Berber Carpet Problems

Modern Berber carpet is a popular style of carpet notable for its varied height weave of carpet loops and tufts. The most popular colors of Berber carpets are those with light, neutral color backgrounds complimented by dark flecks. Berber refers to a type of weave, not what materials are used to make the carpet. Promotional features of Berber carpets include stain resistance, durability, and appearance.

Types

There are five basic types of Berber carpet: 100% nylon, 100% wool, 100% Olefin (polypropylene), polyester (PET -- often made from recycled soda bottles) and blends. Nylon comes in branded or unbranded varieties. Consumer Reports notes that brands refer to brands of nylon fibers such as: Anso from Honeywell, Stainmaster from DuPont, and Wear-Dated from Solutia, not brands of carpet or carpet names.

Wool

Berber carpets made of wool or a wool/nylon blend has excellent resilience to matting and crushing; it is soft to walk on but may wear down over time. It can stain easily and yellow in sunlight. Vacuuming may be more difficult (with all Berber style carpets) due to varying height fibers that allow pockets for dirt to collect. Wool is the fiber all synthetic carpets are compared to, and it is usually the most expensive.

Nylon

Berber carpets made of nylon have good resilience, they are soft underfoot, and they resist abrasion (wearing down) and mildew. Consumer Reports notes that branded nylon fiber carpets have significantly better stain resistance than non-branded nylon. They are less expensive than wool and are a cost effective choice for Berber style carpets.

Olefin

Berber carpets made of Olefin are promoted as fade, wear, stain and moisture resistant. Problems with this type of fiber include a low flashpoint (est. 170 degrees) which causes fiber scorching, a permanent type of stain. Simply dragging furniture across this fiber can cause the fibers to burn. This fiber can be rough underfoot and may cause irritation of skin on the bottom of feet (and pads for animals), and carpet residues may lead to dirty feet. They have a tendency to ravel and zipper quickly, and taller loop Berbers tend to catch on high heels and pet nails. Seams are difficult, and poor installation may make these more visible. Some oil based stains will bond to the fibers and resist cleaning. During the cleaning process, moisture will run down into the pad (taking the stain into the pad) and as the carpet dries the stain will wick (rise) and reappear. These carpets also crush easily, which means the fibers bend over and once they are bent, they will not straighten back up. These are popular and relatively inexpensive carpets.

Polyester

Berber carpets made of polyester crush easily, are less durable, abrade more easily and are similar to Olefin in texture or comfort underfoot. These carpets are currently being promoted as eco-friendly since they are manufactured from reclaimed soda bottles and sometimes tires. They can work well in mat forms used to catch dirt at entry doorways. Their crush failure problems lead to a very short life when they are used to carpet larger spaces.

Cleaning Issues

Carpet cleaning companies such as ICS Cleaning Specialist note that Olefin Berber carpets are the most difficult carpet to clean and they caution the use of bleach products that may remove carpet stains but re-activate every time the carpet gets moist.

Considerations

Berber carpets can be exceptionally beautiful and offer attributes such as very tight commercial loops that are excellent for applications such as wheelchair movement (when glued down). Any carpet can have problems and it is always a good choice to investigate fiber types in terms of cleaning, durability and appearance longevity prior to purchasing a carpet. Wool and wool/nylon blends remain the standard in terms of how they perform over time and in terms of positive customer reviews. Olefin Berbers remain popular for their low cost and stain resistance.