Carpet Conundrum

shown73

Just had a new carpet fitted, berber twist, 80% wool, very nice. My research seems to indicate that this should only be hoovered with the brush bar turned off, (Dyson upright). OH insists the opposite, and I can't be sure who is right, just seems to me that the brush would tend to tear it up a bit. There are a lot of loose fibres coming out already, although I'm told that is normal with a new wool carpet. Any carpet experts out there??

daveyjp

The loose fibres will be there until they are vacuumed up, so vac from day one as you would on day 1001.

The vac will need emptying more regularly for a few weeks, but you aren't damaging the carpet.

BoxerfanUK

You are correct, it's recommended that Berber and loop pile type wool carpets should idealy have brush beater bars turned off.


With Berber carpets they loop up and over the carpet surface so the beater bar brushes 'against' the loop whereas a beater bar brush on a cut pile carpet brushes 'with' the pile, so less damage is caused.


It is perfectly normal however for new woollen carpets to 'shed' fibres for a few weeks when new but this will eventually settle down.


As an example, get a hard tooth comb and drag it through a cut pile carpet and then try the same with a loop or Berber and see how the latter easily snags and gets caught up in the loops, if you force it you can damage the pile.

Paul_the_Painter

If it's a Berber TWIST, vacuum as normal, if its got a loop, don't.
Some carpet manufacturers use Berber twist as a term for a mixed natural shade, standard construction twist pile carpet.

Mind_the_Gap

I agree with Paul the Painter.

Strictly speaking, 'Berber' refers to the colour (from those earth-tones made with natural dyes by Berber tribespeople in N Africa), not specifically to the construction. The confusion has arisen because rugs made by these tribes also tended to be looped, and since the 80s, the term 'Berber carpet' has come to mean this in the UK.

OP, if it's a looped carpet, turn the brush bar off. If it's a twist pile, don't.

cattie

I've recently had some 80/20 twist pile carpet laid & the master carpet fitter who laid it said just to vacuum it as I usually would vacuum a carpet, no special care needed.

Just as daveyjp mentions, I was told there would be lots of fluff & fibres in the vacuum cannister for the first few weeks, but this was perfectly normal & the carpet quality wasn't affected in any way.

Years ago you were advised to go round with a dustpan & brush for the first 3-4 weeks & not use a vacuum! Happily those days are over.