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Background is a floor covering that is distinguished from the more general t erm "rug" by being fixed to the floor surface and extending wall to wall. The ea rliest peoples covered the floors of their dwellings with animal skins, grass, o r, later, woven mats. When people learned how to spin and , wove n mats of these materials largely replaced earlier coverings. Around 3000 B.C. E gyptians sewed brightly colored pieces of woolen cloth onto and placed it on their floors. The first of note were woven by nomads. The thick carpets were easy to t ransport and were placed over the sand floor of tent dwellings. Early were similarly easy to transport. Two forked branches were joined by a crosspiece ho lding the suspended warp, and a wooden bar was used to flatten binding weft thre ads, while the loose warp ends formed the carpet's . The Pazyryk carpet has been documented as the earliest hand carpet, dating back from 500 B.C. and discovered in a tomb located in the Alti Mountains in Central Asia. From these early beginnings, carpet rose to its highest art form in Turk ey, , India, and China. Using cotton, linen, or hemp as the foundation, and wool or as the luxurious pile, weavers would make a knot out of the pile th read, then form a row of knots that was tightly beaten down. The process was tim e-consuming: some of the finest handmade carpets have as many as 2,400 knots per square inch (372 knots per sq cm). The brilliant colors of these ancient carpet s came from natural such as madder, indigo, genista, woad, and ocher. Some weavers added alum to these dyes to fix the color, and a few wove gold and preci ous jewels into their carpets. While Europeans for centuries eagerly received carpets ready-made from the Middl e East, carpet making itself did not find a firm foothold on the continent until France imported Moorish weavers around A.D. 1300. By 1600, carpet guilds were f lourishing around Aubusson and Savonnerie. England also imported Persian weavers , as well as French ones, and by 1700 both Wilton and , known for their wool, were chartered carpet-making towns. Carpet making in Europe started with the "Brussels weave" in France and Flanders. This weave is formed by putting yar n over rods to create uncut loops. Wilton carpets are cut by a blade that replac es the rod in the Brussels weave. In 1801, Joseph M. Jacquard invented a device for handlooms that used punch cards to place up to six varieties of colors in , thus increasing production. This technique was adopted for carpet l ooms in 1825. The first carpet factory in the U.S. was built by William Sprague in Philadelphi a in 1791. His looms, based on English inventions, could make 27-inch (69-cm) ru nners that could be sewn together to make larger carpets. By 1800, 6-8 yards (7- 9 m) of carpet could be made in a day. Erastus Bigelow built a mill in 1825 in C linton, Massachusetts, and invented the in 1839, which doubled carpet production. He also invented the first broadloom in 1877. Power looms improved over the years; soon one loom could make 75 yards (82 m) of high quality carpet a day. Carpet production changed dramatically at the beginning of the 20th century, beg inning inauspiciously with a burst of tufted bedspread production in Dalton, Geo rgia, led by young entrepreneur Catherine Evans Whitener. Tufting is the process of punching yarn into a ground fabric to create many uncut loops at a very fast pace. Tufted -spread factories dominated the Dalton area by World War II, an d they soon began producing tufted rugs as well. Demand for these roughly made r ugs was as great as that for the bedspreads. At first using cheap, readily avail able cotton before switching to synthetic , the number of Dalton carpet mak ers grew as they produced great amounts of relatively easy-to-make broadloom tuf ted rugs and, eventually, carpets. Carpet, once a luxury, became affordable for most Americans. Today, carpet makes up 72% of all flooring, with tufted carpet b eing 91.5% of production, and the city of Dalton is responsible for over 70% of the world's production of carpet. Raw Materials Carpet consists of dyed pile yarns; a primary backing in which the yarns are sew n; a secondary backing that adds strength to the carpet; adhesive that binds the primary and secondary backings; and, in most cases, a laid underneath t he carpet to give it a softer, more luxurious feel. Ninety-seven percent of pile yarns today are made up of synthetic polymers; the rest of the yarns are wool and comprise the more expensive, woven carpet. Synthe tics are plastics such as (which is in 66% of all carpet), acrylics (15%), polyester (less than 15%), and polypropylene (less than 5%). These pile yarns a re dyed using a variety of organic chemical compounds, or occasionally, organome tallic complexes. Both the primary and secondary backing are largely made of woven or nonwoven pol ypropylene, though some secondary backing may still be made of jute, a natural f iber that, when woven, looks like burlap. The adhesive used to bind the backings together is almost universally synthetic rubber latex. The most common padding is rebond (bonded urethane), though various forms of synthetic latex, polyuretha ne, or vinyl might be used instead. Rebond is recycled scrap urethane that is ch opped into uniformly sized pieces and pressed into layers. Although rare, some c arpet cushioning is made up of horse hair or jute. A plastic top sheet is usuall y added to the top to insure a smooth surface against the carpet. The Manufacturing Process Since most carpet in the U.S. is tufted; earlier methods of weaving carpet, such as Wilton and Axminster, are ignored in the following account. Preparing the yarn Synthetic yarns arrive at the carpet manufacturer either in staple for m or bulk continuous filament form. The staple , which average 7 inches (1 8 cm) long, are loose, individual strands that arrive in bales. Several bales ar e blended together into one batch in a hopper. Then, after lubrication, they are spun into long, loose ropes called slivers by a carding machine. The slivers ar e then pulled, straightened, and spun into single yarn that is wound onto spools . Both the single-ply staple fibers (now spun into filament) and the bulk contin uous filament must now be twisted together to form thicker twoply yarn suitable for tufting. The yarns are then steamed to bulk them, and then heated to 270-280°F (132-138°C). This heat setting causes the yarn to maintain its shape by fixing it s twist. After cooling, these yarns are wound onto tubes and transported to the tufting machines. Dyeing the yarn Most carpets are dyed after tufting, yet sometimes the yarns are dyed first. The methods include putting 500-1,000 pounds (227-455 kg) of fiber into pressur ized vats through which treated dyes are circulated, or passing the fiber contin uously through the bath, or passing skeins of yarn through the vat of . The y arn can also be put on forms, and the heated dyes can then be forced under press ure from inside the forms to color the yarn. Another method passes the yarn thro ugh printing rollers, while yet another involves knitting the yarn onto a form t hat is then printed with dyes before the yarn is unraveled. All yarn that has be en dyed is then steamed, washed, and dried. Tufting the carpet The yarn is put on a creel (a bar with skewers) behind the tufting machine, then fed into a nylon tube that leads to the tufting needle. The needle pierces the primary backing and pushes the yarn down into a loop. Photoelectric sensors control how deeply the needles plunge into the backing, so the height of the loo ps can be controlled. A looper, or flat hook, seizes and releases the loop of ya rn while the needle pulls back up; the backing is shifted forward and the needle once more pierces the backing further on. To make cut pile, a looper facing the opposite direction is fitted with a knife that acts like a pair of scissors, sn ipping the loop. This process is carried out by several hundred needles (up to 1 ,200 across the 12 foot [3.7 ml width), and several hundred rows of stitches are carried out per minute. One tufting machine can thus produce several hundred sq uare yards of carpet a day. Dyeing the tufted carpet For solid color carpeting, carpet of several standard roll lengths is sewn t ogether to make a continuous roll, which is then fed into a vat. The vat is fill ed with water, which is first heated before dyes and chemicals are mixed in. The mixture is then slowly brought to a boil and cooked for four hours. Another met hod of making solid color carpet is to sew several rows together to make one con tinuous roll, which is then fed under rods that bleed the color into the pile. A fter dyeing, the carpet is then steamed to fix the color, excess color is washed off, and the carpet is dried and put on a roll. To make printed carpet of various designs, white carpet passes under screens in which holes in the desired pattern have been cut. The desired color is squee geed through the holes in the screen, and the carpet is advanced 36 inches (91 c m) to a different screen that applies a new color in a different design through the screen. Up to eight colors can be applied with this method. Another method of dyeing printed carpet is to pass it under embossed cylinde rs that have raised portions in a design, which press color into the carpet. Eac h cylinder provides a different design for a different color. After dyeing, the printed carpet is steamed, excess dyes are washed off, and the carpet is then dr ied and put onto rolls to go to the department. Finishing the carpet The ends of the dyed carpet are first sewn together to form a continuous bel t. This belt is then rolled under a dispenser that spreads a coating of latex on to the bottom of the carpet. At the same time, a strong secondary backing is also coated with latex. Both of these are then rolled onto a marriage roller, which forms them into a sandwi ch and seals them together. The carpet is then placed in an oven to cure the latex. The completed carpet is then steamed, brushed, vacuumed, and run through a m achine that clips off any tufts that rise above its uniform surface. The carpet is then rolled into 120 foot (37 m) lengths that are then packaged in strong pla stic and shipped to either the carpet manufacturer's inventory warehouse or to a retail carpet store. Quality Control Every piece of carpet that is tufted is inspected to see if any tufts are missin g. One person with a single needle tufting gun shoots pile yarn wherever holes a re found. Each piece of carpet is then inspected. The manufacturer checks that t he piece is of the proper dimensions and that the tuft height is of the desired length. The static shock potential is also tested. Most states require a flammability test. A prepared 9 × 9 inch (23 × 23 cm) specimen is placed on a steel plate that has a hole 8 inches (20 cm) in diameter in its middle. A methenamine tablet is ignited in the center. If the charred portion in seven out of eight trials does not reach to the circumference of the hole, the carpet passes. Another important test determines the carpet's resistance to wear . A specimen of carpet is placed in a drum and beaten with a steel ball that has rubber studs on it for 20,000 to 50,000 revolutions. The carpet should look fai rly new after this test. To test how the carpet's color stands up to sunlight, a standard light source that simulates sunlight is directed at a specimen, which is then rated according to the number of units of exposure required to produce v isible loss of color. The mass per unit area of pile yarn is a significant test because pile density d etermines the feel of the carpet. First, the synthetic yarn is removed from the carpet, either by physical means (it is ripped off the primary backing) or chemi cal means (it is dissolved off). The yarn is then dissolved in a solvent, then d ried in an oven to remove the solvent. The dry residue is then weighed and check ed to see if the mass is as specified for that type of carpet. Each type of synt hetic fiber has its own recipe. Nylon, the most commonly used synthetic yarn, is dissolved in hydrochloric acid and dried 15 minutes at 77°F (25°C). Backing fabrics and carpet padding are tested for strength by being pulled in a vise until they break. The primary backing's strength is checked both before and after tufting. The delamination strength of the secondary backing is also teste d by determining at what force the secondary backing can be pulled away from the primary backing. Part of the quality control process is up to the customer, who must select carpe t of the proper strength and durability for the amount of traffic expected in th e room, vacuum regularly, and have the carpet professionally deep cleaned at lea st once a year.

Where To Learn More Books Deaton, Thomas M. Bedspreads to Broadloom: The Story of the Tufted Carpet Indust ry. Press, 1993. Ellis, Robert Y. The Complete Book of Floor Coverings. Charles Scribner's Sons, 1980. Garstein, A.S. The How- To Handbook of Carpets. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1979. Revere, Glenn. All About Carpets: A Consumer Guide. TAB Books, 1988. Shoshkes, Lila. Contract Carpeting. Billboard, 1974. Von Rosensteil, Helene. American Rugs & Carpets. William Morrow & Co., 1978. Periodicals "New Technology in Carpeting." American Dyestuff Reporter, February 1992, p. 10. "Magic Carpets." The Economist, November 7, 1992, p. 108. "Carpet Machine Bonds Yarn to Backing Without Sewing." Machine Design, January 2 1, 1988, p. 56. "Floor Covering." Textile World, June 1993, p. 60+. [Article by: Rose Secrest] McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Architecture & Construction: carpet Top Home > Library > Home & Garden > Architecture and Construction A heavy, durable floor covering, usually of woven, knitted, or needle-tufted fab ric; commonly installed with tacks or staples, or by adhesives. carpet construction Columbia Encyclopedia: carpet Top Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Columbia Encyclopedia carpet or rug, thick fabric, usually woolen (but often synthetic), commonly used today as a floor covering. Carpet Types and Modern Manufactures A few classifications-Oriental, European handwoven, Brussels, Wilton, , Ax minster, chenille, ingrain, rag, hooked, straw, and fiber-embrace the entire ran ge of carpets, both antique and modern. To the first class belong not only the genuine antique Orientals, made through t he 19th cent. and now comparatively rare, but also the modern reproductions. The materials are dyed either with traditional vegetable dyes or modern (and less d esirable) aniline dyes and then woven. Many modern Orientals are washed in chlor ine solutions to give an effect of age or in glycerine to simulate the luster of fine wool. Commercial methods have somewhat standardized and debased the charac teristic ancient patterns, but the modern Orientals are still commercially impor tant. Moreover, some traditional Oriental rugs are still produced, incorporating the deep, rich color and intricate patterns of Persia, the brighter hues and co nventionalized figures of Asian Turkey, the simpler designs and primitive colori ngs of Turkistan and the Caucasus, and the symbolic ornament of China. A limited number of European handwoven carpets, both Aubussons (tapestry) and Sa vonneries (pile), are now made in most Western countries. Modern commercial carp ets are woven on complex and highly specialized machines, a development from Big elow's power loom. Brussels carpet has a of linen, with a pile of worsted yarn drawn into loops by means of wires. It is called three-, four-, or five-frame, depending on the number of bobbins carrying different-colored warp t hreads, which make the pattern. Tapestry Brussels is an inexpensive single-frame sort, either yarn printed or piece printed. Wilton is made on the same principle, except that the loops that form the pile a re cut as they are woven into place. Velvet is an equivalent of tapestry Brussel s with the pile cut. Axminster, similar in effect to Oriental, uses unlimited co lors in design made on machines that loop the tufts, one color at a time, and th en interlock the weft about them. Chenille, or chenille Axminster, is made in tw o stages. First the chenille , or fur, as it is called, is made, then it i s folded and ironed so that the woolen fibers are like a fringe along a cotton o r linen chain. This fur is then woven into a strong backing of linen with the na p on the surface. Ingrain, no longer widely used, is a plain-weave fabric, of two- or three-ply wo olen weft on a concealed cotton warp. Rag carpets, made of used rags sewn togeth er for warp, were first woven on household looms; they became commercially impor tant in the latter part of the 19th cent. Hooked rugs are made of narrow strips of woolen cloth drawn by a pointed hook through a canvas foundation on which a d esign is indicated. Early History Carpets were formerly woven to protect the body from cold, to be spread on a dai s or before a seat of honor, to cover a table, couch, or wall, or to form the cu rtains of a tent. There is evidence of the existence of handwoven carpets in ant iquity. On the rock tombs of Beni Hassan, Egypt, c.2500 B.C., men are depicted w ith the implements of rug weaving. Other evidence of the early use of rugs is se en in the drawings on the ancient palace walls of Nineveh. Oriental Carpets In the mountainous regions of the East stretching from Turkey through Persia and Central Asia into China, where the fleece of the sheep and the hair of the came l and goat grow long and fine, the art of carpet-weaving reached its height earl y in the 16th cent. The artisan worked on a handloom consisting essentially of t wo horizontal beams on which the warp (the vertical threads) was stretched; on t he lower one the finished carpet was rolled while the warp unrolled from the upp er one. The yarn for the pile, spun and dyed by hand, was cut in lengths of abou t 2 in. (5.1 cm) and knotted about the warp threads, one tuft at a time, after o ne of the two established ways of tying-the Ghiordes, or Turkish, knot and the S enna, or Persian, knot. After a row of knots had been placed across the width of the loom, two or more w eft, or horizontal, threads of cotton or were woven in and beaten into plac e with a heavy , or comb. The tufts, or pile, thus appeared only on the fa ce of the fabric, which when completed was sheared to perfect smoothness. Althou gh the hair of the camel and the goat was used in the weaving of Oriental rugs, the wool of the sheep was the essential component. Beautiful silk rugs interwove n with gold thread were also made in the 16th and 17th cent. To some degree, the quality of a carpet depends on the materials used and the number of knots per s quare inch of surface, which may vary from 40 to 1,000. Also produced in these r egions are the geometrically patterned and flat woven rugs known as . European Carpets In 1608, King Henry IV of France established weavers in the . About 20 yea rs later an old soap works, the Savonnerie, near Paris, was converted to carpet weaving, and its name remains attached to one of the finest types of handmade ca rpet, now made at the Gobelin tapestry factory. for walls and floors were made at Aubusson at an early date. In 1685 the revocation of the Edict of Nantes scattered skilled Protestant carpe tmakers over Europe. Centers of weaving were established in England, first at Ki dderminster (1735) and later at Wilton and Axminster. Cheaper, more easily manuf actured floor covering soon came into demand, and the making of ingrain, or reve rsible, carpets began at Kidderminster. The weavers of Flanders had made a loom that produced a pile by looping the worsted warp threads, and this loom, althoug h guarded, was copied by a Kidderminster weaver; soon many looms in England were making Brussels carpet. Axminster was England's headquarters for imitation Orie ntal, or tufted-pile, carpet. Until about 1840 all carpets were made on handlooms with such devices and improv ements as could be operated by hand or foot power; then Erastus Bigelow's power loom (first used in 1841), which made it possible for carpets to be mass produce d, revolutionized the industry. Although handmade rugs are still produced in som e countries, e.g., Turkey, carpet manufacturing has become a highly mechanized i ndustry, notably in the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Belgium, and Japan . Other Rugs In North America the Navajos and other tribes have for generations produced subs tantial rugs without pile, woven somewhat in the manner of tapestry on simple ha ndlooms. In the palaces of Montezuma remarkable floor coverings were found that utilized the plumage of birds. The primitive use of rushes or straw has survived in the form of Chinese and Japanese mattings. Bibliography See W. von Bode and E. Kühnel, Antique Rugs from the Near East (tr. of 4th rev. ed . 1970); G. Robinson, Carpets and Other Textile Floorcoverings (2d rev. ed. 1972 ); J. Moshimer, The Complete Rug Hooker (1975); E. Gans-Ruedin, The Splendor of Persian Carpets (1978). Word Tutor: carpet Top Home > Library > Literature & Language > Word Tutor pronunciation IN BRIEF: A thick heavy covering for a floor, usually made of woven wool or synt hetic fibers. pronunciation They tracked mud on the carpet when they came inside. LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay f or results! Sign Language Videos: carpet Top Home > Library > Literature & Language > Sign Language Videos sign description: Both open 5 hands begin together and move apart in a flat plai n.

The Dream Encyclopedia: Carpet Top Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Dream Symbols A carpet decorates but can also hide, as in the expression "to sweep under the c arpet," so a carpet in a dream can indicate something that is hidden. Carpets al so have a positive, welcoming meaning, as in the expression "to roll out the ." HarperCollins Guide to Rhyming Slang: Carpet Top Home > Library > Literature & Language > Rhyming Slang carpet (carpet bag) rhymes with drag imprisonment: specifically a three-month prison sentence: I only got a carpet of f that barnaby Drag appears originally to have referred to the crime of stealing a vehicle, or 'drag', (either horse-drawn or motorized), for which three months was appare ntly the expected sentence. Previous: captain cook, calvin, butcher's Next: cash, chalfonts, chalk Dictionary of Modern Slang: carpet Top Home > Library > Literature & Language > Oxford Slang verb trans. verb trans., orig US 1: To reprimand. (1840 ) . J. Kelman It was a while since he had been carpeted (1989). noun 2: on the carpet Being reprimanded. (1900 ) . Sketch His manager had just had him on the carpet, pointing out that his work ha d been getting steadily bad for the last few months (1936). 3: criminals' Three months' imprisonment. (1903 ) . J. Curtis Long enough to've been in Wandsworth and done a carpet (1936). 4: The female pubic hair or external genitalia (used esp. in the context of cunn ilingus). (1981 ) . [In sense 3, short for carpet-bag, rhyming slang for obs. drag three months' imp risonment.]

Previous: carney, cark, cardy Next: carpet muncher, carry, cars(e)y Random House Word Menu: categories related to 'carpet' Top Home > Library > Literature & Language > Word Menu Categories Random House Word Menu by Stephen Glazier For a list of words related to carpet, see: Carpets and Rugs - carpet: heavy woven or felted fabric used as floor coveri ng, usu. attached to entire floor and nonmovable

Rhymes: carpet Top Home > Library > Literature & Language > Rhymes See words rhyming with "carpet." Bradford's Crossword Solver's Dictionary: carpet Top Home > Library > Literature & Language > Crossword Clues See crossword solutions for the clue Carpet. Wikipedia on Answers.com: Carpet Top Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia For other uses, see Carpet (disambiguation). The Azerbaijani carpet, a UNESCO Masterpiece of Intangible Heritage of Humanity Carpets covering the floor of the prayer hall of the Great Mosque of Kairouan (a lso called the Mosque of Uqba), in Tunisia. The Sultan Ahmet Camii Prayer Carpet Saph. "The Blue Mosque", Istanbul, Turkey 2 006 A carpet is a textile floor covering consisting of an upper layer of "pile" atta ched to a backing. The pile is generally either made from wool or a manmade fibr e such as polypropylene, nylon or polyester and usually consists of twisted tuft s which are often heat-treated to maintain their structure. Contents 1 Etymology 2 Carpet types 2.1 Woven 2.2 Needlefelt 2.3 Knotted 2.4 Tufted 2.5 Others 3 4 Production of knotted pile carpet 5 Fibres and yarns used in carpet 5.1 Nylon 5.2 Polypropylene 5.3 Wool and wool-blends 5.4 Polyester 5.5 Acrylic 6 Carpet binding 7 Early carpets 7.1 carpets 7.2 Armenian carpets 7.3 Chinese carpets 7.4 Indian carpets 7.5 Pakistani carpets 7.6 Persian carpets 7.7 Turkish carpets 7.8 Turkmen ("") carpet 7.9 Azerbaijani rug 7.10 Oriental carpets in Europe 7.11 Spanish carpets 7.12 Bulgarian carpets 7.13 French carpets 7.14 English carpets 8 Modern carpeting and installation 9 See also 10 References 11 External links Etymology The widespread popularity of carpets has inspired stories of the Magic carpet, a legendary carpet that can be used to transport persons who are on it instantane ously or quickly to their destination. The term "carpet" comes from Old Italian carpita, "carpire" meaning to pluck.[1] [2] The term "carpet" is often used interchangeably with the term "rug". Some de fine a carpet as stretching from wall to wall.[3] Another definition treats rugs as of lower quality or of smaller size, with carpets quite often having finishe d ends. Historically the word was also used for table and wall coverings, as carpets wer e not commonly used on the floor in European interiors until the 18th century, w ith the opening of trade routes between Persia and Western Europe. Carpet types Swatches of carpet of tufted construction Drying carpets in a village factory (Ourika Valley, Morocco) Swatches of Woven The carpet is produced on a loom quite similar to woven cloth. The pile can be p lush or berber. Plush carpet is a cut pile and berber carpet is a loop pile. The re are new styles of carpet combining the two styles called cut and loop carpeti ng. Normally many colored yarns are used and this process is capable of producin g intricate patterns from pre-determined designs (although some limitations appl y to certain weaving methods with regard to accuracy of pattern within the carpe t). These carpets are usually the most expensive due to the relatively slow spee d of the manufacturing process. Needlefelt These carpets are more technologically advanced. Needle felts are produced by in termingling and felting individual synthetic fibres using barbed and forked need les forming an extremely durable carpet. These carpets are normally found in the contract market such as hotels etc. where there is a lot of traffic. Knotted On a knotted pile carpet (formally, a supplementary weft cut-loop pile carpet), the structural weft threads alternate with a supplementary weft that rises at ri ght angles to the surface of the weave. This supplementary weft is attached to t he warp by one of three knot types (see below), such as which was popular i n the 1970s, to form the pile or nap of the carpet. Knotting by hand is most pre valent in oriental rugs and carpets. Kashmir carpets are also hand-knotted. Tufted These are carpets that have their pile injected into a backing material, which i s itself then bonded to a secondary backing made of a woven hessian weave or a m an made alternative to provide stability. This is the most common method of manu facturing of domestic carpets for floor covering purposes in the world. Others A flatweave carpet is created by interlocking warp (vertical) and weft (horizont al) threads. Types of oriental flatwoven carpet include , , plain wea ve, and tapestry weave. Types of European flatwoven carpets include Venetian, Du tch, , list, , and ingrain (aka , two-ply, triple clo th, or three-ply). A hooked rug is a simple type of rug handmade by pulling strips of cloth such as wool or cotton through the meshes of a sturdy fabric such as burlap. This type of rug is now generally made as a . Embroidery Unlike woven carpets, embroidery carpets are not formed on a loom. Their pattern is established by the application of stitches to a cloth (often linen) base. Th e tent stitch and the cross stitch are two of the most common. Embroidered carpe ts were traditionally made by royal and aristocratic women in the home, but ther e has been some commercial manufacture since steel needles were introduced (earl ier needles were made of bone) and linen weaving improved in the 16th century. M ary, Queen of Scots, is known to have been an avid embroiderer. 16th century des igns usually involve scrolling vines and regional flowers (for example, the Brad ford carpet). They often incorporate animal heraldry and the coat of arms of the maker. Production continued through the 19th century. Victorian embroidered car pet compositions include highly illusionistic, 3-dimensional flowers. Patterns f or tiled carpets made of a number of squares, called Berlin wool work, were intr oduced in Germany in 1804, and became extremely popular in England in the 1830s. Embroidered carpets can also include other features such as a pattern of shapes , or they can even tell a story. Production of knotted pile carpet A carpet seller in Jaipur, India Both flat and pile carpets are woven on a loom. Both vertical and horizontal loo ms have been used in the production of European and oriental carpets in some col ors. The warp threads are set up on the frame of the loom before weaving begins. A nu mber of weavers may work together on the same carpet. A row of knots is complete d and cut. The knots are secured with (usually one to four) rows of weft. The wa rp in woven carpet is usually cotton and the weft is jute.[citation needed] There are several styles of knotting, but the two main types of knot are the sym metrical (also called Turkish or Ghiordes) and asymmetrical (also called Persian or Senna). Flag of Turkmenistan Contemporary centers of carpet production are: Lahore and Peshawar (Pakistan), K ashmir (India / Pakistan), Bhadohi,[4] (Iran), , Azerbaijan, T urkey, Northern Africa, Nepal, , Turkmenistan, and Tibet. The importance of carpets in the culture of Turkmenistan is such that the nation al flag features a vertical red stripe near the hoist side, containing five carp et guls (designs used in producing rugs). Kashmir (India) has World Famous Handknotted carpets. These are usually of Silk and some woolen carpets are also woven. Child labour has often been used in Asia. The GoodWeave labelling scheme used th roughout Europe and North America assures that child labour has not been used: i mporters pay for the labels, and the revenue collected is used to monitor centre s of production and educate previously exploited children.[5] Fibres and yarns used in carpet Pitcher and mug on the background of a carpet Carpet can be made from many single or blended natural and synthetic fibres. Fib res are chosen for durability, appearance, ease of manufacture, and cost. In ter ms of scale of production, the dominant yarn constructions are polyamides (nylon s) and polypropylene with an estimated 90% of the commercial market.[6] Nylon Nylon is the most common material for construction of carpets. Both nylon 6 and nylon 6-6 are used. Nylon can be dyed topically or dyed in a molten state (solut ion dying). Nylon can be printed easily and has excellent wear characteristics. In carpets Nylon tends to stain easily because it possesses dye sites on the fib re. These dye sites need to be filled in order to give Nylon any type of stain r esistance. As nylon is petroleum-based it varies in price with the price of oil. Polypropylene Polypropylene is used to produce carpet yarns because it is inexpensive. It is d ifficult to dye and does not wear as well as wool or nylon. Polypropylene is com monly used to construct Berber carpets. In this case, polypropylene is commonly referred to as olefin. Large looped olefin Berber carpets are usually only suite d for light domestic use and tend to mat down quickly. Berber carpets with small er loops tend to be more resilient and retain their new appearance longer than l arge looped Berber styles. Commercial grade level-loop carpets have very small l oops, and commercial grade cut-pile styles are well constructed. When made with polypropylene these styles wear very well, making them very suitable for areas w ith heavy foot traffic such as offices. Polypropylene carpets are known to have good stain resistance but not against oil based agents. If a stain does set, it can be difficult to clean. Commercial grade carpets can be glued directly to the floor or installed over a 1/4" thick, 8-pound density padding. Outdoor grass ca rpets are usually made from polypropylene.[7] Wool and wool-blends Sausage carpet (wool) Wool has excellent durability, can be dyed easily and is fairly abundant. When b lended with synthetic fibres such as nylon the durability of wool is increased. Blended wool yarns are extensively used in production of modern carpet, with the most common blend being 80% wool to 20% synthetic fibre, giving rise to the ter m "80/20". Wool is relatively expensive and consequently a small portion of the market. Polyester The polyester known as "PET" (polyethylene terephthalate) is used in carpet manu facturing in both spun and filament constructions. After the price of raw materi als for many types of carpet rose in the early 2000s, polyester became more comp etitive. Polyester has good physical properties and is inherently stain-resistan t because it is hydrophobic, and, unlike nylon, does not have dye sites. Color i s infused in a molten state (solution dyeing). Polyester has the disadvantage th at it tends to crush or mat down easily. It is typically used in mid- to low-pri ced carpeting. Another polyester, "PTT" (Polytrimethylene terephthalate), also called Sorona or 3GT (Dupont)or Corterra (Shell), is a variant of PET. Lurgi Zimmer PTT was firs t patented in 1941, but it was not produced until the 1990s, when Shell Chemical s developed the low-cost method of producing high-quality 1,3 propanediol (PDO), the starting raw material for PTT Corterra Polymers. Acrylic Acrylic is a synthetic material first created by the Dupont Corporation in 1941 but has gone through various changes since it was first introduced. In the past Acrylic used to fuzz or pill easily, this happened when the fibres degraded over time and short strands broke away with contact or friction. Over the years Acry lics have been developed to alleviate some of these problems although the issues have not been completely removed. Acrylic is fairly difficult to dye but is col ourfast, washable and has the feel and appearance of wool making it an ideal rug fabric. Carpet binding Carpet binding is a term used for any material being applied to the edge of a ca rpet to make a rug. Carpet binding is usually cotton or nylon, but also comes in many other materials, such as leather. Non-synthetic binding is frequently used with bamboo, grass, and wool rugs, but is often used with carpet made from othe r materials. Early carpets The Pazyryk carpet, among the oldest surviving carpets in the world Carpet, made cotton (warp), silk (weft and pile), metal wrapped thread, 17th cen tury, Iran, probably Isfahan. The knotted pile carpet probably originated in the 3rd or 2nd millennium BC in W est Asia, perhaps the Caspian Sea area[8] or the Armenian Highland,[9] although there is evidence of goats and sheep being sheared for wool and hair which was s pun and woven as far back at the 7th millennium. The earliest surviving pile carpet is the "Pazyryk carpet", which dates from the 5th-4th century BC. It was excavated by Sergei Ivanovich Rudenko in 1949 from a Pazyryk burial mound in the Altai Mountains in Siberia. This richly colored car pet is 200 x 183 cm (6'6" x 6'0") and framed by a border of griffins.[10] Many e xperts in oriental carpets hypothesize that it is of Armenian workmanship.[9][11 ] Afghan carpets Main article: There has recently been a surge in demand for Afghan carpets, although many Afgh an carpet manufacturers market their products under the name of a different coun try.[12] The carpets are made in Afghanistan, as well as by Afghan refugees who reside in Pakistan and Iran.[13] Afghan rugs are usually inexpensive. Famous Afg han rugs include the Shindand or Adraskan (named after local Afghan villages), w oven in the area, in western Afghanistan. Armenian carpets Main article: Armenian carpet Armenian carpets were renowned by foreigners who traveled to Artsakh; the Arab g eographer and historian Al-Masudi noted that, among other works of art, he had n ever seen such carpets elsewhere in his life.[14] Art historian Hravard Hakobyan notes that "Artsakh carpets occupy a special plac e in the history of Armenian carpet-making."[15] Common themes and patterns foun d on Armenian carpets were the depiction of dragons and eagles. They were divers e in style, rich in color and ornamental motifs, and were even separated in cate gories depending on what sort of animals were depicted on them, such as artsvago rgs (eagle-carpets), vishapagorgs (dragon-carpets) and otsagorgs (serpent-carpet s).[15] The rug mentioned in the Kaptavan inscriptions is composed of three arch es, "covered with vegatative ornaments", and bears an artistic resemblance to th e illuminated manuscripts produced in Artsakh.[15] The art of carpet weaving was in addition intimately connected to the making of curtains as evidenced in a passage by Kirakos Gandzaketsi, a 13th century Armeni an historian from Artsakh, who praised Arzu-Khatun, the wife of regional prince Vakhtang Khachenatsi, and her daughters for their expertise and skill in weaving .[16] Chinese carpets See also: As opposed to most antique rug manufactory practices, Chinese carpets were woven almost exclusively for internal consumption. China has a long history of export ing traditional goods; however, it was not until the first half of the 19th cent ury that the Chinese began to export their rugs. Once in contact with western in fluences, there was a large change in production: Chinese manufactories began to produce art-deco rugs with commercial look and price point. The centuries old Chinese textile industry is rich in history. While most antiqu e carpets are classified according to a specific region or manufactory, scholars attribute the age of any specific Chinese rug to the ruling emperor of the time . The earliest surviving examples of the craft were produced during the time of Ch'ung Chen, the last emperor of the Chen Dynasty. Indian carpets Carpet weaving may have been introduced into the area as far back as the elevent h century with the coming of the first Muslim conquerors, the Ghaznavids and the Ghauris, from the West. It can with more certainty be traced to the beginning o f the Mughal Dynasty in the early fifteenth century, when the last successor of Timur, Babar, extended his rule from Kabul to India to found the Mughal Empire. Under the patronage of the Mughals, Indian craftsmen adopted Persian techniques and designs. Carpets woven in the Punjab made use of motifs and decorative style s found in Mughal architecture. Akbar, a Mogul emperor, is accredited to introducing the art of carpet weaving t o India in 1500 A.D. during his reign. The Mughal emperors patronized Persian ca rpets for their royal courts and palaces. During this period, he brought Persian craftsmen from their homeland and established them in India. Initially, the car pets woven showed the classic Persian style of fine knotting. Gradually it blend ed with Indian art. Thus the carpets produced became typical of the Indian origi n and gradually the industry began to diversify and spread all over the subconti nent. During the Mughal period, the carpets made on the Indian subcontinent became so famous that demand for them spread abroad. These carpets had distinctive designs and boasted a high density of knots. Carpets made for the Mughal emperors, incl uding Jahangir and Shah Jahan, were of the finest quality. Under Shah Jahan's re ign, Mughal carpet weaving took on a new aesthetic and entered its classical pha se.[citation needed] The Indian carpets are well known for their designs with attention to detail and presentation of realistic attributes. The carpet industry in India flourished m ore in its northern part with major centers found in Kashmir, Jaipur, Agra and B hadohi. Indian carpets are known for their high density of knotting. Hand-knotted carpet s are a speciality and widely in demand in the West. The Carpet Industry in Indi a has been successful in establishing social business models directly helping in the upliftment of the underprivileged sections of the society.[citation needed] Few notable examples of such social entrepreneurship ventures are Jaipur rugs,[ 17] Fabindia.[18] Another category of Indian rugs which, though quite popular in most of the weste rn countries, have not received much press is hand-woven rugs of Khairabad (Cita pore rugs).[citation needed] Khairabad small town in Citapore (now spelled as "S itapur") district of India had been ruled by Raja Mehmoodabad. Khairabad (Mehmoo dabad Estate) was part of Oudh province which had been ruled by shi'i Muslims ha ving Persian linkages. Citapore rugs made in Khairabad and neighbouring areas ar e all hand-woven and distinct from tufted and knotted rugs. Flat weave is the ba sic weaving technique of Citapore rugs and generally cotton is the main weaving material here but jute, and chenille are also popular. Ikea and Agocha hav e been major buyers of rugs from this area. Pakistani carpets Main article: Pakistani rug The art of weaving developed in South Asia at a time when few other civilization s employed it. Excavations at Moenjodaro and Harappa ancient cities of the Indus Valley civilization have established that the inhabitants used spindles and spu n a wide variety of weaving materials. Some historians consider that the Indus V alley civilization first developed the use of woven textiles. At present, hand-knotted carpets are among Pakistan's leading export products an d their manufacture is the second largest cottage and small industry. Pakistani craftsmen have the capacity to produce any type of carpet using all the popular motifs of gulls, medallions, paisleys, traceries, and geometric designs in vario us combinations.[19] Recently, at the time of independence, manufacturing of carpets was set up in Sa ngla Hill, a small Town of District Sheikhupura. Chaudary Mukhtar Ahmad Member s on of Maher Janda introduced and taught this art to locals and immigrants. He is considered founder of this industry in Pakistan. Sangla Hill is now a focal poi nt in Carpet Industry in Pakistan. Almost all the exporters and manufacturers wh o are running their business at Lahore, Faisalabad and Karachi have their area o ffices in Sangla Hill. Persian carpets Main article: The Persian carpet is a part of Persian (Iranian) art and culture. Carpet-weavin g in Persia dates back to the Bronze Age. The earliest surviving corpus of Persian carpets come from the Safavid dynasty ( 15011736) in the 16th century. However, painted depictions prove a longer history of production. There is much variety among classical Persian carpets of the 16t h and 17th century. Common motifs include scrolling vine networks, arabesques, p almettes, cloud bands, medallions, and overlapping geometric compartments rather than animals and humans.[citation needed] This is because Islam, the dominant r eligion in that part of the world, forbids their depiction.[citation needed] Sti ll, some show figures engaged either in the hunt or feasting scenes. The majorit y of these carpets are wool, but several silk examples produced in Kashan surviv e.[20] Iranian carpets are the finest in the world and their designs are copied by weav ers from other countries as well.[citation needed] Iran is also the world's larg est producer and exporter of handmade carpets, producing three quarters of the w orld's total output and having a share of 30% of world's export markets.[21][22] Iran is also the maker of the largest handmade carpet in history, measuring 60, 546 square feet.[23][24] Turkish carpets Main article: Turkish carpet Antique Oushak (Usak) carpet, late 19th Century Turkish carpets (also known as Anatolian), whether hand knotted or flat woven, a re among the most well known and established hand crafted art works in the world .[25] Historically: religious, cultural, environmental, sociopolitical and socio economic conditions created widespread utilitarian need and have provided artist ic inspiration among the many tribal peoples and ethnic groups in Central Asia a nd Turkey.[26] Turks; nomadic or pastoral, agrarian or town dwellers, living in tents or in sumptuous houses in large cities, have protected themselves from the extremes of the cold weather by covering the floors, and sometimes walls and do orways, with carpets and rugs. The carpets are always hand made of wool or somet imes cotton, with occasional additions of silk. These carpets are natural barrie rs against the cold. Turkish pile rugs and kilims are also frequently used as te nt decorations, grain bags, camel and donkey bags, ground , oven covers, sofa covers, bed and cushion covers, , curtains, eating blankets, table top spreads, prayer rugs, and for ceremonial occasions. The oldest records of flat woven kilims come from Çatalhöyük Neolithic pottery, circa 7000 B.C. One of the oldest settlements ever to have been discovered, Çatalhöyük is lo cated south east of Konya in the middle of the Anatolian region.[27] The excavat ions to date (only 3% of the town) not only found carbonized fabric but also fra gments of kilims painted on the walls of some of the dwellings. The majority of them represent geometric and stylized forms that are similar or identical to oth er historical and contemporary designs.[28] The knotted rug is believed to have reached Asia Minor and the Middle East with the expansion of various nomadic tribes peoples during the latter period of the great Turkic migration of the 8th and 9th centuries. Famously depicted in European paintings of The Renaissance, beautiful Anatolian rugs were often used from then until modern times, to indicate the high economic and social status of the owner. Women learn their weaving skills at an early age, taking months or even years to complete the beautiful pile rugs and flat woven kilims that were created for th eir use in every aspect of daily life. As is true in most weaving cultures, trad itionally and nearly exclusively, it is women and girls who are both artisan and weaver.[29] [30] [31] Turkmen ("Bukhara") carpet Main article: Turkmen carpet Azerbaijani rug Main article: Azerbaijani rug In November 2010 the Azerbaijani carpet was proclaimed a Masterpiece of Intangib le Heritage by UNESCO.[32][33] Oriental carpets in Europe Oriental carpets began to appear in Europe after the Crusades in the 11th centur y. Until the mid-18th century they were mostly used on walls and tables. Except in royal or ecclesiastical settings they were considered too precious to cover t he floor. Starting in the 13th century oriental carpets begin to appear in paint ings (notably from Italy, Flanders, England, France, and the Netherlands). Carpe ts of Indo-Persian design were introduced to Europe via the Dutch, British, and French East India Companies of the 17th and 18th century.[34] Spanish carpets Although isolated instances of carpet production pre-date the Muslim invasion of Spain, the Hispano-Moresque examples are the earliest significant body of Europ ean-made carpets. Documentary evidence shows production beginning in Spain as ea rly as the 10th century AD. The earliest extant Spanish carpet, the so-called Sy nagogue carpet in the Museum of , Berlin, is a unique survival dated to the 14th century. The earliest group of Hispano-Moresque carpets, Admiral car pets (also known as armorial carpets), has an all-over geometric, repeat pattern punctuated by blazons of noble, Christian Spanish families. The variety of this design was analyzed most thoroughly by May Beattie. Many of the 15th-century, S panish carpets rely heavily on designs originally developed on the Anatolian Pen insula. Carpet production continued after the Reconquest of Spain and eventual e xpulsion of the Muslim population in the 15th century. 16th-century Renaissance Spanish carpet design is a derivative of silk . Two of the most po pular motifs are wreaths and pomegranates. During the Moorish (Muslim) period pr oduction took place in Alcaraz in the province of Murcia, as well as being recor ded in other towns. Carpet production after the Christian reconquest continued i n Alcaraz while Cuenca, first recorded as a weaving centre in the 12th century, became increasingly important, and was dominant in the 17th and early 18th centu ry. Carpets of completely different French based designs began to be woven in a royal workshop, the Royal Tapestry Factory (Real Fábrica de Tapices de Santa Bárbara ) in in the 18th century. Cuenca was closed down by royal degree of Carlo s IV in the late 18th century to stop it competing with the new workshop. Madrid continued as a weaving centre through to the 20th century, producing brightly c oloured carpets most of whose designs are strongly influenced by French carpet d esign, and which are frequently signed (on occasions with the monogram MD; also sometimes with the name Stuyck) and dated in the outer stripe. After the Spanish civil war General Franco revived the carpet weaving industry in workshops named after him, weaving designs that are influenced by earlier Spanish carpets, usua lly in a very limited range of colours.[35] Bulgarian carpets Main article: Chiprovtsi carpet The Chiprovtsi carpet (????????? ?????) is a type of handmade carpet with two ab solutely identical sides, part of Bulgarian national heritage, traditions, arts and crafts. Its name is derived from the town of Chiprovtsi where their producti on started in 17th century. The carpet weaving industry played a key role in the revival of Chiprovtsi in the 1720s after the devastation of the failed 1688 Chi provtsi Uprising against rule. The western traveller Ami Boué, who visited Chiprovtsi in 18361838, reported that "mainly young girls, under shelters or in corridors, engage in carpet weaving. They earn only five francs a month and the payment was even lower before". By 1868, the annual production of carpets in Chi provtsi had surpassed 14,000 square metres.[36] In 1896, almost 1,400 women from Chiprovtsi and the region were engaged in carpet weaving. In 1920, the locals f ounded the Manual Labour carpet-weaving cooperative society, the first of its ki nd in the country.[37] At present. the carpet (kilim) industry remains dominant in the town.[38] Carpets have been crafted according to traditional designs, but in recent years it is up to the customers to decide the pattern of the carpet t hey have ordered. The production of a single 3 by 4 m (9.8 by 13 ft) carpet take s about 50 days; primarily women engage in carpet weaving. Work is entirely manu al and all used materials are natural; the primary material is wool, coloured us ing plant or mineral dyes. The local carpets have been prized at exhibitions in , Paris, Liège and Brussels.[39] In recent decades, however, the Chiprovtsi carpet industry has been in decline as it had lost its firm foreign markets. As a result, the town and the municipality have been experiencing a demographic cri sis. French carpets Main article: Savonnerie Savonnerie tapisserie 18th century Palace of Versailles, France In 1608 Henry IV initiated the French production of "Turkish style" carpets unde r the direction of Pierre DuPont. This production was soon moved to the Savonner ie factory in Chaillot just west of Paris. The earliest, well-known group produc ed by the Savonnerie, then under the direction of Simon Lourdet, are the carpets that were produced in the early years of Louis XIV's reign. They are densely or namented with flowers, sometimes in vases or baskets, against dark blue or brown grounds in deep borders. The designs are based on Netherlandish and Flemish tex tiles and paintings. The most famous Savonnerie carpets are the series made for the Grande Galerie and the Galerie d'Apollon in the Palais du Louvre between c. 1665-1685. These 105 masterpieces, made under the artistic direction of Charles Le Brun, were never installed, as Louis XIV moved the court to Versailles in 168 8. Their design combines rich acanthus leaves, architectural framing, and mythol ogical scenes (inspired by Cesare Ripa's Iconologie) with emblems of Louis XIV's royal power. Pierre-Josse Perrot is the best-known of the mid-eighteenth-century carpet desig ners. His many surviving works and drawings display graceful rococo s-scrolls, c entral rosettes, shells, acanthus leaves, and floral swags. The Savonnerie manuf actory was moved to the Gobelins in Paris in 1826.[40] The Beauvais manufactory, better known for their tapestry, also made knotted pil e carpets from 1780 to 1792. Carpet production in small, privately owned worksho ps in the town of Aubusson began in 1743. Carpets produced in France employ the symmetrical knot.[35] English carpets Knotted pile carpet weaving technology probably came to England in the early 16t h century with Flemish Calvinists fleeing religious persecution. Because many of these weavers settled in South-eastern England in Norwich the 14 extant 16th an d 17th century carpets are sometimes referred to as "Norwich carpets." These wor ks are either adaptations of Anatolian or Indo-Persian designs or employ Elizabe than-Jacobean scrolling vines and blossoms. All but one are dated or bear a coat of arms. Like the French, English weavers used the symmetrical knot. There are documented and surviving examples of carpets from three 18th-century manufactori es: Exeter (17561761, owned by Claude Passavant, 3 extant carpets), Moorfields (1 7521806, owned by Thomas Moore, 5 extant carpets), and Axminster (17551835, owned by Thomas Whitty, numerous extant carpets). Exeter and Moorfields were both staf fed with renegade weavers from the French Savonnerie and, therefore, employ the weaving structure of that factory and Perrot-inspired designs. Neoclassical desi gner Robert Adam supplied designs for both Moorfields and base d on Roman floor mosaics and coffered ceilings. Some of the most well-known rugs of his design were made for Syon House, Osterley House, Harewood House, Saltram House, and Newby Hall. Axminter carpet was a unique floor covering made origina lly in a factory founded at Axminster, Devon, England, in 1755 by the cloth weav er Thomas Whitty. Resembling somewhat the Savonnerie carpets produced in France, Axminster carpets were symmetrically knotted by hand in wool on woolen warps an d had a weft of flax or hemp. Like the French carpets, they often featured Renai ssance architectural or floral patterns; others mimicked oriental patterns. Simi lar carpets were produced at the same time in Exeter and in the Moorfields secti on of London and, shortly before, at Fulham in Middlesex. The Whitty factory clo sed in 1835 with the advent of machine-made carpeting. The name Axminster, howev er, survived as a generic term for machine-made carpets whose pile is produced b y techniques similar to those used in making velvet or chenille.[41] Axminster c arpet has three main types of broadloom carpet construction in use today (machin e woven, tufted & hand knotted). Machine woven carpet is an investment that will last 20 or 30 years and woven Axminster and Wilton carpets are still extremely popular in areas where longevity and design flexibility are a big part of the pu rchasing decision. Hotels and leisure venues almost always choose these types an d many homes use woven Axminsters as design statements. Machine woven carpets li ke Axminster and Wilton are made by massive looms that weave together bobbins of c arpet yarn and backing. The finished result, which can be intricately patterned, creates a floor that provides supreme underfoot luxury with high performance. T ufted carpets are also popular in the home. They are relatively speedy to make - a pre-woven backing has yarns tufted into it. Needles push the yarn through the backing and which is then held in place with underlying loopers. Tufted carpets c an be twist pile, velvet, or loop pile. Twist pile carpets are produced when one or more fibres are twisted in the tufting process, so that in the finished carp et they appear to be bound together. Velvet pile carpets tend to have a shorter pile and a tighter construction, giving the finished article a smooth, velvety a ppearance. Loop pile carpets are renowned for being hard wearing and lend carpet s great texture. The traditional domain of rugs from far away continents, hand k notted squares and rugs use the expertise of weavers to produce work of the fine st quality. Traditional rugs often feature a deliberate mistake on behalf of the w eaver to guarantee their authenticity.[42] Six of Axminster carpets are known as the "Lansdowne" group. These have a tripartite design with reeded circles and b askets of flowers in the central panel flanked by diamond lozenges in the side p anels. Axminster Rococo designs often have a brown ground and include birds copi ed from popular, contemporary engravings. Even now a large percentage of the 55, 000 population town still seek employment in this industry. The town of Wilton, Wiltshire is also known for its carpet weaving, which dates back to the 18th cen tury.[43] Modern carpeting and installation Macro shot of Berber carpet. Berber carpets are a style of carpet containing big and small tufts. It uses a loop pile construction type, and usually contains sm all flecks of dark color on lighter shade background colors. Carpet is commonly made in widths of 12 and 15 feet (4.6 m) in the USA, 4m and 5 m in Europe. Where necessary different widths can be seamed together with a seam ing iron and seam tape (formerly it was sewn together) and it is fixed to a floo r over a cushioned (pad) using nails, tack strips (known in the UK as g ripper rods), adhesives, or occasionally decorative metal stair rods, thus disti nguishing it from rugs or mats, which are loose-laid floor coverings. For enviro nmental reasons, the use of wool, natural bindings, natural padding, and formald ehyde-free glues is becoming more common. These options are almost always at a p remium cost, though with no sacrifice to performance. Machine used to cut and re-roll carpet lengths In the UK some carpets are still manufactured for pubs and clubs in a narrow wid th of 27" (0.69m) and then sewn to size. Carpeting which covers an entire room a rea is loosely referred to as 'wall-to-wall', but carpet can be installed over a ny portion thereof with use of appropriate transition moldings where the carpet meets other types of floor coverings. Carpeting is more than just a single item; it is, in fact, a system comprising the carpet itself, the carpet backing (ofte n made of latex), the cushioning underlay, and a method of installation. Carpet tiles are also available, typically 50 cm square. These are usually only used in commercial settings and are affixed using a special pressure-sensitive g lue, which holds them into place while allowing easy removal (in an office envir onment, for example) or to allow rearrangement in order to spread wear.[44] See also The Carpet Seller (Giulio Rosati) Floor cleaning Heatsetting Knots per sq cm References ^ "The Free Dictionary by Farlex". Thefreedictionary.com. Retrieved 2012-01- 26. ^ "Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary". Merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2012-0 1-26. ^ How It's Made, Season 2, Episode 7 ^ "Famed Bhadohi carpet gets GI tag". The Times of India. Sep 9, 2010. ^ "About the GoodWeave label". Goodweave.org. Retrieved 2012-01-26. ^ Gudrun Heisterberg-Moutsis, Rainer Heinz, Thomas F. Wolf, Dominic J. Harpe r, David James, Richard P. Mazzur, Volker Kettler, Hansgert Soiné Floor Coverings Ul lmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry 2002, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim. doi:10.1 002/14356007.a11_263 ^ "Berbercarpetbible.com". 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External links Books.google.com, "What Makes A Rug Good", February 1946, Popular Science] d etailed article on carpet and manufacturing of figured Wilton carpeting. v t e Rugs and carpets Rugs Abadeh Afghan Ahar Alcaraz Arak Ardabil Azerbaijani Bakhtiari Balouch Bessarabian Bidjar Borujerd Braided Caucasian Eagle Flokati Heriz Isfahan Jozan Kashan Kashmir Kerman Kilim Kuba Kurdish Lilihan Mashhad Nain Navajo Oriental Pakistani Qom Sarouk Seraband Seychour Shiraz Tabriz Tibetan Turkmen Uzbek Julkhyr Uzbek Napramach War Yürük Carpets Ardabil Armenian Baharestan Bakshaish Bellini Berber Bergama Bessarabian Bradford Caucasian Coronation Chiprovtsi Crivelli Fitted Gabbeh Hereke Karabakh Konya Kuba Holbein Lilihan Lotto Memling Milas Persian Red Sarouk Turkish Ushak Yomut Oriental carpets in Renaissance painting

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