Re: What makes a quality carpet Dobby Tappet said: ? Wool is expensive? Compared to what? Seriously, I wish someone could explain this phase that seems to be tossed around far more than the myth 'carpet is toxic, dirty and bad'. You know who says wool is expensive? The synthetic fiber producers and manufactures who toss out this line as a last ditch effort to sell a lesser quality fiber. Sure, everyone agrees that wool has proven itself as the ultimate premium fiber, the benchmark by which all fibers are judged, but, simply because a lesser quality 'man-made' fiber can be produced at a lesser cost does not mean wool is expensive, it simply means synthetic fibers of lesser quality can be produced at a lower cost. And,.... we get what we pay for! Wool would only be expensive if it were equal to the synthetics it is being compared to and it is not. In fact, it's not even close. Agree? Disagree? Why? Respectfully, DobbyClick to expand... The consumers with the check book are the one's that say it's expensive. A Ferrari is only expensive if you compare it to a Camaro. But i guess since the Camaro does not have the performance of, or the quality of a Ferrari, then I guess we can conclude that the Ferrari is not expensive. So in that theory we should all be driving Ferrari's, and we should all have wool carpet. You are right, wool is an awesome fiber. It does have it's cons. It can hold 10 times it's weight in water, so it makes it susceptible to mold and mildew. It can also shrink if wet. It will fade over time if not protected from UV rays. I've seen bare spots in heavy traffic areas with wool, due to it's staple yarn design that causes it to wear down. It's also trickier to clean, due to you having to use the right PH level cleaner. (don't recall the specs right now) Yes wool is a great product. But it is with it's cons, like all fibers. And it is expensive. There are no if, and, or buts about it. When you have a fiber that can cost 2 to 3 times as much, but doesn't perform twice or three times as better, then it is expensive.

Re: What makes a quality carpet Mark, quote a response. Actually the ability of wool to gain and lose moisture is an advantage. It is like having built in humidification control. While wool will provide food for mold, I have never seen a synthetic in such pristine condition that the soil trapped in it will not support mold as well. All carpets, except olefins engineered for outdoor use will fade from Uv, even with the normal Uv stabilizers. Further, nylons in particular will actually degrade from Uv. Most synthetics are replaced long before this becomes a factor due to appearance changes. Did a job in the late 80's for Purdue University. Their Auditorium which was acoustically is one the finest in the world. We just replaced the stairs and walkways that were a five frame Wilton that had been down since the building was opened in the early 30s. The areas at the seats still looked terrific. Been at this quite a while and have never seen a nylon job from the 50s (when DuPont 501 came out) still in service. Cost is NOT value. In a proper construction and application, I flat out state wool will outperform ANY & ALL synthetics.

Re: What makes a quality carpet It's funny how the same customers who can't afford wool, can afford wood, ceramic and/or stone. They can afford plasma TV's, boats, RV's, ATV's and a host of other items. But they can't afford wool. Respectfully, Dobby BTW: The cost difference between a decent tufted wool and a quality tufted nylon is not that much. Certainly no where near the difference between a Ferrari and a camero. Guess we stuck a nerve.