Follow Thais on Google.

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Green Flooring Series: Marmoleum, an Alternative to Vinyl

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Marmoleum is a natural linoleum that is bio-based, highly durable, non-toxic, anti-microbial, and easy to maintain.

Marmoleum is a natural linoleum that is bio-based, highly durable, non-toxic, anti-microbial, and easy to maintain. It is made from all natural ingredients that include linseed oil, limestone, tree rosin, wood flour, natural mineral pigments, and jute. This alternative to vinyl offers buyers many colors to choose from and the ability to customize a design.

Marmoleum is produced in three different forms: sheet, tile, or click. The sheet and tile styles are glued down with Frobo Sustain 885 adhesive, while the click style comes in long rectangular or square planks that operate on a tongue-and-groove system. Click has a 2.5mm thick layer of Marmoleum on top of a high-density fiberboard layer and a cork bottom layer. The sheet form offers over 150 colors and patterns, the tile selection offers 65 options, and the Marmoleum click is available in 24 colors.

Cleaning Marmoleum is fairly easy and it does not require any extra topcoats unless it is damaged. This material is also water resistant so should something spill, it is okay, but be sure to wipe it up quickly so no harm comes to the material. To regularly clean Marmoleum, simply dry mop the surface to pick up any dirt or debris. You can also damp mop Marmoleum with diluted Marmoleum Floor Cleaner.

According to Forbo, Marmoleum is 96% organic. No toxic chemicals or volatile organic compounds were used in the manufacturing of Marmoleum. This material also doesn’t emit any foul-smelling chemical odors and the cleaning products don’t give off any chemicals either.

This post was written by Thais Sousa. Follow Thais on Google.

recycled rubber

Green Flooring Series: Recycled Rubber

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recycled rubber

Recycled rubber flooring is durable, strong, easy to maintain.

If you are looking for a great alternative to the boring wood or carpet floors that is also better for the planet, check out a recycled rubber floor. With the option to be used for an interior or exterior room, this material is definitely worth a look.

Recycled rubber flooring is durable, strong, easy to maintain, comfortable to stand on, and it is also safe to fall on. The majority of rubber floors are made from recycled rubber from automobile tires, which are melted down and then reformed into shapes. This process allows the rubber to become stronger and more durable than its original state.

Recycled rubber flooring is resistant to stains and keeping it clean is as simple as running the vacuum, broom, or wet mop over the surface. Although the material is durable and can resist most staining fiends, the floor could be damaged from grease spills, and type of oil, acidic substances, acetone based cleansers, and anything that contain turpentine. Just be aware of what you are cleaning with and be extra careful if you are handling one of these staining agents while on your recycled rubber floor.

During the manufacturing process, the recycled rubber can be fixed into a mold to allow it to take on a different texture. These textures, which include dimples, rivets, studs, and waffles, can help improve the traction of the floor as well as add an extra dimensional touch.

When you think of rubber you may think of the boring black color that is most associated with the material. Since recycled rubber flooring is becoming more popular, manufacturers are creating more colors and patterns that are much better suited for the home. Some vendors even offer faux stone and tile options, so be on the lookout for those!

This post was written by Thais Sousa. Follow Thais on Google.

green flooring

The Point of Green Flooring

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Beautiful flooring can be green and energy efficient.

Being green is not just about the big picture, it’s also about the individual pieces which make that picture whole. Pollutants not only exist in the world outside our homes, they thrive indoors just as well—and according to recent findings by the EPA, at even higher concentrations!

As society has become more aware of its impact on the environment, more and more homeowners are seeking out effective alternatives to traditional, less eco-friendly flooring. That’s because smart homeowners understand that greening your home not only helps to reduce your carbon footprint, it can save you a great deal of money in the long term.

But what makes a flooring product green? Put simply, green flooring is energy efficient. That means it fits any or all of the following criteria: it’s produced using minimal energy; it’s locally sold, which shrinks energy costs used for shipping; it has low or no VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) emissions, which can cause health issues; or it is made from renewable resources such as plants or recycled materials.

In addition to being a great investment, green flooring has many benefits. Cork is a great example of eco-friendly flooring because it’s made from a renewable resource, it doesn’t shed microfibers, and it naturally improves the air quality in your home. Green flooring is also highly convenient as it requires little maintenance and has great durability, which means you work less and your floors last longer.

To sum up, having eco-friendly floors will reduce your home’s carbon footprint and improve your overall quality of life by minimizing toxins and keeping your energy costs down. Green flooring isn’t just healthier for your family, it’s a benefit to all of us; because preserving the global environment for future generations begins in our homes.

This post was written by Thais Sousa. Follow Thais on Google.

mirage flooring

Monthly Manufacturer Spotlight: Mirage Floors

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mirage flooring

Mirage Floors, a leader in eco-friendly practices.

Mirage Floors strives to empower homeowners to express their unique sense of style. From African mahogany to yellow birch, Mirage Floors offers a wide-ranging collection of beautiful hardwood species. With exotic styles and colorful designs available in solid or engineered wood, Mirage floors has the hardwood floor that’s the perfect fit for your home.

Mirage’s new groundbreaking finish uses nanotechnology to enhance and strengthen your hardwood floors, completely redefining prefinished hardwood. Armed with this cutting-edge technology, Mirage Hardwood Floors are five times more resistant to damage than the competition. That means you get superior quality hardwood flooring that is every bit as beautiful as it is durable and a little piece of mind to boot.

Mirage Floors is also a leader in eco-friendly practices, offering VOC-free hardwood flooring and other environmentally sound alternatives to help you do your part while improving your quality of life. Additionally, all Mirage wood floors are produced in North America, which also helps to keep environmental impact at a minimum.

As North America’s #1 hardwood flooring brand, Mirage Floors offers only the best. With its indelible quality and exceptional durability, Mirage hardwood flooring is the perfect investment for your home.

This post was written by Thais Sousa. Follow Thais on Google.