The Benefits of Wool
As visual people, our love affair with wool begins with its aesthetic properties, but for interiors professionals there are a host of practical reasons why wool is the ultimate fibre.
-
Wool is naturally flame resistant and does not require a chemical fire retardant treatment and therefore easily meets the strongest requirements. The temperature must reach 570-600°C before wool will ignite.
-
Designers and architects creating dining spaces are sometimes surprised to learn how wool floorcoverings can maintain their appearance in the face of frequent spills. The scales on the outside of the wool fibre and its natural oils mean food and drink do not penetrate and can easily be cleaned up.
-
One of the wonderful merits of wool is the look of it. The yarn dyes so beautifully and the lustre of the fibre is magnificent.
-
Wool fibres resist tearing and are able to be bent back on themselves over 20,000 times without breaking. The protective waxy coating on wool fibres makes wool products resistant to staining and they also attract less dust as wool is naturally anti-static.
One of our high-end-high-visibility projects was carpeting for Gucci stores worldwide. We trusted the tight loop all-wool construction for their flagship stores in fitting rooms, sales floors and staircases.
-
According to the U.K.'s The Campaign for Wool, sound absorption is one of the primary reasons wool carpet is used most often in aircraft, casinos and hotels.
-
Wool is naturally safe. It is not known to cause allergies and does not promote the growth of bacteria. It can help reduce floating dust in the atmosphere as the fibre’s microscopic scales are able to trap and hold dust that falls on them until vacuumed away. Wool is a renewable fibre source that can be harvested annually without harming the sheep it grows on and is also 100% biodegradable. Wool also helps to absorb some common VOCs from the atmosphere, which helps to improve the air quality of the spaces it is used in.
Interiors professionals can be confident that wool is not only the perfect canvas for the rug designer and presents all the advantages of comfort, durability, stain resistance, flame resistance and noise absorption, but it is also one of the world's most natural, sustainable and renewable products.