The Difference Between Textured and Sculptured Carpet

Carpet Construction

• Basic carpet begins as multiple, looped yarn pieces attached to a carpet base. Depending on the intended final style, the yarn loops are closely packed together to create a carpet pile. Some styles retain the loops in the final product, whereas other carpet forms have all the loops cut for a cut pile formation. Alternatively, a carpet pile can use both cut and loop piles interspersed together for a unique appearance on the floor.

Textured Carpet Features

• Textured carpet is a form of cut pile carpet. However, textured carpet is heat-treated during manufacturing. Hot steam heats the textured carpet pile, creating kinks and curls in the individual yarn lengths. The curled effect is permanent and provides a reduction in light reflection. The resulting carpet pile reduces footprint appearances, resulting in the carpet's description as "trackless."

Sculptured Carpet Features

• A sculptured carpet uses both cut and loop pile construction. Longer pieces of yarn are cut, whereas the shorter pieces remain looped within the carpet's pile. The height differences throughout the sculptured carpet create a highly textured appearance suitable for both formal and informal room applications.

Yarn Composition

• Five different yarn compositions comprise all carpet types, including nylon, wool, acrylic, olefin and polyester. With the exception of wool, all the carpet yarn types are synthetic. Nylon is the most widely used, featuring stain and crush resistance with a wide variety of color choices. Alternatively, some carpet manufacturers mix carpet yarn types together to produce a low-cost carpet choice.

Carpet Purchase Considerations

• Each carpet manufacturer offers varying densities of both textured and sculptured carpet piles. Before purchasing, press one finger into the carpet and detect how much resistance is required for pushing through the yarn pile to the backing piece. Bend a sample carpet piece into a U-shape and view the amount of backing that appears. A densely packed and quality carpet pile will have only a small amount of backing appearing during these examinations.

Carpet Appearance

• Both sculptured and textured carpets offer a visual depth. However, choosing a light-colored carpet will expose more dirt or stain spots for both carpet types. In contrast, darker colors show more lint pieces across the carpet pile. Choosing a neutral color, such as beige, will hide both dirt and lint for each carpet type.