Soft Surface Floors: Rugs and Carpets
Area Rug Soft floor coverings that range in sizes and shapes and are used to define an area, such as a seating area, within a room. Smaller area rugs are also known as "scatter rugs."
Room-size Rug Loose-laid rugs that are designed or cut to come within about 12" of each wall.
Room-fit Rug Loose-laid rugs designed or cut to come within one or two inches of the walls.
Runner A long, narrow form of a room-fit rug installed in hallways and on stairs.
Berber Carpet A style of rugs and carpet containing large and small tufts. It uses a loop pile construction type, and usually contains small flecks of dark color on a lighter shade background color.
Berber
Carpet modules (or squares) Floor coverings, generally 18" square, that are laid wall-to-wall; may be installed with no adhesive or with releasable or permanent adhesive.
Carpet squares
Frieze (frise) (pronounced "free-zay") Name assigned to pile floor covering surfaces composed of yarns of maximum twist.
Plush One level, cut pile surface texture; low levels of twist; pile height usually less than 1"; also known as velvet and velvet plush.
Saxony One level, cut pile surface texture; pile height less than 1"; high yarn twist that is stabilized by heat setting. Yarn ends are well defined.
Sculptured Multilevel cut and loop pile surface texture; in most cases, the higher loops are all cut and the lower loops are all uncut.
Shag One level, cut pile surface texture; pile height over 1"; pile density is lower than that of plush and saxony textures.
Velour The surfaces are fine, short, dense constructions. High pile construction densities; decreased height with same pile yarn weight.
Natural Fiber Rugs and Mats Very tough rugs made from sisal, or sisal hemp, jute, seagrass, and coir. These are stiff fibers most often spun into rope then woven into rugs and finished with bound edges.
Braided Rug A three strand braid is created using a variety of materials (felt or fabric strips), and then sewn together in an oval or round shape. Very tough and rustic.
Wilton Rug A type of weaving - a rug woven on a Jacquard loom.
Aubusson Rug French rug characterized by classic designs, soft pastel colors, and a fine loop pile.
Flokati Rug Long-pile wool floor covering.
Savonnerie Rug French "Oriental" rugs distinguished by classic designs and soft pastel colors.
Semi-antique Rugs Oriental rugs woven during the latter part of the 19th century.

 

  
Free-lay Installation Installation of carpet modules are held in place by gravity, not by adhesive.

 

  
Glue-down Installation Installation of carpet or carpet modules in which a permanent or releasable adhesive is used and a pad is not used.