What Is Polypropylene Rug Backing

Synthetic rugs are durable and they are available in flat weaves shags short tufted pile and other styles that can complement a hardwood floor.

What is polypropylene rug backing.

All synthetic rugs lack wool s brilliant spiral structure created by mother nature meaning the fibers tend to become matted down and tear from foot traffic and heavy furniture. Some of the higher end manufacturers use a polypropylene backing that is tighter woven with the backing cells closer together. It has some excellent characteristics that make it an ideal choice for rugs and carpets. Polypropylene rugs also known as olefin rugs are designed to look like sisal but they are actually made from synthetic fibers.

Age of synthetic rugs synthetic. When polypropylene backs are used on these materials it can have the potential to release over 40 chemicals into the environment s air including styrene and 4 phenylcuclohexane 4 pc according to ecology center if you have ever installed new carpeting into your home or placed a brand. Today s synthetic rugs manufactured from viscose rayon nylon acrylic or polypropylene achieve looks similar to some made from natural materials. Polypropylene the main ingredient in the rug is simply a polymer created from monomer propylene and is frequently used in packaging labels textiles and reusable containers.

You can look at rugs with natural backings such as cotton jute and woven backings. Area rugs that say safe for use with hardwoods should be just fine. In fact polypropylene is often used to help clean up oil spills in lakes and oceans by skimming a polypropylene net across the surface of the water to soak up the oil. It is a soft back similar to shaw industries backing only heavier highpic backing.

Unfortunately olefin s weakness for oils means that any oil based spill or residue will not easily be cleaned from the carpet s fibers. You may also hear the term unitary backing which is a heavy application of coating applied directly to the carpet s back without using a secondary backing. As is the case for all vinyl floors rubber and latex mats can sometimes cause staining discoloration so it s best to avoid them if possible although there may be some out there designed. Polypropylene or olefin is a popular and versatile fiber usually used for making carpets after nylon.

This homequicks write up tells you some pros and cons of polypropylene rugs. To find out if a rug has a woven rug backing simply turn the rug over. Olefin rugs can be inexpensive rug options but they generally come with woven backings that can actually damage floors. Synthetic rugs are not as resilient to foot traffic as wool rugs.

Luxurybac carpet backing made by beaulieu of america for their bliss line. The usual life span of a polypropylene nylon acrylic or polyester rug is 3 5 years with professional cleaning. Did you know that most synthetic carpets and rugs are made from nylon fibers with a polypropylene backing.