Continuous Filament Nylon Fiber

BCF/CFN vs. Staple Fiber

When it comes to durability, there is little difference between bulked continuous filament (BCF) or continuous filament nylon (CFN) and staple (spun) fibers in your carpet. The difference lies in the length of the fibers in the carpet yarn, with staple having shorter lengths, giving the yarn more bulk (sometimes described as being more like wool).

Generally speaking, carpet made with BCF or CFN is more expensive than carpet manufactured using staple yarns.  When carpet is manufactured with staple fiber (short fiber), there will be initial shedding of shorter fibers. It will soon stop, depending on the amount of foot traffic and frequency of vacuuming. Staple yarn carpet will need to be vacuumed in order to remove built up tufts of loose fibers that often accumulate on top of the carpet.  These can be unsightly and annoying, but again, they will eventually subside.  Wool is a natural staple fiber; nylon and polyester can be staple or continuous filament; and olefin (polypropylene) is usually BCF.  Carpet yarns made with Bulk Continuous Filament Nylon does not shed.

Carpet Quality Factors

What to look for when shopping for a quality carpet.

Yarn Material

As discussed in a previous article about carpet fibers, nylon is considered to be the most versatile carpet fiber.  However, your fiber choice might change depending on the application.  For example, if you are less concerned about the damage a carpet will receive due to traffic and more concerned about stains, polyester may be the better choice. You might also consider polyester if you are concerned about a carpet growing mold in an area that may be exposed to prolonged moisture (i.e. a porch) or you have a limited budget.  If you are looking for a carpet that will remain attractive for more than a decade, wool is a fantastic choice.

Yarn Twist

Heat setting is the term used to describe a thermal process, either a steam or a dry heat process, which gives fibers and yarns dimensional stability.  We like to refer to the heat set twist as the backbone of a the carpet pile. Heat setting works well with staple yarns and bulked continuous filament (BCF) yarns.  Generally speaking, the more twists per inch, the higher quality the carpet.

Carpet Backing and Density

Density, along with twist and yarn type, will also determine how well a carpet endures wear from surface abrasion (wear and tear from walking on the carpet).  Density is measured at the carpet backing, not on the surface of the pile.  A poorly twisted carpet tuft may appear to be thick and full on the surface, but when you dig your fingers in you can feel how sparse the tufts really are.  When examining the backing, look for the nice white color of the silicon sealants and adhesives.  Low quality adhesives can be grey or brownish.

Carpet Texture and Style

Style not only determines the look of the carpet, it also has a lot to do with how well it performs.  A shaggy frizee berber carpet,which is very popular in Colorado, does a great job of hiding lint, foot prints, vacuum tracks, and dirt or stains.  A short, dense loop-pile carpet will perform extremely well in high traffic areas.  Formal plush and saxony carpets look great in a living room or sitting area, but are not very forgiving.  Plushes and saxony carpets tend to show all vacuum tracks, foot prints, dirt, stains, and will "ugly out" more quickly in high traffic areas.

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Nylon Carpet Fiber

At US Floors, we believe their are several factors that determine a carpet's overall quality: Fiber, Style, Yarn Twist, Backing, and Pile Density.  In this brief article, I will be discussing carpet fibers with an emphasis on Nylon.

99% of all carpet in the United States is made from synthetic materials.  The most common are Nylon, Polyester, Olefin (polypropylene), PTT (Polytrimethylene Terephthalate) and Acrylic.  Nylon is by far the most popular and, in my opinion, the most versatile.  Nylon wears fairly well, which means it is resistant to abrasion and overall wear and tear.  When it is shampooed or cleaned, it seems to bounce back and look almost like new.  It is not inherently stain resistant like polyester, but it can be effective at resisting stains when anti-stain treatments are applied.  The most popular treatments are Scotchgard®, Stainmaster®, Teflon®, and R2X®, and they can either be applied, during or after the manufacturing process.  It is also important to discuss the varying quality factors of the two types of Nylon; Type 6 Nylon, and Type 6-6 Nylon.

Type 6 Nylon

Type 6 Nylon is identified as 100% Nylon, BCF Nylon, or CFN Nylon.  It has an open molecular structure, which means it receives dye stuffs more readily.  This also means that it receives dirt and stains more readily.  The most obvious features are that it is less soft and less expensive than type 6-6.

Type 6-6 Nylon

Type 6-6 Nylon is manufactured by the two major yarn companies Stainmaster® (Tactesse®) and Wear-Dated® (DuraSoft®, ThermaSealed®, and Traffic Conto®l).  Type 6-6 has a smaller, tighter molecular structure.  This makes it more difficult to dye. However, once dyed, Type 6-6 Nylon is more colorfast, more dirt resistant, and much more stain resistant than Type 6.  It is also more soft to the touch.  These enhanced features make it a more durable, longer lasting carpet fiber.  This means it is also more expensive.  While the other types of carpet fibers have their strengths, US Floors Direct almost always recommends Nylon, particularly Type 6-6.

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In 2005, carpet shipped in the United States totaled 2.057 billion square yards (18.5 billion square feet) or $13.9 billion at the mill level (In 1950, industry shipments were 97 million square yards). Today, the carpet manufacturing industry offers many different looks and styles, much more than just a conventional loop pile. New technology can produce multilevel loop and cut/loop patterns. There are many options such as diamonds, bows, pin dots, or fleurs-de-lis designs that "pop out" in sculptured effects. Using a solid color, textured carpet is a great way to provide interest and pizzazz, without going to a multicolor, overall pattern.

Textured styles also fit well with today’s active and casual lifestyles. Whether or not a carpet is textured, it can be created through the use of several construction techniques.

• Cut pile - Loops are cut, leaving individual yarn tufts. Still one of today's most popular constructions, its durability is achieved with factors including the type of fiber, density of tufts, and the amount of twist in the yarn.

• Plush / Velvet – Velvets and Plush carpeting are manufactured with a gentle twist.  Because of the gentle twist, they are softer than Textured and other carpets. Visual luxury and feel make Velvet and Plush carpeting perfect for living rooms, master suites, theater rooms, and all other formal areas within the home. This style shows all traffic marks.

• Saxony - Carpet fibers in a Saxony carpet are twisted tightly, cut, and then straightened using heat. The texture of a Saxony carpet works well in both formal and informal rooms.  Saxony carpets have a medium level of durability and show foot prints and tracks from a vacuum cleaner.

• Friezé – Frieze carpet is recommended for high traffic areas.  The yarns are tightly twisted, forming a "curly" textured surface.  This informal look hides almost all foot prints and vacuum marks.

• Loop Pile - In the past, loop pile (often confused with Berber carpet†) was considered a more casual style and was typically used in basements, game rooms, and other informal high traffic areas. As carpet styles have evolved, more variety became available. Loop pile may have a look anywhere from very casual to extremely formal.The term "berber" is used to describe any type of carpeting with more than two colors. Berber can be loop, cut pile, frieze, and others.

• Level loop pile – Loops are the same height, creating an informal look.  It generally holds up well in high-traffic areas.  Many of today’s popular Berber styles are level loop styles with flecks of a darker color on a lighter backg round.

• Multi-level loop pile — Usually has two to three different loop heights to create pattern effects, providing good durability and a more formal loop.

• Cut-and-loop pile – Combination of cut and looped yarns. Provides variety of surface textures, including sculptured effects of squares, chevrons, swirls, fleur-de-lis, etc.