If you’re looking for a carpet replacement for your home, there are different types of carpet piles you can choose from. Frieze is one of the popular choices you’ll get out there. It is characterized by long fibers that have a high twist. In this post, we’ll discuss frieze carpet fiber and its pros and cons to help you make an informed decision.
What is a Frieze Carpet?
A frieze also referred to as a twist, is a carpet with long and tightly twisted fibers that make it appear kinked or curled. The carpet fibers are twisted three to five twists per inch under steam conditions.
Because the twists of a frieze carpet are so tight, they curl back on themselves, making it denser, which improves its performance under heavy foot traffic. A frieze is a good carpeting option for staircases, hallways, and busy family rooms.
The tight twists of a frieze carpet fiber also give it resilient and springy properties, which adds to its durability. The carpet fibers are mostly soft, which makes frieze carpets have a pleasant underfoot.
If you’re familiar with the shag carpet popular in the 60s and 70s, then frieze is similar but improved. It does not flatten/mat or compress as a shag carpet did. Below are the pros and cons of a frieze carpet.
Pros of Frieze Carpet
Durability
A frieze carpet is durable mainly because of the high twisted carpet fibers. The tight twists make it harder for the carpet to fray, thus improving its lifetime. As the frieze carpet fibers twist, they curl rather than stand up.
The curls make a frieze carpet better at texture retention and improve resiliency. This effect makes frieze carpet fibers better at resisting pressure and bouncing back to shape.
However, the durability of a frieze carpet will also boil down to the fiber used. Nylon carpet fibers are the most durable and best for high-traffic areas. PET polyester and Polypropylene carpet fibers are also good but lack resiliency and easy flatten.
Hides Dirt and Seams
Long and twisted carpet fibers make it easy for a frieze carpet to hide dirt. This is especially useful if you’re busy and cleaning up comes as a challenge. You can be sure a frieze carpet will hide dirt and stains well before you decide to clean it up. The long fibers also minimize footprints and vacuum marks.
Apart from hiding dirt, another benefit of a frieze carpet is hiding the seams. You’ll require a seam if you install carpeting in a bigger room. Depending on how you install it, a seam will give the appearance of a line throughout the room. Compared to other types of carpets, a frieze carpet does a very good job hiding the seams leaving no visible trace.
Soft and Comfortable
Frieze carpets are usually very soft and comfortable because of the long and loose carpet fibers. This makes frieze carpets a good choice for bedrooms, playrooms, and more. Most frieze carpets, such as SmartStrand and mohawk, now feature softer fibers for an even softer underfoot feeling.
Insulating
Frieze carpets are dense, and this gives them isolation properties. If your home floors get colder, a frieze carpet should be a good option to help warm up the place. Apart from isolation, a frieze carpet will also dampen the sound from echoing around the room or footsteps.
Cons of Frieze Carpet
Difficult to Clean
Long and curly frieze fibers are great at hiding dirt and stains. However, they will make the carpet harder to clean because the dirt and stains go deeper. With a shorter carpet pile, dirt and spills sit on top, which makes them easier to clean. A longer carpet pile, like a frieze, will make it harder to clean. For this reason, I’d recommend you check for a carpet with better stain and soil resistance.
A solution-dyed carpet is better because the color is added during manufacturing, making it harder to fade or be stained. PET polyester and polypropylene carpet fibers have naturally better stain and water resistance.
Expensive
Frieze carpets are slightly more expensive than other types of carpet piles in the market. The prices of a frieze carpet per square foot will range from $1 for a polyester frieze carpet to as much as $8 for top-of-the-line nylon fiber frieze carpets.
Apart from the materials used in the construction, the fiber twist and face weight will also influence the price of a frieze carpet. The fiber twist refers to how often the carpet fibers are twisted, while face weight is the amount of fabric used in the carpet construction. A higher fiber twist and face weight make a better but expensive carpet.
Is Frieze Carpet Right for You?
A frieze carpet is a solid option if you’re looking for an informal style that works best for high foot-traffic areas. It is a good carpet for hallways, stairs, family rooms, playrooms, and other heavily0-used areas.
