Glossary of Terms

Like most industries, carpet and flooring has a language of its own. Here are explanations of some of the more commonly used terms.

If you have come across any other terms which we can add to this list, please let us know by calling Freephone (UK) 0800 3280315 or using our enquiry form and we will be pleased to add them to this page.

Berber
Heavy loop carpet in natural colours. Made from combination of wool and man-made fibres.

Cut pile
Tip sheared (smooth) finish to the carpet fibres.

Hard twist
This is a triple twist yarn.

Loop
Some carpets have woven loops to form the pile.

Secondary backing
A second backing on some carpets. Could be jute, foam or latex.

Sprouting
This is when a thread works free from the carpet backing and rises above the others. Any sprouting threads should be cut back to match rest of carpet, do not pull them out!

All prices exclude delivery and VAT unless stated otherwise. Pictures of products are for guidance only. Colours cannot be reproduced accurately due to technical reasons. Please ask for samples where available. We endeavour to keep all information up to date but cannot guarantee availability of any product. Information on this page is subject to change without notice. Carpet Time Limited, its staff and associated companies accept no liability for loss or injury arising from use of the information on this web site.