Berber Carpets and Rugs

Berber carpet is named after the Berber tribe of people in Northwestern Africa. Berber Carpet has an interesting history, and enjoys a popular present. Characteristically, the Berbers used this type of fabric, usually made of wool or camel hair, not only to cover their tent floors but also to wear as cloaks. Though many of the Berber peoples lived in desert to semi-desert environments, nights could be bitingly cold. This type of carpet helped stave off such cold, and archaeological digs have found examples of it dating as far back as the Stone Age. Today, the Berber people may still make cloaks of this warm, dense material.

Berber itself is not a type of carpet, but a type of weave of a carpet. Berber can be bought in many different carpet fiber types like nylon, wool, polyester, polypropylene (Olefin), PET and other blends. Although wool or even camel hair is the traditional choice for a Berber carpet.

It can also refer to the color. The majority of Berber carpets are off-white to light camel in color. You can find Berber carpets in darker colors, but most associate the carpet with much lighter colors.

Standard Berber carpet is distinct from other weaves because it has varying levels of loops and usually has less pile than other carpets, but it is significantly denser than some carpets with higher loops and pile. The weave type means the carpet has both large and small tufts of fabric, creating a less consistent pattern than that produced when all the loops are of the same size.

A Berber carpet is praised because it tends to take mistreatment fairly well and be slightly stain resistant, more so if it is stain treated. Those carpets made of olefin fibers tend to be the most stain resistant. However, you won’t be able to buy any version of this carpet, especially in typical light colors and not have to have it professionally cleaned from time to time.

Berber carpets do tend to stand up well to use, and to regular vacuuming, without being damaged in the process. Pricing tends to be based not only on material, but knots per square meter. The most expensive variants are usually made of wool or camel hair and can contain over 200,000 knots in a square meter.

Berber carpets are popular among the masses because they are made of the ideal stuff that can help you in providing the perfect source for insulating your room. For quite a while Berber carpets have been successful in replacing flooring materials and other types of carpets. They not only help insulate the room but also provide your room with a unique look and are soft to the touch.

However, there are certain disadvantages attached to Berber carpets that you must consider before making the decision to buy them. Less expensive forms of Berber carpet are often favored because they are suitably decorative, long lasting, and usually cheaper than high pile carpets.

The least expensive versions may not be as long lasting as you would hope. Look for guarantees of carpet lifetime, and consider Berber an investment by buying the more expensive types.

However, when it comes to quality only Berber Carpet made of Nylon and wool are worth trusting. This is because with the exception of Nylon and Wool fiber, the Berber carpets tend to fade in color with the passage of time. This fading in color is not due to cleaning, rather it is caused by the use of cheap fiber in the carpet.

These carpets tend to unravel at the ends. In addition, while cleaning special care must be taken as it is very easy to ruin them if care is not taken while scrubbing. If you are planning to move furniture over the carpet then hold it high above the level of the carpet. This is because it is very easy to damage the pile.

Though Berber carpet can be stain resistant, if dirt does get into the dense carpet fibers, it’s extremely difficult to get out and may require extensive cleaning. The carpet can start to unravel, particularly if your cat thinks it’s a new scratching post. You do have to be careful that the loops don’t get damaged or you may quickly lose your carpet. Oil stains may be hardest to remove because they may bond with the fibers of the carpet and remain there. If you work around oils, you may want to choose more oil resistant carpeting.

If decide on Berber- for faster and quicker installation, making renovation easier, choose the Berber tiles. These tiles come in the same colors as the carpet sections, only they are 12”X12” squares. The carpet squares are easy to install, just peel the backing off and lay them onto your floor. Your floor needs to be a good and clean, have a smooth and sturdy surface in order to get the longer wear and durability of the tiles. Cleaning and maintenance is just as simple and easy as the carpet in one large room size.

Remember if you are the proud owner of a real wool Berber take good care of it because you will not easily replace it.