Buying Nylon Carpets
Guide to nylon carpets which may surprise you - they are much softer than wool and very durable. America's most popular carpet.
description | wear factors | price | widths | fitting | useful nylon links
Description - feel, colour, lifestyle
Forget groundless prejudices, nylon may surprise you - particularly when you feel how soft it is (you won't get any anti-static shocks from it either). Legions of scientists have altered the material beyond recognition - there simply isn't a nicer bedroom carpet for comfort.
Colours may not be to typical British taste because they still lack the earthy natural look of wool, but there are very attractive shades suitable for every room in the house. Unlike wool, it is cost effective to make longer luxury piles like saxony and shag pile. Nylon is also known as polyamide which tends to be a more popular name in the carpet trade these days.
Wear factors - hard wearing; resilient to footfall; stain resistant
It is easy to say something is hard wearing, but nylon has been built to be hard wearing. It is manufactured with resistance to tramping and stains and will resist fading in sunlight. Sheep haven't changed much in millions of years, but nylon has altered dramatically within the space of decades.
"Bouncebackability" is the branded name for the way nylon fibres are twisted and set in heat to act like springs when trodden on. This process has allowed fibres to be stretched to make them thinner and hence softer whilst still retaining incredible strength.
Stain resistance is actually built into nylon fibres during manufacture rather than being sprayed on (thus being less prone to wearing off). Food acids will stain nylon which doesn't have the resistance of polypropylene ranges - but nylon stain guarantees seem to last as long as the wear warranties (an indication of manufacturer confidence in their treatments).
Price - superior but competitive
The retail price for nylon carpets is very competitive in relation to wools and it holds up very well in relation to polypropylene. Saxony style carpets are considerably cheaper than similar constructions in wool making nylon the ideal choice for luxury.
Nylon bedroom carpets start at about £13.00 a square metre, rising to £20.00 - £25.00 for carpets more suitable for lounges and stairways. Oddly enough, most nylon carpets aimed at bedrooms get a heavy domestic rating making them suitable for stairs. American style saxonies come in heavier weights and will broach the £30.00 mark.
Widths - 4 metre; 5 metre
Nylon carpet generally comes in 4 metre widths, with most ranges also being made in 5 metres. Some American carpets have crossed the Atlantic in Imperial widths, chiefly 3.66 metres (12').
Fitting - standard costs
Fitting costs are the same as any other carpets and so are the methods of fitting (chiefly underlay and gripperods).
Useful nylon carpet links
Itc - prominent manufacturer of nylon carpets
Mohawk - American specialist in nylon carpet manufacture
Kosset - luxury nylon saxony carpets
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