Are Carpet Tiles Durable?

Over the past few years, carpet tiles have tremendously grown to be very popular. This may be attributed to the mere fact that carpet tiles are not only easy to clean, but also easily to install. In addition, they are relatively affordable – at least when compared to other types of home and office carpets. Moreover, carpet tiles are considered to be among the most durable carpets in the Singaporean market today. However, the question of durability is relative.

Exactly how durable are carpet tiles?

Well, when it comes to the question of durability, different carpet tiles have varying levels of durability that depend on how the tiles are made, particularly the materials used in the manufacturing process. Carpet tiles come in different varieties: Vinyl tiles, Woven Carpet tiles, tufted tiles, Flat weave tiles, Fiber Glass tiles, and Need Felt tiles. First, it is important to understand what exactly durability means. Durability, in simple terms, refers to the duration of time a carpet can retain its original appearance. This is determined by three different factors: how the carpet is made, how it is used, the amount of traffic endured by the carpet, and how well it is maintained. All these factors contribute to the overall durability of the carpet tile.

However, in other terms, durability will mainly depend on how a carpet is used and how well it is maintained. To ensure is lasts for longer, you can buy some extra tiles so that you can replace the ones are damaged over time. Some tiles are damaged faster than others depending on factors such as their strategic location in the room. Tiles located in a place frequented by heavy traffic are more prone to damage than those in corners that are hardly step on. You do not expect the tiles under furniture or a desk to wear out as faster as those at the doorstep do.

In terms of how a carpet is made, three major factors come into play in determining durability. To begin with, fiber type matters a lot.

Four main fiber types are used to make carpet tiles: nylon, polyester, polypropylene, and blended. Of the four, carpets made of nylon tend to offer the longest durability as the nylon material can generally withstand crushing and abrasion. On the other hand, polypropylene and polyester offer the least durability while blended carpets will be as durable as the materials used to create them. For instance, a carpet made of a blend of polyester and nylon will offer greater durability than polyester alone, but will be less durable than a carpet made of pure nylon.

Carpet twist, is another factor that plays a vital role in carpet durability. This is simply how much the carpet fiber is twisted per inch of carpet tile – the higher the twist, the tighter the twist, and the more durable the carpet. For instance, Tufted Carpets are far much more durable than Flat Weave tiles, though not as durable as Woven Carpets.

Thirdly, the carpet density greatly determines its durability depending on how it is made. This simply refers to the number of tufts on the carpet. If you want to know the density of a carpet, look at its surface to see how tightly the fibers have been packed together. You will find that carpet tiles with tightly packed surfaces tend to have higher resistance to stains, crushing, fluids, and high-traffic situations; thereby making them more durable. On the other hand, loosely packed fibers tend to allow soil and fluids to penetrate easily deep into the carpet, causing it to lose its luster. 

Using the criteria mentioned above, Woven Carpet tiles will offer more durability than Tufted and Flat tiles. This is the reason why you will often find Woven Carpet tiles much more expensive than the other types due to the amount of labor invested in making them. 

Generally, carpet tiles are more durable than most types of carpets. Moreover, vinyl backing and fiber tiles can be used to reinforce the carpet, giving it extra stiffness, and preventing the formation of curls especially at its edges. Exact durability of a carpet tile can be determined by checking the information provided at the carpet label. It provides specifications such as fiber type, weight, density, and measurements of twist, including how the carpet is made.

Open chat