Information on our sisal rugs
Where sisal rugs come from
Our sisal comes from Brazilian sisal plantations. Sisal rug fibers
come from the Agave Sisalana plant which is grown as a renewable
resource.
The sisal plant has a life span of 7-10 years. The leaves of the plant
are selectively harvested beginning when the plant becomes 2-3 years
old. The leaves are then harvested at 6-12 month intervals thereafter.
Throughout its life, each plant can generate a few hundred usable leaves.
Each leaf contains around a thousand fibers. The fibers are generally between 24
and 40 inches long, are very strong, and have colors ranging from creamy white to
a pale yellow.
The Sisal rug fibers are separated from the leaves of the plant in a
process called Decortication. The leaves are first crushed and then
beaten in a machine by a rotating wheel of blunt knives. The remaining
plant material is then washed away from the fibers. The fibers are then
dried and graded.
The highest quality fibers are selected for use as
sisal rug material with the remainder used for such things as rope and
upholstery. The fibers are mechanically spun into yarn and then woven
into broadloom on modern power looms.
Sisal is a strong, stable and versatile material that can be woven into
boucles and rib weaves, flat weaves, and jacquard patterns and many dyed
colors. It can be a little rough underfoot, but less so when combined
with other fibers such as wool. Sisal carpets are naturally sound-absorbing,
anti-static, and extremely durable because of the inherent qualities of
this tough, hard-wearing fiber. It is also naturally insulating and difficult
to ignite. Like most plant fibers, however, sisal absorbs moisture readily,
therefore we recommend that these materials be used only indoors, in dry areas
of a home or office.
Visit WWW.EcoRug.com for
sisal rugs, seagrass rugs and hemp rugs
All rights reserved. Copyright © 2004 EcoRug.com
Note: Please feel free to use this article on your website under the following conditions:
- The content must remain the same.
- All Logos, attributions, copyright notices, and links must remain.
- Links must remain standard HTML tags, and cannot be converted to another form of link,