Wool vs Synthetic

Both of these materials have their advantages. Either material makes beautiful and fashionable rugs for your decorating needs.

Wool
Wool rugs are popular for their unique feel, exquisite look, and incredible durability.

A rug is labeled as wool if it has a wool fiber content of 90 percent or more. A rug may also be considered a wool rug if it has a 100 percent wool face on a non wool backing. Many wool rugs are handmade in India and China. Although the majority are made by hand there are machine operated looms. The different types of wool for various rugs come from different species of sheep. The softest and highest quality wool in the world comes from the sheep raised in the island climate of New Zealand.
The biggest advantage that a wool rug has over its synthetic counterpart is its longevity. The natural wool fiber has a memory that resists crushing and wear. It also has natural oils and lanolin that keeps it soft and pliable (depending on the type of wool.) This same feature protects the fiber from accidental stains by locking the liquid outside and on the surface of the yarn. Because wool is a natural fiber it is important to clean the rug regularly to keep it in good condition. Some wool rugs are dyed with natural vegetable and insect dyes which will fade in sunlight. This natural fading will cause a variegated pattern to emerge, which increases the value of the rug.
A wool rug, which is carefully and diligently cared for, should last 20 to 30 years or more. Unless the rug is destroyed or not taken care of properly, it should not decrease in value. A hand made rug, which stands the test of time, may one day become a genuine antique worth much more than the original purchase price.

Synthetic

There are many benefits of owning a synthetic rug. The rug can be inexpensive while still being fairly durable and extremely stain resistant. Many synthetic rugs are available for $100 to $400 in a 5x8 or 6x9 size. A thicker, denser synthetic rug with more colors and a more intricate design will be on the high end of the scale while the thinner rug with more basic design will cost less.

A synthetic rug is made of any material that is not a natural fiber (i.e., wool, cotton or sisal.) Most synthetic rugs are made with a polypropylene or olefin fiber. Polypropylene is a thermoplastic resin that is most commonly used as a tough plastic. Olefin is an open chain hydrocarbon. Both of these materials are basically hard plastics. This material is heated and, while molten, spun by machines into ultra fine threads. These fine threads are then twisted together to make a very durable, stain resistant yarn. Because these materials are non-porous, it is almost impossible for any stain to set into the fiber. This man made yarn is produced specifically for us in the looms which weave carpet and rugs.

Some synthetic rugs may only have eight or nine colors in the entire rug due to the methods with which they are woven. A newer method of weaving and new looms, known as the side woven method, mimics the look and feel of a hand knotted rug. Under this new process, the finished product may have 12 to 30 colors available. After the machine weaving process is completed the rugs are cut from the roll then serged and fringed to finish the product.