Looped carpets go by a couple different names if you?re in the business. A larger looped carpet is usually called a berber and a small looped carpet is known as a commercial carpet. The berbers are usually used in residences and commercial goes in office buildings or businesses. Looped carpets have historically been known for very good performance. The loops in a berber are generally much larger than commercial carpets. This makes the carpet softer and gives it a distinct look that does not look like it belongs in an office building.
Cut pile carpets come in a million varieties. They can be textured or they can be so fine they resemble velvet. They can be a solid color, mixed colors or patterned. They can be long and shaggy or super short and dense. They can be super elegant or more casual. Cut pile carpets are far and away the most versatile carpets made. They are comfortable and make a home look like it should be lived in. Cut pile carpets have been the top choice by home owners for more than 50 years.
Cut and loop carpets have gone through an unbelievable transformation over the last few decades. Originally, the only carpets that were a combination were the ones you?d find in apartment buildings. They had splotchy color combinations and were designed to hide wear and stains in rental units. They had other names like sculptures, hi lows or cut?n loops. They were primarily made in lower price points. Today, it?s almost impossible to find a manufacturer that even makes them. In the old days they made them in a variety of qualities but all you can find now are the lower priced, rental quality ones.
In the late 1990?s, manufacturers started playing around with looped and cut pile carpets. They tried combining them in a different way than the old rental carpets. The old ones had a much longer cut pile with a tiny loop. The new ones made the loop and cut pile the same height and put them together in little patterns. They started showing up in beautiful beige and grey tones instead of bold greens and dark browns. The new styles were dense and could perform extremely well. It was clear within a short time that customers really liked this new style. Manufacturers all started making them in a variety of patterns, colors and designs. The official names of these became LCL?s (Level Cut Loops).
Berber carpets became popular during the 1990?s and remain a popular choice for many home owners today. They are flat and give homeowners a clean, casual look. They are easy to take care of and are the top choice for customers who do not like footprints. They perform very well if you buy a good quality one. They can come in a variety of looped designs are some are quite stunning. The only risk you take by choosing a berber is that loops may get snagged by pets or high heel shoes. The problem is that if this occurs, it?s not always easy to fix. Always save extra pieces of carpet after an installation. They can be handy in doing repairs that may be caused by snags or stains. Dye lots may vary and buying the same carpet later may not help.
Most of us grew up on cut pile carpets. This just means that the carpet is a strand that sticks straight up and not a loop. It?s much softer and comfortable than a berber. Other names for a cut pile carpet are Plush, Saxony or even Velvet in the finest look. Cut pile carpets are made in super fine denier yarns or very thick /fat tufts. These can make a cut pile carpet look and feel vastly different. The fat tufts are often made longer to create a shag looking carpet. The super fine denier carpets are the most elegant looking cut pile earning the name of Velvet plush. Some customers do not like this look because every footprint and vacuum mark shows. They are more work to keep clean than a looped carpet because the pile height is greater and the soil/stains have more places to hide.
LCL?s have become an option to most customers that thought they wanted a berber. They are similar because both are very flat and perform well. The difference is LCL?s can be a tad more formal and some do not show footprints just like a berber. There is also almost no risk of snags with an LCL. In the last decade, LCL?s have become available in much larger elegant patterns making a real fashion statement. High quality LCL?s are extremely durable and easy to clean also. They are not as comfortable as a plush and do not match their elegance if you want that.
If you want a soft, comfy carpet that you can lay around and play on, you want a cut pile. If you want performance and don?t care about comfort, a high quality berber is probably your best choice. If you want a carpet easy to clean with a slight pattern to dress up the room a little, an LCL is a good choice. All these styles come in low and high quality versions. It?s important that you get the right quality for what your expectations are. Remember that all carpets lighten up in a room. Always pick a color a shade darker than what you want it to be on the floor.
