What is a Broadloom Carpet

Carpets not only adorn the floors of your home but also provide protection in several ways. They guard you against the cold touch of the floor during winters and provide a comfortable padding to walk upon. There are hundreds of varieties, which also include area rugs and broadloom carpets. 

Broadloom is a machine which weaves carpets on a very wide loom. The weaving process is controlled by a computer program, which gives you myriad options of choosing the length and height of pile, carpet colors, design patterns, etc. The very large loom ensures that there are no seams, hence the carpet you thus get is whole and seamless.

Wool, horsehair and sisal are some natural materials used in it. Besides, synthetic materials like plastic and nylon can also be used. These materials can be treated with chemicals to make them fire resistant. You can also use special fireproof fibers, if your buildings laws are strict about it. The manufacturing cost of this carpet is less than an area rug.

Hence, many manufacturers cut a large broadloom carpet into several throw rugs and integrate machine made borders on them. They are fixed permanently with tacks or nailed down to the flooring. Carpet pads are often placed underneath to make them more comfortable to walk upon and to provide better insulation.

Broadloom carpets are undoubtedly a favorite choice of homeowners who have large living rooms or long hallways. One of the biggest advantage of installing this carpet is that, its uninterrupted pattern makes the room appear spacious and neat. This cannot be achieved when you use a rug woven on several narrow looms.

Since there are no seams, the dust cannot make its way inside the carpet and scratch your flooring. Thus, when you decide to remove it, your flooring is as good as new. You can also install it on an unfinished or less than perfect flooring. The permanent tacking or nailing ensures that it does not slip from its position.

Hence, tripping or falling incidences are minimized. In addition, it also offers better insulation and sound absorption. Another advantage is that, you can choose the height of pile according to the area in which you intend to use it. Short and thick pile is apt for family rooms or busy hallways which have heavy foot traffic.

A long pile, no matter how luxurious it looks, can quickly reveal foot markings. Such plush pile can be used for bedrooms or other rooms with low foot traffic. However, installing a broadloom carpet also carries certain pitfalls. Due to its enormous size, its installation cost is high, as it has to be done by professionals only.

Although accumulation of dust is low, you cannot clean it on a regular basis, as you can with a throw rug. Moving or repositioning is not possible as it is tacked or nailed to the floor. As a result, you cannot reduce its wear and tear in the areas of heavy foot traffic. Thus, it tends to wear off pretty quickly.

Nonetheless, broadloom carpets can be a value addition to your home due to its sheer beauty and comfort. Choosing a right pile height can alleviate the problem of wear and tear due to overuse.