What Is Berber Carpet?

History of Berber

• Berber carpet gets its name from the Berber tribe of Northwestern Africa. Wool and camel hair spun by hand made up the fabric the Berbers used to protect themselves from the cold of the desert environment at night. The dense Berber fabric was used to fashion cloaks and floor coverings. Remnants of Berber fabric have been found at archaeological digs dating to the Stone Age.

Identification

• Today, Berber defines the weave of the carpet, not the material. Constructed in parallel lines, the levels of the twisted loops of a Berber carpet vary, and the carpet has less pile than other carpet weaves. The patterns of the Berber carpet are less consistent than carpets made with loops of all the same size.

Materials

• While Berber carpet made from wool or camel hair is still available, it is very expensive. Because of the light color of the original high end Berber, the carpet gained the reputation of being high maintenance. More economical Berber carpeting is made from nylon and olefin. These fibers offer more carpet color and pattern choices. For those who believe that dark patterned carpet better hide the dirt, man-made nylon and olefin fibers are the popular choice. Olefin seems to be the most stain-resistant, and also the most economical, although not as visually appealing and durable as nylon.

  In addition to material, carpet quality is also judged by the number of knots per square meter. High end wool or camel hair Berber carpet could have more than 200,000 knots per square meter.

Maintenance

• The varying lengths of twisted loops of the Berber carpet weave keeps even high traffic areas of the carpet from showing wear. These same dense loops make it difficult for dirt to work its way into the carpet, but on the other hand, if not vacuumed regularly, the penetrated dirt is difficult to remove. The denseness of the Berber carpet also makes water extraction difficult when cleaning the carpet. Best results come from professional cleaning.

Berber Carpet Durability

• When choosing Berber carpeting as a long-term investment for your home, look for guarantees. Although the Berber weave is durable, depending on the material and knots per square meter, the carpet lifetime varies. For example, nylon has the look of wool, is easier to clean and stands up to traffic better. Olefin resists stains and dries quickly. Although it offers more color and pattern choices than wool, it isn't as attractive.
  A wool Berber is a treasure that requires care. Regular vacuuming and occasional dry cleaning by professionals is all that is needed for the high end carpet.