What Are The Differences Between Pile Carpeting?

When it comes time to install carpet in your home, you’ll have a wide array of options from which to choose. Among those many options are the type of pile you ultimately select, so it’s important you first understand the differences that exist between the two choices you will be facing.

Carpets are made in low pile and high pile options and the option you select will bring a number of distinct advantages and disadvantages as to the look and feel of the floor covering you have installed.

Today’s carpets are manufactured to last for a good 10 to 15 years before you need to start considering replacement options, so the carpet you choose is the one you may be living with for as long as you own your home.

That makes your decision all the more important, so in order to do just that, let’s take a look at the differences between pile carpeting. You may only have two general categories to pick from, but each one can have a significant impact on the look and feel of your home.

Defining “Pile” 

So what exactly is “pile” anyway and what’s so important about the distinctions between a carpet with low pile and one with high pile. For starters, it will have an effect on the look and feel of the carpet when it is laid down in your home.

You have a near endless array of styles and textures at your disposal and the pile of the carpet will have an impact on those choices. Pile is what gives the carpet that style and texture and refers to the thickness and softness of the material.

Every carpet is manufactured from a series of fibers sewn into the backing material in the shape of loops. The height of those loops can differ greatly, some carpets have loops with extended height, other carpets have tight and short loops. Run your hand along the surface of any carpet and you’ll immediately be able to determine the height of the loops that were used in it’s manufacturing.

The way those loops are configured on the backing material is also a component for defining pile. Your carpet’s loops may be sewn close together in order to create a dense surface. You’ll find other carpets where the loops are sewn slightly more spread apart from each other, creating a more porous surface.

Taking the height of the loops and the configuration of their location in relation to one another and combining these two aspects is the very definition of determining the pile of your carpet. While it may seem like these two options are rather clear-cut and straightforward, there are literally hundreds of options in low and high pile carpet types with varying degrees of height and density among them.

Now you just need to decide if you think you would be better off putting a low pile or high pile carpet in your home.

High Pile Carpeting

Traditionally, high pile is chosen for rooms in the house that are known for being built around comfort and familiarity. That means the bedroom, the family room, a living room, places where you and your family are likely to want a floor covering that provides comfortable softness for bare feet. You can lie on the floor in these rooms and enjoy your time in them.

These types of carpet also offer warmth on cold evenings and mornings, making them far more preferable to hardwood flooring for those bare feet.

High pile is also a great starting point for the interior design of a room as these types of carpets have a specific aesthetic in terms of texture. The color or pattern you select for the carpet will be more likely to be the focal point of the room and the rest of the furnishings brought in can be added as enhancements.

Low Pile Carpeting

Since low pile carpet is represented by shorter, tighter loops, this type of carpet is a much flatter option but it brings a definite advantage for households whose members are more susceptible to allergies. That’s because the composition of the carpet helps to block the germs and contaminants that can trigger allergies from getting stuck in the fibers.

Low pile is also easier to maintain and doesn’t require routine vacuuming or cleaning. The carpet you choose may even have a stain-guard or some other type of technology that prevents the fibers from getting stained from spills. These two things combined allow for busy homeowners to let more time pass between performing maintenance on the carpet.

Cleaning Carpet

No matter which type you choose, most manufacturers recommend you have your floor covering professionally cleaned at least once a year, twice for high-traffic areas. Make Dr. Chem-Dry carpet cleaning service your preferred cleaner to help keep your carpets looking and feeling their best at all times.