Homeowners choose carpeting for a variety of reasons. It’s soft, warm and inexpensive when compared to other types of floor, such as hardwood or stone. However, deciding on carpet flooring is only the first step. Once you know you want carpets, you need to decide among the many types of carpet, and choose the best for your home. You’ll have many options, including berber carpets, frieze carpeting and loop pile carpet. Keep reading to learn more about various types of carpets.

Cut Pile Carpet

Cut pile carpeting is among the most popular types of carpets that are available. A carpet is made by looping thousands of pieces of carpet fiber together. These loops are known as the carpet’s “pile.” In cut pile carpeting, the loops are cut straight across, resulting in straight, uniform pieces of carpet fiber. This gives the carpet a flat, plain appearance. Cut pile comes in several variations:

• Frieze carpeting: The carpet fibers are twisted strongly in several directions, making interesting patterns in the pile. Frieze carpeting is best suited for informal areas. Frieze carpeting also holds up well to foot traffic and vacuuming.
• Saxony carpeting: Unlike other types of carpets, saxony carpeting is created by twisting two or more fibers together in one yarn. The loops are then cut and heated to be completely straight. Saxony carpeting is soft, but not as durable as other types of carpets. It also easily shows marks from footprints and vacuum cleaners.
• Texture: The yarn in a textured rug is cut and twisted, then set with heat to improve its durability. Textured carpet appears to have multiple colors and hides marks from footprints and vacuum cleaners well.
• Velvet: Velvet and plush rugs have only a slight twist to their fibers, resulting in a softer and more luxurious feel. These types of carpets are best used in low-traffic, formal areas. Foot traffic and vacuum cleaners easily leave marks in velvet and plush carpeting.

Loop Pile Carpet

Loop pile carpeting refers to any carpeting where the loops have not been cut. Like with cut pile carpeting, different arrangements of loop pile carpet are available:

• Berber carpets: Berber carpets are very dense carpets made up of thick loops of varying levels. These types of carpets are usually made from heavy-duty material such as wool, nylon or olefin. Berber carpets are very sturdy and resist stains well. However, these types of floor can trap dirt underneath the loops, and snags can cause the carpet to unravel.
• Level loop pile: Recommended for high-traffic areas, these types of carpets sport loops that are all exactly the same height. The shorter and more densely packed the pile is, the easier it is to clean: The loops keep dirt from settling deep into the carpet.
• Multi-level loop pile: In these types of carpets, the loops of pile have varying heights, creating patterns in the carpet. A similar option is to get a carpet that has a combination of cut and loop pile. Both combination and multi-level loop pile carpeting are great for high-traffic areas because they hide footprints well.