Carpet Surface Weight

Don t use one factor alone as an indicator of a carpet s overall quality.

Carpet surface weight.

Judging carpet quality. A carpet s total weight is the face weight weight of the backing. 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 weight of the back also doesn t mean much as far as durability.

Carpet face weight is defined as the weight of the carpet pile per square yard of carpet measured in ounces. For example a carpet with a 50 ounce face weight and a pile height of 1 2 an inch would have a density of 3 600 ounces per cubic yard 50 x 36 0 5 3 600. Most carpets have a face weight somewhere between 20 ounces and 100 ounces. It should not be confused with the carpet s total weight which is the combined weight of the pile plus the backing.

Backing is heavy compared to the carpet fiber so total weights are much higher than face weights. The term refers to the weight of the carpet s fibers only not the backing material. Fiber face weight is not the same as total carpet weight which includes the weight of the carpet backing and the fiber face weight. 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.

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. Yes a heavier backing may be better made but it s not accurate enough to judge a carpet. The last consideration is face weight weight of the carpet pile per square yard.