Carpet: How It’s Made

The carpet making process begins with weaving multiple fibers (usually made of polypropylene) into a primary backing. Without this backing, the carpet would fall apart in the next process (turfing), which makes it an essential first step. Turfing involves a 12-foot wide tufting machine using its 800 to 2000 needles to pull yarn through the primary backing. A series of small hooks on the other side of the backing grab the yarn and holds in place, which create a uniform surface. If someone wants to create patterning textures, than an extra step is added in this process where sections of the carpet are cut lower than others.