Facts about wool carpets

Facts About Wool Carpets

Description - colour; feel; lifestyle

Wool carpets are seen by the British public as safe because they are natural and have built up a reputation for wear in the UK second to none. Colours adopt natural earthy tones which certain man made fibres just can't emulate (partly because wool is opaque whereas nylon is transparent).

Tip: It is a well known fact that the closer to nature colouring is the longer we can live with something without getting tired of it.

Wool is soft enough to sit on therefore easy to live with unless any of the household users have a wool allergy. It is not a wise choice for bedrooms if allergic sleepers breathe wool dust all night. Most of the pile constructions suited to wool will be relatively short because of the expense - however there are some luxury wool carpets with longer piles if you can afford them!

Wool carpets are an excellent choice if you move the furniture around - compression marks recover better than man made alternatives (don't count on getting those piano marks out though!) A steam iron through a wet cloth works well - some say ice does too (not personally tested).

Construction types - twist; loop; velvet; saxony/shagpile

Wool carpets are most popular in twist piles because they are deemed to be easier to maintain than velvets - foot prints and vacuuming tracks won't show as much in twist. If you want twist but prefer a more rustic look then ask for heathers which are more coarsely finished.

Velvet carpets are are very fine and the tufts are not twisted - some say they have a more formal or elegant look. Saxony and shag piles are longer, hence thicker and heavier than velvets or twists - not so common in wool due to the cost.

Berber or loop piles are very hardwearing because it is the edge of the loop that takes the wear rather than the upright tuft. For extra wear factor look for 2 ply, 10th gauge and/or heavier weights - see carpet quality for a basic explanation on how to spot good carpet.

The absolute king of wool carpets is the woven carpet - Axminster (patterned) and Wilton (plain twist or velvet). They are proven to be harder wearing than any other construction type and are commonly used in hotels, bars and shops for that reason. See woven carpets for more details.

Wear factors - hard wearing; resilient to footfall; stain resistant

Wool hides everyday soiling better than anything else, its cell structure is the secret. There are two types of cell - the paracortex and the orthcortex - they grow on opposite sides of the fibre and at different rates. The resultant structure hides dirt and has a natural tendency to spring back up when compressed (ie footfall).

Wool carpets resist staining very well but you must deal with stains as soon as you can - longer durations of staining will make permanent marks (beware teenagers that don't clean). Of particular danger are like for like stains such as biological substances - urine, wine, grease, food, blood etc.

Modern methods of cleaning will enliven the fibres of wool carpets so it is worth doing every 5 years or so to freshen up the pile again. A good underlay will also genuinely help reduce the wear over time. Wool is not the softest of carpet piles (nylon is) but it is comfortable to lie on (unless you suffer wool allergies).

TIP: Beware of the growing problem of carpet moths, they can do serious damage to wool (which afterall is a food to them). Look for balding patches, particularly in the corners and on the edges - get infested houses sprayed by a professional immediately - otherwise they will keep on dining at your expense!

Price - cheaper wool; average price guide; luxury

It is possible to buy cheaper wool carpets which are made from overseas wool (Greece, Portugal, Middle East) that is deemed inferior to prime British and New Zealand wools. Expect the product materials and manufacturing techniques to reflect the lower price - fine if you don't expect prime aesthetics in the longer term.

The average price for wool twist will fall in the low to mid twenties per square metre. Expect extra quality features for high twenties to thirties. Above that you should ask some pretty tough questions to make sure you are not paying purely for brand (what manufacturers think about themselves).

Owing to the cost of larger quantities of wool, saxony and shagpiles are usually reserved for bespoke manufacturers. Such prices will be upwards of £40.00 pushing the £100.00 mark.

Widths - imperial; 4 metre; 5 metre; bespoke

Wool carpets come in just about every width made. From 27" (traditional Axminster) to wider than 5 metre (bespoke). Some companies like Westex and Victoria cut as low as 1 or 2 metre widths. Bespoke widths offer to save you money buy never do because they are relatively expensive compared to standard widths.

Fitting - standard costs; sewn seams; pattern matching

Fitting costs are the same as any other carpets and so are the methods of fitting (chiefly underlay and gripperods). Expect to pay more for bespoke carpets, pattern matching and sewing. Axminsters and Wiltons are recommended to be laid on natural horse hair felt though how much that is inherited from the past is another matter (bedding in of sewn seams).