A

Axminster carpet: A multi-colored carpet in which individual pile tufts are inserted by machine from colored yarn spools. This process allows for a virtually unlimited range of colorful patterns. English in origin.
 
 

B

Berber carpet: Berber carpet refers to the level-loop or multi-level-loop class and are usually made of earth toned or off-white flecked yarns. Some Berbers include both loop and cut pile in the same carpet.  While natural colors are most common, Berber carpet is also available in pastels and dark tones.

Binding: A strip of sturdy fabric sewn to carpet edge for protection against unraveling.
 
 

C

Carpet: Any fabric or textile floor covering..

Carpet backing: The textile back of the carpet as opposed to the carpet pile front or face.  Tufted carpets have two backings.  The first is a primary backing into which the yarn is inserted.  The secondary backing is laminated to the back of the carpet for reinforcement and to neutralize stretching.

Carpet cushion: Material placed under carpet to absorb vibration and add softness.   Also known as padding or underlay.

Carpet pile: Yarn, either looped or cut, that is pulled through the base fabric to form the face or surface of the carpet.

Carpet squares: “tiles” of carpet that usually are adhesive-backed for easy installation.

Ceramic tile: Flat shapes made of unglazed or glazed fired clay.  Used for floors by setting in mortar or cement in a variety of patterns. Ceramic tile is strong, durable and easy to clean.

Cork flooring:Cork is a natural resilient floor covering. Made from the bark of cork oak trees, cork flooring is available in both tiles and sheets. It is available in many different colors, including natural and can also be found reinforced with resins or vinyl.

Cut and loop carpet: Varied-level pile of both uncut low loops and sheared top loops create a sculptured pattern. .

Cut pile: Type of carpet in which the face is composed of cut yarns..

D

Dhurrie: Dhurrie carpets are flat-woven rugs of cotton or silk.  Traditionally made in India, they come in a wide range of colors and distinctive patterns.

E
 
 
 

F

Frieze: Also known as Twist Pile, Hardtwist, and Hightwist, this style is made of tightly twisted yarn that gives a rough, nubby appearance to carpet pile.  Also carpet made from frieze yarns. Frieze carpets are less prone to show footmarks.

Floorologist: Originally trademarked by Arthur Day in 1970 this term refers to a highly trained and experienced floor covering specialist.

G

Glazed tile: Fired clay tiles that are then coated with a matte or glossy sealant. Glazed tiles absorb less moisture.
 

H

Hardtwist: rough nubbed finish that is achieved by "supertwisting" the individual yarn loops. Also called friese, twistpile or hightwist.

High Low: Multilevel carpet style comprising high and low loop pile areas or high cut-pile and low loop areas.  The latter is also called a cut and loop style.

Hightwist: rough nubbed finish that is achieved by "supertwisting" the individual yarn loops. Also called friese, hardtwist, or twistpile.

Hooked rug: Rugs made by pulling yarns or fabric strips through a mesh backing using a hook or latch.  Sometimes, hooked rugs form a picture or other design.

I

Indoor/Outdoor carpet: Carpet made of super-resilient fibers (example: olefin or polyester) in order to withstand outdoor use.

J
 
 

K

Kilim or Kelim: A flat-woven carpet or rug originally made in Persia (Iran).
 
 

L

Laminate flooring: Dense fiberboard core with a paper pattern layer sealed under high pressure with a plastic-like substance.  Sold as planks and panels in which the paper layer depicts a natural flooring such as wood or stone.

Level loop carpet: Woven or tufted carpet having all yarns looped to identical heights creating an even or level surface.  Berbers are level loop carpets in which the loops are relatively long.

Linoleum: First resilient floor made of linseed oil, gums, cork or wood dust and pigments. Widely used in the 1950's and greatly admired for the variety of patterns and colors, linoleum was replaced with vinyl flooring and has passed into history. It is no longer available in the United States.
 
 

M

Marble: Elegant polished stone flooring usually sold as tiles. Marble is "floated" in a cement underlayment to form a smooth glossy surface.

Multi-level Loop carpet: Carpet with two or three levels forming a random sculptural surface.
 
 

N
 
 

O

Outdoor carpet: Polypropylene carpet for use outdoors on patios, walks and decks. Outdoor carpet is durable and able to withstand the harsh effects of weather. Also known as indoor/outdoor carpet.

Oriental rug: Hand-woven or hand knotted rugs traditionally made in the Middle or Far East.  Generally, the more knots per square inch the more precious the carpet.
 
 

P

Parquet floors: Wood flooring, usually in the form of tiles, that is laid to creat a pattern.

Pickled floors: Rustic looking wood flooring that consists rubbed white paint over a finished wood floor.

Pile: General term for the surface or face of non-woven carpet. Pile is made of yarn tufts in loop and/or cut configuration.

Plank flooring: Wood flooring made of long boards more than 3-inches wide.

Plush carpet: (see chart) A smooth, even-cut pile carpet in which individual tufts are only minimally visible and the overall visual effect is a single level of fiber ends.

Printed carpet: Carpet having colored patterns applied by methods similar to printing flat textiles and paper.
 
 

Q

Quarry tile: Glazed or unglazed ceramic tile made of natural clay and shale using an extrusion process.  Usually quarry tile is in natural terracotta.
 
 

R

Rag rug: A colorful rug which is woven from cotton scraps.

Random sheared carpet: Created by lightly cutting high-low loop carpet so that only the higher loops are cut.  Random shearing produces a chance cut and loop pattern.

Remnant: A small piece of carpet from the end of a roll of carpet.

Resilient floor: Flooring made by combining a plastic material with filler and pigments, then pressed into tiles or sheets.  If a backing material is used, the plastic sheet is pressed onto the backing.  Types include solid vinyl, backed or cushioned vinyl, rubber, cork, and linoleum.

Rubber flooring: Type of resilient flooring made from a synthetic rubber.  Rubber floors usually have a raised textureand are very durable.

Rug: Loose laid carpet which is bound on all edges.
 
 

S

Saxony carpet: Cut-pile carpet, similar to shag, but with individual tufts much more closely packed.  Smoother finished saxonies are called “plushes.”

Sculptured carpet: Any carpet pattern formed from high and low pile areas, such as high-low loop or cut-and-loop.

Shag Pile: Today's shag is available in heavyweight yarn tufts that are cut and distinct from each other.

Sisal flooring: Matting made from sisal, an natural plant from India.  Sisal fibers are woven and sometimes colored or painted.

Slate: A naturally laminated stone pieces or tiles that are set in mortar or cement resulting in a interesting natural pattern.

Soil retardant: A chemical applied to carpet and fabric surfaces which inhibits attachment of soil to fiber.

Stretch: Amount of elongation of carpet when it is pulled over pad onto tackless strips during installation

Strip flooring: The most popular wood flooring, it is made of long, narrow -- about 3 inches wide -- tongue-and-groove boards that are end-matched.  Strip flooring wider than 3 inches is referred to as plank flooring.
 
 

T

Tackless installation: Wall-to-wall installation of carpet accomplished by stretching carpet to fit over tack embedded wood strips to hold the carpet to the wall.

Terrazzo: A multicolored stone floor made of small pieces of stone embedded  in cement.  The floor is then polished to a high shine.
 
 

U
 
 

V

Vinyl composition tile: Smooth surfaced plastic floor made from vinyl resins and filler materials to create resilient flooring in assorted colors and patterns.

Vinyl solid flooring: This smooth surfaced plastic floor is a mixture of vinyl resins, fillers, and stabilizers with one color added.  Produced in either square tiles or sheet goods.
 
 

W

Wilton carpet: Carpet woven on Wilton looms in England. A traditional carpet that has a distinguished history.

Wood flooring: Most wood flooring includes hardwoods such as oak, maple, pecan, beech and birch.  There is solid wood flooring and laminated, which combines wood layered in different directions for strength and to inhibit warping.  Most wood flooring today is prefinished at the factory for ease of installations and uniformity of finish.

Woven carpet: Carpets created on looms which intertwine lengthwise with widthwise yarns.  Examples of woven carpet are Kilim, Axminster and Wilton.
 
 

X
 
 

Y
 
 

Z