WOOL

Wool has always set the standard for fine carpets. Wool broadloom and area rugs are soft and luxurious. They hold their shape and fresh look longer than any other carpet fiber. Wool is naturally stain-resistant and flame-retardant, without added chemical treatments. No wonder carpet manufacturers try to replicate wool, with limited success. Because wool carpets tend to be more expensive, most people never consider them. The irony is that wool is always the better value in the long run. If properly cared for, wool carpets and area rugs can last 50 years or more.

DURABILITY

Wool fibers are naturally elastic. When crushed or stretched, they bounce back to their original shape. Synthetic fibers lose their shape more quickly. They flatten, pill or wear in high-traffic areas and beneath heavy furniture.

STAIN-RESISTANCE

Wool carpets derive their stain-resistance from the nature of the fibers. Wool repels liquids, the culprit in most stains. Spills usually blot up, and regular vacuuming removes dry dirt efficiently. Wool does stain more easily than synthetic carpets, which are often chemically treated for stain resistance. Wool carpets are free of these chemical treatments.

FLAME-RETARDANT

Wool fibers will not ignite when exposed to flame. Wool self-extinguishes quickly, often leaving the carpet with only a small amount of ash that can be brushed away. It takes just a single cinder or spark to melt unsightly patches into many synthetic carpets.

AIR QUALITY

Wool fibers have microscopic scales that capture and hold dust particles until they are vacuumed. This results in less dust in the air, a benefit for people who suffer from allergies. Some studies have shown that wool carpet may also help purify the air by absorbing certain common indoor contaminants, including formaldehyde, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide. Wool takes in these contaminants far more quickly and completely than synthetic carpets.