A glossary of commonly used carpet terms.

It’s "back to school" time again, so CRI thought this would be a fitting month for you to learn the ABC’s of some commonly used carpet "lingo". When shopping for carpet, as with any thoughtful purchase, the more you know about the product before you walk into the store, the more satisfying your shopping experience will be. CRI has listed some basic terminology below to help you become a more educated consumer when it comes to your carpet purchase and installation. Familiarizing yourself with these common carpet terms will help you communicate more effectively with your carpet retailer and installer, and make the most informed carpet decisions possible.

Binding - A band or strip sewn over a carpet edge to protect, strengthen or decorate the edge.

Berber - A carpet constructed with coarse yarns having randomly spaced flecks of color against a background of base color. Currently, this term has expanded to describe many level or multi-level loop carpet styles.

Broadloom - A term used to denote carpet produced in widths wider than six feet. Broadloom is usually twelve feet wide.

Carpet Cushion - A term used to describe any kind of material placed under carpet to provide softness and adequate support when it is walked upon. Carpet cushion provides a softer feel underfoot and provides added acoustical and insulation benefits and longer wear life for the carpet. In some cases, the carpet cushion is attached to the carpet when it is manufactured. Also referred to as "padding" or "underlay," although "carpet cushion" is the preferred term. Cushion under most residential carpet should be a thickness no greater than 7/16".

Attached Cushion - A cushioning material, such as foam, rubber, urethane, etc. adhered to the backing fabric side of a carpet to provide additional dimensional stability, thickness and padding.

Cut Pile - A carpet fabric in which the face is composed of cut ends of pile yarn.

Cut and Loop Pile - A carpet fabric in which the face is composed of a combination of cut ends of pile yarns and loops.

Fluffing - Appearance on carpet surface of loose fiber fragments left during manufacture; not a defect, but a characteristic that disappears after carpet use and vacuuming. Sometimes called "fuzzing" or "shedding."

Loop Pile - Carpet style having a pile surface consisting of uncut loops. May be woven or tufted. Also called "round wire" in woven carpet terminology.

Level Loop - A carpet construction in which the yarn on the face of the carpet forms a loop with both ends anchored into the carpet back. The pile loops are of substantially the same height and uncut, making a smooth and level surface.

Miter Joint - A junction of two pieces of carpet (or other material) at an angle. Most miter joints involve pieces at right angles to one another with their ends cut at 45 degrees to form the joint.

Pile Crush - Loss of pile thickness by compression and blending of tufts caused by traffic and heavy furniture. The tufts collapse into the air space between them. This may be irreversible if the yarn has inadequate resilience and/or the pile has insufficient density for the traffic load. Frequent vacuuming will lift the pile for longer life.

Pilling - A condition of the carpet face (which may occur from heavy traffic) in which fibers from different tufts become entangled with one another, forming hard masses of fibers and tangled tufts. Pills may be cut off with scissors.

Plush Finish - A smooth textured carpet surface in which individual tufts are only minimally visible, and the overall visual effect is that of a single level of fiber ends. This finish is normally achieved only on cut-pile carpet produced from non-heat-set singles spun yarns by brushing and shearing. Sometimes called "velvet-plush."

Power Stretcher - A carpet installation tool used to stretch carpet for installation on a tackless strip. According to industry standards, residential carpet, installed over cushion with a tackless strip must be power-stretched to prevent wrinkles and ripples.

Resilience - Ability of carpet pile or cushion to recover original appearance and thickness after being subjected to compressive forces or crushing under traffic.

Seams - In a carpet installation, the line formed by joining the edge of two pieces of carpet by the use of various seaming tapes, hand sewing or other techniques.

Seam Sealing - Procedure of coating the trimmed edges of two carpet breadths to be joined with a continuous bead of adhesive in order to prevent fraying and raveling at the seam.

Shoe Molding - Wood or plastic strip with one corner edge rounded slightly. It is used to conceal joints between walls and floors, or between larger moldings and floors.

Stretch-In - Installation procedure for installing carpet over separate cushion using a tackless strip; properly performed with a power-stretcher.

Tackless Strip - Wood or metal strips fastened to the floor near the walls of a room containing either two or three rows of pins angled toward the walls on which the carpet backing is stretched and secured in a stretch-in installation.

In addition to knowing some of the industry language, choosing a Seal of Approval retailer is your best assurance of having a satisfying carpet-buying experience (see the "Seal of Approval" section on this Web site for more information). As professionals committed to your satisfaction, they have pledged to provide knowledgeable, well-trained personnel to help you with your carpet purchase and installation.

If you have any questions about your carpet and rugs or any of the terms defined here, please call CRI's toll-free Consumer Information Line at 1-800-882-8846.