Frequently Asked Questions
What makes your carpet different from the wool carpet I can buy in a regular store?
We’re not sure what you’re comparing
our carpet to. Most wool carpets have stain repellent applied,
and are constructed with more toxic adhesives than the ones
we offer. In most cases the wool has been bleached (causing
dioxin pollution) before being dyed in the variety of colors
consumers demand.
I want to do something good for the environment. Should I purchase recycled carpet?
Recycled carpet is made with polyester fiber
from plastic bottles. Polyester stains easily and wears poorly. To
make such a material into a carpet requires the addition of a variety
of chemicals. After 5-7 years on your floor the ‘ecological’ carpet
goes back to the landfill --so those plastic bottles end up as
waste anyway, but with even more chemicals added. We believe it
is better to close the loop by slowing down or stopping the production
of plastic in the first place. In terms of the impact on your health,
purchasing a recycled carpet over a wool one is like buying canned
vegetables over freshly picked ones.
What about synthetic blends?
Regular carpet manufacturers blend nylon
with wool fiber in a berber to create fill and keep the cost down.
However, nylon doesn’t
flex and ends up cutting the wool as the carpet is walked on, giving
it a much shorter life.
What’s the difference between plush and berber?
Plush carpets have the fiber cut straight like a lawn. Berber carpets
are woven with a medium to large yarn, looped into the backing.
What’s the difference between tufted and woven?
Plush carpet is tufted (Nature’s, Arabian Desert, Morocco, Roman Empire). The yarn is needle-punched into a polypropylene or jute mesh. Glue is then applied to the back of the mesh, and a secondary backing applied to that. Woven carpet (Baltic, Pasha’s Delight, Mediterranean) could be either berber or plush. In the way carpets have been made for centuries, the warp and the weft are both wool. In wall-to-wall carpet, that needs cutting, a thin layer of glue is applied to the back so the carpet won’t
unravel.
I’m allergic to wool clothing. Will wool floor covering be OK
for me?
People with sensitive skin can feel the microscopic
scales on the wool fibers, but we have tests showing that wool
doesn’t create
allergies per sae. Some wool carpet (Arabian Desert for instance)
can feel softer than others for crawling on.
How do I choose a good pad?
There is a myth in the floor covering industry that a lot of cushion
in a carpet is a good thing. In fact, a carpet that sinks under
your every step is stretching and grinding the fibers as you
walk, and wears down much more quickly. A dense, fibrous pad
will stand up to the 25-30 years of wear that your wool carpet
will give you.
Why do I need pad under a wool carpet?
A pad protects the fibers from being ground into the floor and
breaking.
Why no stain repellent?
First, putting stain repellent on a wool carpet is like giving
an umbrella to a duck. Wool naturally resists stains (and water)
better than anything man-made. Second, stain-repellent contains
formaldehyde, a potent toxin. 3M have stopped making their
stain repellent (Scotch guard) for an undisclosed reason (6/00).
What distinguishes New Zealand wool from other wools?
Conditions in New Zealand are ideal for sheep and the wool produced
has a much higher tensile strength.
Do you carry cotton carpets?
Cotton carpet comes at over $100 a square
yard and we’ll only get it as a special order. The backing on cotton carpets is usually fixed with a very toxic glue, but we can order them with natural latex. Bear in mind that commercial cotton is one of the heaviest users of pesticides in this country. We haven’t
found a source or organically grown cotton carpets, yet...
What do you recommend for a floor below grade, with moisture problems?
Our
hardwood might work in a basement with minimal moisture. Consult
your local flooring professional for the best advice in your
area.