We are living in a material world and I am a material girl and so should you be when it comes to finding the perfect carpet tile for your interior project. I’m not talking about diamond rings and conical corsets here, I’m talking about the various fibres and yarns that make up today’s modular carpets and the benefits each bring to the table (or floor).
Let’s have a closer look at some of the most popular materials on the market to prod you in the right direction on your voyage towards flooring victory…
Polypropylene
AKA ‘Polyprop’ to those down with the lingo
If you think in terms of the classic high school hierarchy, Polypropylene would be the broad-shouldered jock that everyone wants to hang with. It’s probably the most popular production choice for it’s cost-effective durability.
Polyprop is naturally bleach-resistant, absorbs next to no moisture and is renowned for its antibacterial qualities. This means it’s the perfect choice for the commercial, hospitality, leisure and education sectors where spillages are rife and footfall is always high.
Merkalon - Now, you might see this weird looking word dotted around our product pages but don’t get yourself in a tizzy. Merkalon is just another type of polypropylene fibre.
Nylon
Yep, the same stuff your nan’s stockings are made of
This is another massive contender on the carpet tile scene and it comes as no surprise with its self-repairing properties and high resistance to fire and static. It’s also as tough as old boots so delivers some serious longevity.
Us humans waste a heck of a lot of Nylon between us so there’s plenty of it around to recycle and reuse, which is great. Check out Desso’s ECONYL® story if you want to know more about that.
Aqualon - As Merkalon is to Polypropylene, Aqualon is to Nylon. It’s a white, Nylon fibre that can be easily dyed and coloured.
Polyamide 6
Nylon when it’s using its posh name
Amongst the Nylons and the Polypropylenes, you’ll also see Polyamide or Polyamide 6 cropping up a fair amount.
This is just the scientific alternative to the commercial ‘Nylon’ name as they are pretty much exactly the same material. Durable, robust and incredibly elastic.
Now lets back it up...
As we all know, it’s not just what’s on the outside that counts. What a carpet tile looks and feels like is just part of the full package so it’s vital that you take some time to consider the various backing materials on offer too.
Bitumen - The top dog of tile reinforcements, bitumen is a tough, load-bearing material that offers incredible endurance and resilience.
Polyester - Many carpet tiles will contain polyester or polyester fleece in their backing layers. This boosts sound and heat insulating properties.
Graphlex® - This is a backing system develop by the clever cookies over at Interface, which is made up of reinforced carbon. This offers exceptional stability”.
Oh and don’t forget there’s Modulyss’ secondary dBack backing too! Read more about that sound-absorbing addition right here.
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Catch the first part of our Carpet Tiles for Idiots series here where we're discussing types of tile.
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