It s all about context.
Carpet density vs face weight.
Weight and carpet style.
The most important takeaway is density rating eliminates the flaw of face weight.
If you buy a carpet with a face weight of 60 ounces and a 1 2 inch pile height you ll multiply 60 x 36 to obtain 2160 and then multiply that by 1 2 or 5 to obtain a carpet density of 1080 ounces in each cubic yard.
Carpet face weight and durability.
Pile density ratings range from 1000 to 6000 and is determined using a mathematical formula based on the pile height and the fiber face weight.
Carpet rule 3.
Obviously styles of carpet are constructed differently and you cannot make comparisons of two different construction styles based solely on face weight for example berbers tend to have lower face weights than saxonies because of their low pile and relatively low number of fibers a very good quality berber carpet might have the same face weight as a saxony of.
The longer higher pile the carpet the lower the density rating.
Carpet doesn t have to be dense to be durable as long as it has a high twist level and vice versa.
Here is the formula.
The best level weighs in at.
36 density x face weight pile height e g 36 2160 x 30 0 499998 0 5 in this example what we know is that the pile density is 2160 and the face weight is 30 ounces.
Fiber face weight is not the same as total carpet weight which includes the weight of the carpet backing and the fiber face weight.
Carpet density by itself doesn t tell you any more about a carpet s quality than a carpet s face weight.
Don t confuse density and twist with face weight which is the amount of fiber measured in ounces per square yard as opposed to total weight which includes the weight of the carpet backing.
Most carpets have a face weight between 20 ounces and 100 ounces but the.
For example a 35 ounce face weight carpet with a half inch pile height would have a pile density.
A higher face weight means more yarn says grable and more yarn makes for a longer lasting product as an example within one product line the good level carpet has a face weight of 40 oz.
The second takeaway is density rating is a much higher number than face weight so face weight and density rating can t be compared directly.
Face weight is the actual weight of the fiber used to manufacture the carpet pile but does not include the weight of the carpet backing.
The last consideration is face weight weight of the carpet pile per square yard.
Despite a common misconception carpet density and carpet face weight are not interchangeable terms that mean the same thing although face weight is one factor used to calculate density.
The density of a carpet is one of many factors that determine a carpet s quality and overall performance.
If you can find every factor in a carpet s construction including the fiber type face weight twist and density you ll have a good idea of how the carpet was made and how long it s likely to last.
