One of the most common requests we receive from homeowners searching for a new carpet is for flooring that won’t show vacuum marks or footprints for all the world to see.
The good news is that several luxurious, plush carpets currently on the market will not show track marks. Read on to discover why some carpets show every footprint while others hide them — and which ones to choose for a track-free home.
Why Some Flooring Shows Footprints
What makes a carpet show tracking marks, including paw prints, footprints and swipes from the vacuum? Let’s consider one of the most revealing carpet types — a straight Saxony. These carpets closely resemble velvet and feature fibers that all twist to face the same direction.
As a result, brushing a shoe, hand, foot or vacuum across the rug will move the fibers, causing them to reflect light waves at various angles. Brushed fibers will appear lighter or darker than the undisturbed adjacent fibers.
What Carpet Does Not Show Footprints?
As a homeowner, you deserve a beautiful, soft carpet you can enjoy footprint-free. Here are some flooring options that do not show footprints:
1. Textured Saxony
Textured Saxony, a cut-pile carpet of a uniform height to straight Saxony, is specially designed to reduce the appearance of footprints and tracking marks.
Textured Saxony carpets feature twists or kinks in the fibers, which help to disperse the light particles. Brushing your hand or foot across this carpet style will not have a distinguishable effect on the color variation because light bounces off the fibers in different directions.
This style of carpet can still show a small degree of tracking, however, so if you’re looking for a rug that does not show footprints at all, one of the following styles may be more suitable.
2. Looped Berber
Looped styles of carpet are an excellent option for homeowners looking to eliminate shading variances and tracking marks. The tighter loops typical of looped Berber carpets will provide more effective masking of shading marks, as the fibers are allowed minimal movement.
Berbers are traditionally made from fibers with a wool-like appearance — like olefin — so they have a low-luster, bulky look. Lower luster fibers help reduce shading variances because they do not reflect light as much as high-luster fibers.
3. Frieze
Friezes are ideal for minimizing tracking marks since they have a lot of rich texture. Frieze carpet fibers can contain specks of color, be uniformly colored or have a barber-pole appearance.
4. Nylon
Nylon carpet is crafted from durable fibers known for retaining their shape. Popular for home use, nylon stands up to heavy traffic, resists mold and mildew growth, and can also hide dirt. Because nylon fibers are continuous, they do little pilling or shedding.
Hide Footprints in Your Carpet With Minimized Shade Variance
In general, lighter colors will not show track marks or footprints the way mid-tone or darker shades do.
Another great option for minimizing shading variances is to blend lighter and darker fibers in a cut pile carpet to hide footprints. Other carpets known to hide footprints include those made with acrylic, wool, polypropylene and polyester.
Schedule an Appointment With 50Floor to Get a Footprint-Free Carpet Today
When searching for a carpet that hides footprints, there are many options. The final decision will depend on your stylistic preferences and budget.
If you’d like some help figuring out the right fit for your home, schedule an in-home flooring appointment with 50Floor. A flooring expert will bring our carpet samples right to your door so you can choose the best flooring for your home’s décor and lighting. Once you’ve found an option you like, we’ll take care of everything else, including installation.
Experience the convenience of shopping from home and contact us to schedule your in-home appointment today.
