Wool Carpets - the superior fibre for wear?

There are many assumptions about wool carpets, and it is not always easy to unravel fact from fiction as equally respected parties frequently contradict each other. I will try to provide factual information useful for buying choices here...

Whatever the opinions out there...you can't go wrong with wool

That's right, we sell more wool carpet than anything else and always have done. The American's, by contrast are apparently only just discovering it in response to environmental concerns.

Stain and wear resistance?

Unlike man made fibres, wool is opaque and therefore hides soiling better than its unnatural transparent counterparts. The actual fibres have scaly edges which also tend to hide small dirt particles. This has been a problem for manufacturers of man made fibres whose transparency doesn't hide anything.

Wool cells come in two types - the paracortex and the orthcortex - with each type growing on opposite sides of the fibre and at slightly different rates. Whilst this may be starting to get too technical for carpet buyers, it is the very real basis of wools natural ability to recover from compression wear.

Indeed, wool responds very well to cleaning and the fibres bounce back up from footfall compression. Like man made fibres, wool is vulnerable to stains similar to its own chemical make up. As polypropylene is a by prodcut of petroleum refining (and hence damaged by oil/petrol stains), wool is essentially a protein and is vulnerable to meat juices, urine and blood etc.

If stains are tackled promptly, damage is minimised or even negated, it is when they are left that real damage can occur (beware of teenagers). Take care of wool and it will prove a time tested carpet of real value.

Pure new wool or an 80/20 blend - which is better?

I asked a rep from a very respected carpet manufacturer this question shortly before writing this page. The reply was that adding 20% man made fibre was originally done to cut costs on the more expensive wool fibres and this ratio has become the accepted blend for consumer taste.

Other research I have done indicates that man made fibres are likely to play a role in the actual setting of the "twist" and the bonding of the tufts into the backing. This requires heat treatment setting, something that wool does not respond to owing to its inability to melt. This inability is an advantage however, for resisting burn and melt damage such as cigarettes or grate embers.

Useful buying advice would be to consider which man made fibre the wool is being mixed with. Nylon is the best and will usually be a factor in differing prices between otherwise similar looking carpets. Nylon does have a superior resistance over polypropylene for bouncing back from compression.

Polypropylene has a greater resistance to staining - consider which is likely to be the biggest issue for your lifestyle when choosing a mix. Occasionally you will see polyester refered to as a component in a blended carpet. This is most likely going to refer to fibre wound around the tuft base and not as part of what gets stepped upon.

Beware of moths, mites and dust allergies

Unlike man made fibres, you will need to consider the organic problems of wool. Wool is a protein and therefore makes excellent nutrition for moths, mites and mould spores.

Some manufacturers treat their carpets to overcome these drawbacks so if you have a ravenous moth population or are allergic to wool dust, consider asking for these brands (we'll gladly show you some at Tony Mustoe's Carpets).

Construction factors in choosing wool carpets

Whilst carpet construction will be the focus of its own buyers page very soon, I will briefly mention some factors you will come across when choosing wool carpets.

• Weight - this refers to the weight of the fibre in a square yard of cloth (this is still done in imperial terms). Typically 40oz is suitable for stairs and lounge areas, but 50oz is better if you have the budget for it. Bedrooms can be as low as 30oz.
• Gauge - this refers to the number of tufts per inch. The standard is usually 8 with 10 being reserved for superior carpets.
• Ply - most carpets are single ply which refers to the make up of a tuft as one strand. Superior carpets are made by entwining two or even three tufts together for extra strength and resistance to wear.
• Cropping - the more times a carpet is cropped the finer the pile is likely to be.

Beware - the more the better is not necassarily true when considering weight, gauge, ply and cropping. One prominent British manufacturer quotes 40 oz as the optimal carpet weight, believing room for tufts to move is an advantage over density.

Geography comes into the price of wool

Where the sheep are born and bred is often touted by manufacturers and their reps as a significant factor though I cannot seem to get detailed information as to why as yet (presumably quality of cell structure must be the factor though I for one reserve scepticism on the berth of their testing!)

British and New Zealand wools are considered to be the best, British wool being hard wearing and New Zealand being superior for dyeing. One British manufacturer pride themselves on the quality of their wool so much they have seperate dyeing tunnels for the lighter shades to prevent colour contamination.

Whilst serving customers, I always joke that nylon has changed considerably in the last two decades whilst sheep have not....

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