Why Not Wool?

When selecting floor covering for your home, don't forget to take another look at WOOL. Carpet comes in so many choices now: Nylon, Olefin, PET, Smartstrand and Tacteese, and then there are a multitude of synthetic names, but let's not forget where it all started, where we came from and revisit WOOL. Granted, most consumers will not get their entire house installed with wall-to-wall wool carpet, but don't totally discount that – depending on your situation, wool can be a very practical choice. Some of the features and benefits of wool carpet that you may not know:

Ease of Maintenance: Wool Rugs vs. Man-Made Fibre Rugs - Since wool came from sheep (I know right, sometimes we forget), it has a highly complex composition, which acts as protection for these animals from extreme heat and cold. The wool fibre is made up of overlapping scales, arranged much like roof shingles, in an upward fashion. This helps keep the dirt particles on the surface, where they can be easily vacuumed.

Wool Rugs are Durable: Wool has a natural fibre elasticity that can stretch up to 40 percent and bounce back again and again, making it extremely crush resistant in a high-traffic areas.  Your wool rug/carpet can last up to 30 years! 

Wool Rugs Have a Built-in Protective Finish: This component of wool comes from the lanolin in wool. Lanolin acts as a natural repellent to dust mites and is a natural stain inhibitor. Liquid spills are repelled to the upper surface of the wool, which can then be easily blotted up. Wool's natural qualities work much better than any chemical treatments, and it's all natural.  

Wool is Hypoallergenic: It seems that so many of us have allergies these days and want to use products that do not exacerbate them. Wool has natural anti- bacterial properties; it acts as a repellent for mold, bacteria and dust mites. 

Wool is Flame Retardant: Wool is difficult to ignite and has a low flame-spread. Wool carpets do not melt and contribute less to smoke or toxic gas formation compared to other carpet fibres. That is one reason why airplanes, hotels and restaurants use wool as their carpeting of choice.

Wool Resists Static and Mildew: Static is reduced by wool’s natural ability to retain up to 30 percent of its weight in moisture. Wool has a naturally low PH, which makes it resistant to mildew, mold and fungi in almost any climate.

Wool is not for everyone, but it can be a great option in certain situations.  It's another one of those products that you "get what you pay for."  

Just don't forget to take another look at wool when in the midst of that remodel project.  It's been around forever!