Berber carpet is one of the most popular choices for many households these days. Berber is a really versatile style of carpet and can function with many décor styles. Although it was once conceived of only for basement rooms and home offices, for all areas of the home, carpet cleaning companies is now a common option.

If we consider the rich cultural legacy that these carpets have attached to their history, indeed Berber carpets are some deal to make. But for the uninitiated, buying the right carpet might often turn into a nightmare.

So, let’s not wait anymore and get started at the earliest.

Berber carpet
Berber carpet

Berber carpet – Definition 

That’s why we have come forward with our extensive guide that will help you decide if you really need berber carpet for your home. Also, you would be able to choose the right type and size, depending on your household requirements.

In general, the term Berber refers to a indoor outdoor carpet with flecks of darker colors that is overall light in color and woven with a distinctive loop pile that sticks to the backing and stays uncut. It is influenced by the Berber people of North Africa’s weaving style.

Berber is usually used most frequently in looped carpeting types. The color choices became more diverse as looped styles became more popular. So instead of being only sold in the Berber-associated flecked or multi-colors, looped carpet was also available in solid colors. Also, we shall share some tips regarding berber carpet installation.

Carpet Installation – About the Overall Costs? 

Carpet Installation
Carpet Installation

The name Berber stuck, however, so today the name most often refers to the form of the loop and not the color.

One of the factors berber carpet installation has become increasingly popular is that it has a reputation for being less costly than other types of residential carpet beetle.

However, it is true that Berber appears to give more yield on your money compared to other models, meaning that you will possibly get more longevity from the Berber instead of the cut pile for the same price. At several distinct price points, carpeting is affordable, some of which may be fairly comparable to other cut-pile types.

Berber carpet installation

For this, there are many explanations.

The steam cleaning berber carpet is much harder to install than standard types of carpet. Berber is a thick rug which is much harder to handle, seam which is cut. Find out more about the cost of berber carpet installation

  • The first explanation for this is that many Berbers are made of fiber from olefin. Olefin is a lot less expensive than other fabrics, like nylon or wool.
  • Another explanation of why Berbers tend to be less expensive to produce than their cut-pile counterparts is that they are less costly to produce.

All carpets begin as styles that are looped. The top of the loops is sheared off to create cut piles such as Saxons and friezes. Berbers remain looped, so this section of the development process is skipped.

Longevity 

The belief that Berber is more robust than other residential carpet types is another explanation for the popularity of Berber. In fact, in looped form, fiber is typically stronger than in cut form, but that doesn’t mean that all Berbers are more robust than other types.

A Berber of lower quality is not going to be as robust as a Saxony of mid-grade quality.

As with everything else, you must compare two items of the same standard in order to truly compare the value of a Berber to another type of residential carpet. However, you will typically be able to get better longevity for the same money, as mentioned above.

Berber carpet pros and cons – Reasonable

Benefits of carpet cleaning

In relation to the relatively low cost, a major benefit of the carpet is that spills and stains are reasonably easy to clean.

Spills appear to stay on the surface of the carpet because of the looped pattern, so if you can get to them early, you will possibly be able to keep them from falling into the fabric.

Many Berbers are multi-colored or have the usual fleck of paint, making them ideal for concealing soiling and any stains that occur.

Negatives 

The risk of snagging and/or running is one drawback for Berbers. Stuff may get stuck in the loop of a loop construction and take it out.

Snagging a Berber takes a lot of power. It might happen by dragging a piece of furniture across the carpet. In this regard, it’s worth noting that driving a toy car on the carpet is not likely to happen.

Pets and Berber 

The greatest problem people have with Berber carpet pros and cons is whether the claws of pets will harm the carpet or whether, by trapping its claws, the carpet will injure the pet. An animal running through the carpet is extremely unlikely to snag its claw in a loop.

That being said, if you have a cat who likes to sharpen his claws, the Berber texture can find it appealing, and by constantly kneading the carpet will most likely cause some harm. You may want to rethink a Berber if your cat continues to search for places to scratch and doesn’t use a scratching post or board consistently.

Many wonder if it would cause a “run” in the Berber and cause the carpet to unravel if anything snags a string.

This will partially depend on the consistency of the carpet, but this scenario is not very probable in general. As mentioned above, tearing out one loop needs a lot of power; never mind an entire chain.

Best Vacuum for Berber Carpet – Reasonable Vacuum 

Best Vacuum for Berber Carpet
Best Vacuum for Berber Carpet

The use of a powerhead or beater bar vacuum on a carpet is one instance in which a run could happen.

The powerhead could easily get hold of the loose strand and wrap it around the spinning bar if there is already a snag in the carpet and is strong enough to cause the strand to unravel. Beater bar accessories cannot, for this purpose, be used while Best Vacuum for Berber Carpet. There is possibly an alternative for your vacuum to replace the vacuum head or simply turn the beater bar off.

Gentleness 

Another downside is that as a cut pile carpet, it’s just not as gentle on the feet. Some Berbers can even be rough, especially those made from olefin. To fix this problem, manufacturers have been working hard. A much more relaxed feeling underfoot can be provided by soft-fiber carpets, such as the Mohawk SmartStrand range.

Suggestion 

Berber is now generally found in all parts of the home and has migrated out of the basement.

Berber can also be used on stairs and around the balcony. You would not be able to view the carpet that’s backing between both the loop rows when correctly mounted as it bends around the edge of the stairs. 

Only make sure that the appropriate carpet quality is chosen for the amount of traffic it receives.

Choosing the right color

Choose a solid color for more formal areas, such as dining rooms, to minimize the casual feeling a multi-colored Berber may have.

A loop pile construction style that gives a similar appearance to the distinct knot of traditionally woven carpets distinguishes modern industrialized carpets. Modern carpets typically produce small dark flecks on lighter background color shades resembling the natural uncolored versions of traditional carpets.

They typically consist of a basic color blend with no pattern and are relatively inexpensive and durable.

Where should you use Berber carpet?

Popular for locations such as offices with substantial heavy use. The distinctive texture of the knot and appearance of today’s traditional hand-woven carpets are typically woven in brightly colored designs that vary from other oriental rugs.

In several rural areas in the Berber countries, handmade and typically homemade Berber carpets are still an important industry. Many Berber families receive their primary income from the manual construction and sale of carpets in local markets, merchants, and visitors.

Traditional Berber rugs are distinct from the current Berber mass-produced carpets typically found in developed markets. They often use cultural templates and are normally made of natural materials.

Components used for producing Berber carpets

The Tunisian authorities are still regulating the ‘Berber’ spirit in terms of designs, patterns, and symbols knotted. This is done to ensure the utmost quality.

There are various types of modern Berber carpet made from a wide range of materials today, with the most commonly used materials being nylon, olefin fiber, and wool.

If you don’t know already, Tunisian carpets and rugs are called “Mergoum”. One of the unique features of these is that the modern producers of such rugs still use weaving techniques that were derived from their ancestors. 

Then each rug or carpet is labeled with a red wax sign (of the Tunisian crafts authorities).  Olefin is one of the most commonly used components and it also happens to be the most inexpensive material. Apart from this, you can also get hold of carpets produced with blends of various materials.

Commercial Berber Carpet – A few important things to remember

Commercial Berber Carpet
Commercial Berber Carpet

The carpet is extremely durable and is mostly used in offices, schools, and other areas of heavy traffic. It is also stain-resistant and is typically more cost-effective than thicker plush carpets. Most professionals recommend that Moroccan Olefin Berber should be washed using a low humidity or dry cleaning method to take care of it.

The traditional cleaning process can trigger possible pH burns with the olefin with high alkaline detergents. These occur as large spots of yellow or brown. Tannin bleeding from sugars in natural fiber carpets that are attracted to the surface by premature drying, typically caused by over-wetting, may also be yellow or brown spots.

Carpet chemicals are available that can prevent much of this yellowing or browning, but they are very costly, and it would be easier not to get the discoloration or browning.

Drying the carpet from the bottom could be a better, but more difficult, process. In order to mount a carpet fan under the carpet, this approach will usually require raising up some portion of the carpet, and using hot air, not just room temperature air.

Regrettably, many of these marks can be irreversible if a professional carpet cleaner does not immediately fix them. To avoid permanent wear patterns, the Berber should be washed every 6 to 12 months, as with all carpets.

Did you know?

Some Berber design carpets, like the Looped Berber, just have random loops. It would be dubbed a Patterned Loop if it had a pattern. Berber carpets are much more complex to install than carpets in the plush style and there is typically an extra charge for Berber style installation.

There are thicker, heavier, and much tougher carpets to cut and seam together. Don’t be shocked when the cost of construction is one to three dollars more than for other non-Berber types per square yard.

Some Berber carpets are created with random loops and cut-loops and are referred to as “Berber Cut and Loop.” A more dense padding is generally needed for Berber types. The minimum padding density is 8-pounds in most situations, and the mean padding thickness is 1/4′ to 3/8.’ This is what allows the maker of the carpet to keep the guarantee in place.

There could also be an extra charge for Berber carpet installation on stairs as well. Before you purchase, always read the new carpet warranty to make sure you have the right carpet padding. Should you be uncertain, contact the maker directly. If the style has a repeated pattern, then a “Patterned Cut and Loop” is named. Usually, these are more expensive but are very stylish and have an elegant look.

If you pick a carpet with a pattern and your rooms are wider than 12 feet, you will need to make sure that you order enough extra carpet to allow the pattern match to be seamed and matched properly.

Berber Carpet Patterns for Industrial Grade

Here are the two most traditional types of Berber that are used today in offices and institutions.

  • Level Loop
  • Cut Pile

As they have a very high pile density, they are very durable. To help avoid matting and crushing, the loops are very short and packed tightly together. They can be formed from one solid color or many colors. If they need to use a wheelchair or walker, most homeowners don’t pick a commercial-grade carpet.

The lower height of the pile also makes walking easier for the elderly or handicapped. Offices and airports use looped types of industrial grade and cut pile types because, when stuck down to the floor without using any padding underneath, they are very durable, easy to clean, and handle heavy foot traffic.

They look very close to the theme of a Frieze. However, California Berbers also have a speckled-egg look with soft earth tones infused with flecks of colors such as red, orange, blues, and greens. This style is really beautiful and there is no pattern.

Berber carpet designs with “loops” have two key disadvantages 

Loops can be snagged quickly. A Looped Berber Style might not be a good option for you if you have active kids or pets. It can be very expensive to patch snagged loops. Any snags (like a pair of nylon stockings) will run, causing serious damage to the carpet that might not be repairable. Choosing a Nylon carpet would also decrease the risk of the pile being matted and crushed.

In high-traffic applications, Berber Loops appear to tip over or ‘crush’.

For Berber carpets made of Olefin, this is particularly true. The bigger the loops, the more vulnerable they are to crushing and matting. The possibilities for matting and crushing are minimized by selecting a Berber with smaller loops.

How much does it cost for a carpet? 

A “Split Berber” is another common style and has no loops at all. This style is also known as the California Berber (hence the term “cut”).

Depending on various factors, berber carpet cost can fluctuate. Here are some estimates:

  • Depending on the form of nylon and the carpet design, the Berber made of nylon ranges from $25 to $60 per square yard. (A bit more expensive are the common “Soft” Nylons.)
  • Olefin-made Berbers vary from $10 to $25 per square yard.
  • It can easily cost $80 per square yard for carpets made of wool and go up from there.

Should I pick a carpet fiber made of wool, nylon, or olefin? 

There are two key items you need to remember when it comes to finding the correct carpet fiber for you: cost of berber carpet.

  • Wool is a raw, sheep-derived fiber. Wool is the most costly fiber and it is also the most costly to maintain, although it is very soft and durable. A professional carpet cleaner who has been specially trained to clean wool carpets must clean wool carpets. The cost is considerably higher than for other kinds of carpet cleaning services. If properly cared for, wool carpets will last a lifetime.
  • Nylon is a fabric that is very durable and is less expensive than wool. Nylon cleans quickly and is very effective at avoiding stains. The most durable fiber is nylon, which gives it the potential to maintain its new look longer than any other synthetic fiber. A good quality Nylon carpet will last up to 20 years or more if well cared for, depending on the amount of foot traffic in your home.
  • The least expensive fiber to consider is olefin. Olefin is inexpensive to produce and, since it is not very resilient, the fiber is vulnerable to matting and crushing. The fiber becomes sticky during the processing process and although they attempt to extract as much of the oil through a multiple rinsing process, it is hard to do.

The oil and grease on the fiber appear to draw dirt, making it hard to keep the carpet clean. Homeowners also complain that stains tend to reappear a few days after a thorough steam cleaning berber carpet operation. Berbers made with Olefin are very reasonably priced, but if well cared for and traffic is low to medium, they usually only last up to 10 years.

Matters of Loop Duration!

Berbers produced with bigger loops tend to fit quicker, so choosing a Berber with smaller loops could be a better option and will resist matting better than Berbers with bigger loops. 

Commercial value Looped Berber types typically have the smaller loops and carpets made of Olefin (polypropylene) is a common choice for those who want a higher degree of sustainability over time and less matting or crushing of the stack.

The carpet is glued down in most commercial environments, without using any padding. Using a thin purchase thick padding in a home application can make the carpet smoother to walk on, but can decrease the overall lifetime substantially and increase the potential for the carpet to spread out over time and grow wrinkles.

Berber carpet Types – What’s the best carpet padding?

Berber carpet Types
Berber carpet Types

To make sure you pick the right and best carpet padding specs, consult with the carpet maker. It may void your carpet warranty by using the wrong padding and can cause your carpet to wear out prematurely. For Berber carpet installation, most installers charge at least $1-2 extra per square yard and often charge a higher price for installing Berber on stairs.

A high padding density and a lower thickness than other non-Berber carpet types are necessary for all carpet types. At least 8-pound density is required. The maximum thickness of the carpet doesn’t generally 3/8″.

A home can feel like an ultra-luxurious retreat with the soft feel of plush carpeting. The silky smoothness of carpeting, however, provides it with a distinctive appeal all its own. 

Some people know immediately which of these options is better for their home, but in order to determine, others will need some support. Here are a few things to consider when determining if your home would fit better with a Berber carpet or a plush carpet.

Foot Traffic

In deciding which type of carpet is best, the amount of foot traffic in your home will play a major role. The Berber carpet is typically a safer choice for high-traffic homes. Berber is thick and made from loops that are very tightly woven.

In their construction, many Berber varieties contain a high percentage of nylon, making them very easy to clean and able to avoid the accumulation of dirt. Plush carpet appears to more readily absorb dirt, allowing the dirt to penetrate into their fibers more deeply.

Berber is typically safest if your home encounters high levels of traffic.

The Desired Look & Feel 

If you want a more glamorous look at home, then the most fitting option is generally a fluffy carpet. In areas like the bedroom, where they do not attract as much foot traffic, fluffy carpets are particularly compatible. It’s a very stylish look, and many people love to get out of bed and sink their feet into a soft carpet.

The carpet has basic beauty, but when it comes to visual appeal, it does not have the same “wow” factor that a plush carpet does.

The Preservation Factor 

In most cases, a carpet is a much smaller choice for upkeep than a plush carpet. It is very simple to vacuum a berber carpet, and it does not need as regular vacuuming as a plush carpet. A plush carpet usually needs more cleaning and dirt removal efforts due to its width. However, all styles benefit from occasional shampooing, like all carpets.

In a house, both the Berber and the fluffy carpet have their places. Some homes, in reality, use a mixture of both. If you’re ready to install carpet in your house, leave us a comment below.

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