Carpet Construction

Loop, Cut, and Cut & Loop Pile:


Carpet is essentially a textile woven on a loom, and like any fabric product, its look is determined by the weave of the yarn and how the individual strands are finished. There are 3 basic types of carpet construction:

  • Loop Pile

  • Cut Pile

  • Cut & Loop Pile

All of these are used in homes but cut pile is the most popular in contemporary residential homes.

Tan patterned carpet with light blue couch and brown chair


1.) Loop Pile


Loop pile carpet encompasses all carpets with looped fibers. Each fiber creates a loop. Within the loop pile category, there are a wide variety of styles available. Most styles fall within 3 categories:

  • Level loop carpet – all fabric loops are the same length with level loop carpet. If the loops are smaller, it gives a more uniform appearance and it is more durable. Standard level loops are often found in commercial settings.

  • Textured loop carpet – Textured loop refers to loops of varying lengths. The varying lengths are usually formed to create a pattern in the carpet to be more visually appealing.

  • Multilevel loop carpet – Like textured loop, multilevel loop carpet has loops of varying lengths. With multilevel loop, the variance in length is greater than textured. This allows for more intricate patterns.


2.) Cut Pile

Cut pile construction means the fabric loops have been cut. Cut pile is the most common and versatile construction style for residential carpet. There are a wide variety of styles to choose from. The 4 most popular styles are:

  • Plush – Plush rings true to its name because it has a cushiony, soft feel. The plush style often has a slight sheen to it, drawing a resemblance to velvet.

  • Saxony – In the Saxony style, 2 or more fabric piles have been twisted and heatset so that the ends of the fabric are easily visible. This textured surface allows for the carpet to show different hues depending on the direction from which the top layer is viewed.

  • Textured – Textured carpet is treated so that the exposed ends of the fabric have less sheen. The fabric tightly kinks creating a matte surface that will show less foot traffic and reduce the visibility of vacuum tracks.

  • Frieze – Frieze style carpet is treated so the cut pile fabric creates a tight kink, which is why it is sometimes confused with the textured style. The yarns are highly twisted so they fall back on themselves creating a unique textured look. It’s the most durable of the cut pile styles and therefore usually the most expensive.

Each style of carpet comes with its own selection of firmness, color, texture and pattern. Visit our showroom in Palo Alto to feel the different options for yourself.


3.) Cut & Loop Pile

Cut & loop carpet has a combination of high cut tufts and lower loops that create a sculptured effect. Tough and durable, cut & loop carpets can be used in any area that gets a lot of traffic. The key benefit of these carpets is the beautiful and subtle patterns that can be obtained with this construction of carpet.


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