What Type of Carpet Best Hides Footprints?

Berber

• Berber is a carpeting weaving technique and a popular choice for residences. The style originated in Northwestern Africa, where members of the Berber tribe weaved wool and camel hair for flooring and for cloaks. Today, Berber carpeting is made of wool or wool blends. One of the top qualities that make Berber carpeting such a favorite is its durability in high-traffic areas. The level loops of a Berber cut pile stand up to footprints like protective soldiers. And, if a level loop style is not what you’re after, there are patterned and textured Berbers that are just as durable in high-traffic areas. Berbers are available in wool, nylon, olefin and multifiber blends.

Level and Multi-Level Loop

• Machine-woven carpets in the level loop style have even loops of yarn, which appear on both sides of the carpet. Like Berber, the top loops are left uncut to make the carpet dense and durable. However, the yarns of level loop carpets are closer together than Berbers so the surface looks smooth. Footprints leave no impression on level loop carpets. That’s why you often see level loop carpeting in high-traffic areas like hotel lobbies. There are also multilevel loop carpets that have varying pile heights to give the carpeting a patterned look. Level loop carpets range from low to high piles, and those with multilevel loops and high piles have higher price tags.

Cut and Loop

• Cut and loop-style carpets have a mixture of loop styles. Some loops are intact and others are cut. The variance in tuft heights gives cut and loop carpets a patterned, sculptured look. As a result, footprints are hidden because of the uneven characteristics of the patterned design. A cut and loop carpet is different from a multiloop carpet in that the fibers are spaced a bit wider apart and the carpeting is not as dense. This also makes cut and loop carpeting less expensive than Berber, level and multiloop carpeting.

Cut Pile

• Cut pile carpeting is also called “plush” carpeting. Unlike Berber and other styles, all the loops are cut. This makes cut pile carpeting dense enough to hide footprints, stains and wear. The fibers are twisted in the manufacturing process to lessen the fiber’s ability to reflect light and to make the fibers resilient. As a person steps on the carpeting, the fibers bounce back, so footprints are less visible. However, cut pile is not as dense as level and multiloop carpeting, so in comparison, cut pile carpeting is considered as having medium durability. This makes it a good choice for medium traffic areas such as living rooms and dining rooms, versus high-traffic rooms such as family rooms and bathrooms. Cut pile carpeting also costs less than Berber, level and multiloop carpeting.