‘From wool to’ polypropylene |

By RICK THOMAS

Carpets are probably
exposed to more abuse than
any other home furnishing.
We walk on it with our
muddy boots and high heels,
spill coffee and baby food on
it, drag furniture across it
and happily anticipate that it
will bounce back, looking as
good as new.

Fortunately for us, carpet
manufacturers have
developed fibers of greatly
increased strength,
durability,
resistance to soiling.” The
most commonly used carpet
fibers are nylon, polyester,

acrylics, polypropylene and .

blends, all of which are
petroleum based.
_NYLON —

The first truly man-made,
totally synthetic fiber; nylon
is the most cémmon and
versatile of carpet fibers. It
has a virtually unlimited
‘range of applications and

can handle heavy ‘traffic

provided the quality of yarn
used, type of pile and weight
are correct. (In fact, nylon
fiber is the most rugged « one
can buy.)

resiliency - and ©

It. takes “color very well
and its finish can be cither

matte or high lustre. One of:

its: great -advantages is its
ability to obscure soil — in

Other words, the dirt is still

there, but you can’t see it as
easily! In high traffic areas,
this characteristic is in-
valuable. One disadvantage
to nylon is that it is prone to
Static, unless it is Antron
nylon, which has a carbon
core and is therefore hon-
static. The average price for
a 28 oz. nylon fiber carpet is

‘about ‘$18.00 per square

yard.”:
‘ . POLYESTER -

Polyster is a relatively new
product, entering the market
in the 1960s. The first
polyester carpets were

-somewhat unsuccessful, as

they tended to develop
pilling, fuzzing and matting.
However, further research
has improved the fiber to the

point where it is giving nylon

a run for its money.
It is a very bulky fiber that

_ tends to look heavier than it

actually is. Itttakes colour
exceptionally well, so that
very vivid colors are

possible. It costs less than
than nylon fiber carpeting
and is mainly recommended
fos light residential- * use
because of its tendency to

crush easily.The average
price for a 28 oz. polyester

fiber carpet is about $16.00
per square yard.
ACRYLICS |

Another product of the
60s, acrylic has the distinc-
tion of feeling and ‘appearing
most like wool. It is ‘highly
resilient, resists crushing,

and has a fine touch. Its”

finish is dull, like Wool, and
this fact has resulted in its

loss in popularity —“people ~

today prefer a high lustre in
their carpeting. ;

It is often used in velvets
and sculptured styles, and-is
recommended: ~. for

residential’ or light com-_
-mercial: use because. of its”
tendency to show.soil. The

average price for a ‘28 oz.

acrylic fiber carpet is about . .

$20.00 per square yard.
'  POLYPROPENE -

Polypropylene is one of
the newest carpet fibers, and
is used extensively and

- OZ. polypropylene

’ installation.

almost exclusively in
commercial contract in-
stallations. It is a very Coarse
fiber which cannot be made
into a saxony or velvet
carpet and is _ therefore
considered undesirable ‘for
residential usage. -

Polypropylene, excels in-

level loop constructions,
where it is hard wearing,
stain resistant, practically
static-free and fade-proof.
The average price for a 28
fiber
carpet is about $15.00 per
square yard. .
BLENDS

While most Canadian
made. carpets consist of

--unblended yarns (i.e. 100 %

nylon, polyester or
' polypropylene), there are
some which consist of two
types of fibers blended

together for the. purpose of
achieving greater

wear,
resilience or lower price
‘without having to sacrifice
quality.

The best-known blends
are Fortron (50% polyester,
‘50%. nylon) Propylon (70%
triacetate, 30.%
polypropylene) and Acralon
(8°% acrylic, 20% nylon).

sturdier than it actually is,
and because it is susceptible
to crushing it
primarily for

The

Fortron looks heavier and

is . used
residential

average
" price fora 28 oz. Fortron
. fiber carpet is about $16.50
«per. square yard.

Propylon has all of the

x

STRIKING A HIGH.
NOTE, 11-year-old
Cornelia Schill. ea

top marks in B.C. for her
recent Toronto Conserva-
tory Plano exam, A
student at Canyon
Heights school, Cornelia
received a Silver Medal
Award for her Grade VI
exam efforts.

/ — : \
\\
The confidence of being

acomplete woman
created for you through

fingernail artistry by
Uatls' Hashes
“STOpIO
North Shore 980-8797
Downtown 687-9965
4lat & Oak ‘ 263-2785.
New Weet Ota eOne:
Surrey
Victoda eae ,
White Roth 536-1 421-
Cannda’s largest?

and moat experienced nail maker,

same
Fortron, and

‘

characteristics as
sells for

We're Closing Our Store
_At 785 Park Royal Only!

Matt Fisher's
LEATHER FASHIONS

Great Clearance Sale
On Now!

Up To 50% Off

Suedes
Leathers
Sheepskins

Sale Ends January 31
926-1841

basically the same price per
square yard.

Acralon provides a soft
jook in a hard twist carpet.
Very resilient, sturdy and
hard wearing, it is suitable
for residential and light
commefcial installation. The
average price for a 28 oz.
Acralon fiber carpet is about
$18.50 per square yard.

WOOL

Pure wool carpets are
used in only about 5% of all
installations. “While wool
provides high resiliency, .
vibrant colors and:a softly
luxurious finish, it is in fact
an ‘extremely fragile fiber.
Wool carpeting can rot, pill
and shed and is subject to
mildew, particularly when
being cleaned. Its ‘very high’

cost ($70 to $100 per square ©

yard) limits its application to
light commercial or “high
grade residential in-
Stallation. .- * ”

If you are. considering the
purchase ‘of. carpeting for
your home’ or office, it
would be prudent to. discuss
your particular application
with a carpet specialist

He will be able to
determine exactly the right
carpet to meet your needs
and will stand behind the
product he recommends.

Carpeting is a major in-
vestment for most of us, and

careful consideration before .

purchasing will guarantee
your satisfaction for years to
come.

Rick Thomas is in the
Carpet business on the North
Shore.

C3- Sunday Newest Jemma 4, 1981