When it comes to buying an area carpet or wall to wall carpet, deciding on what quality to buy is often difficult because both types of products offer different benefits. Synthetic fibers are made to look like natural fibers, such as wool, but they are still synthetic, and, arguably not as good. Even though most fibers are made to look like wool, the way they feel almost always gives it away. Do you want a good copy or the real deal?

Originally, wool was the sole fibre used for floor coverings. With the advent of nylon, it became cheaper to use synthetic fibres, such as nylon, acrylic and polyester, especially in wall-to-wall installations. However, with consideration of such factors as the increase in oil prices (from which most synthetic fibres are made) and environmental concerns about the\ off-gassing of fumes and use of non-renewable resources, wool is coming back into favour.

Wool fibers are sheared from sheep and contain lanolin, a natural stain resistor, whereas synthetics are chemically produced and then are said to be “stain treated.” Also, in a fire, wool will only smolder, whereas synthetics will burn, and then melt giving off noxious fumes.

Durability is another one of those differentiators. You can also expect much greater durability from wool not because they last longer, but because they stay better looking for longer periods. Wool can be easier to maintain when used lightly because wool is made up of many fine wool strands which abrade very slowly. Synthetic fibers, on the other hand, can be damaged irreparably and turn s slight bit duller. The fibers last forever, but they tend to look shabby after a bit of time. Wool, on the other hand, always seems to look like near new.

Taking all this into consideration, wool is a far superior product for floor coverings than any synthetic carpeting material and is highly recommended by most reputable retailers, especially when installed by an expert who has knowledge and experience of wool broadloom installations.

When you next visit a showroom that specializes in the sale of quality area rugs, you can usually see a full range of wool broadloom as well. If you are chemically sensitive you might look for rugs that are made from purely natural materials, or even made without dyes.

if you are interested in buying wool area rugs or wool wall to wall broadloom rather than synthetic rugs and carpet, it is better to pay a visit to a reputable retail rug store that specialize in quality products, with knowledgeable staff that can guide you in your selection. Getting correct advice will help with the selection based on quality, durability and suitability. Knowing the pros and cons of both wool and synthetic rugs will make your final decision and informed one.