Choosing the right geotextile defines the service life of walls, road bases, drainage systems and landscaping works. The difference between woven and nonwoven—and between polypropylene (PP) and polyester (PET)—determines the type of project where each one truly performs. This comparison helps you decide which one fits your job, from a farm road to a mechanically stabilized earth wall.
🎯 Choose in 10 seconds
- If you are stabilizing a farm road, unpaved parking area or low wall: go to Woven PP geotextile
- If you are doing gardening, agricultural drainage or a light residential driveway: go to Nonwoven PP geotextile
- If you are building MSE walls, heavy road bases or audited foundations: go to Woven PET geotextile
- If you are installing underground drainage, a filter trench or protecting geomembranes: go to Nonwoven PET geotextile
What to consider before choosing
Before buying the roll, assess these four criteria. They determine whether the geotextile will fulfill its structural function throughout your project's service life or fail within a few years.
- Primary function on site: woven geotextiles are optimized for reinforcement and separation under load (roads, walls, bases). Nonwovens, for filtration and drainage (trenches, geomembranes, gardening).
- Material: PP versus PET: polypropylene (PP) offers a better price/performance ratio and higher chemical resistance to alkalis (fresh cement, alkaline fertilizers). Polyester (PET) has low creep under continuous load over decades, an auditable condition in structural works.
- Required strength or weight: wovens are specified by kN/m (tensile strength): 40 kN/m for light works, 80 kN/m for standard road works, 320 g/m² high-modulus PET for MSE walls. Nonwovens are specified by g/m²: 100 for gardening, 200 for standard civil works, 400 for geomembrane protection.
- Expected service life: virgin PET keeps its properties for decades under continuous load, while standard PP is the right choice for projects with a shorter time horizon or where creep is not a critical factor.
Woven polypropylene (PP) geotextile: cost-effective reinforcement under load
- Calibrated tensile strength (40 or 80 kN/m)
- Tight weave for effective separation between fill and subgrade
- Chemically inert polypropylene: withstands acidic soils, alkalis and roots
- Permeability for passive drainage while retaining fines
- Higher creep than PET under decades of continuous load
- The weave blocks light: acts as a weed barrier (may not be desired in every case)
Roll of 5.2 m × 100 m available in two strengths (40 and 80 kN/m). The 40 kN/m grade works well on farm roads, unpaved residential driveways and low retaining walls. The 80 kN/m grade is the option for standard road works, commercial platforms and areas with heavy-equipment traffic. Black woven fabric that also works as a structural weed barrier in extensive agriculture and landscaping.
Nonwoven polypropylene (PP) geotextile: economical, lightweight filtration
- Three weights available (100, 200, 400 g/m²) in black
- High filtration with fine-particle retention
- PP resistant to alkaline fertilizers, lime and fresh cement
- Flexible material that adapts to curves and uneven ground
- Not suitable for structural reinforcement under continuous load
- Shorter service life than PET in audited hydraulic works
Roll of 5.95 m × 100 m available in three weights. The 100 g/m² grade is the usual choice for residential gardening and agricultural drainage; the 200 g/m² for farm entrances and light-traffic roads; the 400 g/m² for geomembrane protection and light civil works. Its big advantage over PET is chemical resistance to alkalis: it better withstands contact with fresh cement and alkaline fertilizers.
Woven polyester (PET) geotextile: auditable structural reinforcement
- High-modulus PET yarns: low elongation under tension
- Low creep under continuous loads over decades
- 320 g/m² weight in white, roll of 5.2 m × 100 m
- Site-grade chemical and biological resistance: does not rot and is not attacked by rodents
- Higher unit cost than light-works PP
- Lower chemical resistance to alkalis than PP (beware of basic soils)
Roll of 5.2 m × 100 m, 320 g/m² weight in white. The key difference from woven PP is low creep under continuous load: virgin PET keeps its dimensions and mechanical properties for decades, an essential condition for mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls where the geotextile supports the soil mass permanently. Designed for professional road works, commercial bases and shallow foundations on soft soil subject to structural audit.
Nonwoven polyester (PET) geotextile: long-lasting filtration and drainage
- Three weights (100, 200, 400 g/m²) in white or black
- High permeability with fines retention for French drains
- PET with low creep under continuous loads
- Inert to fungi, roots and rodents; service life of decades when buried
- Lower chemical resistance than PP against strong alkalis
- Higher cost than nonwoven PP for small projects
Roll of 5.95 m × 100 m available in three weights. The 100 g/m² grade for gardening and light drainage; the 200 g/m² for standard civil works and low-traffic roads; the 400 g/m² for geomembrane protection in dams, landfills and reservoirs where hydraulic auditing is demanding. Its big advantage over nonwoven PP is low creep: in hydraulic projects with continuous static loads over years, it keeps its filtering function without progressive degradation.
Comparison table
| Feature | Woven PP | Nonwoven PP | Woven PET | Nonwoven PET |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary function | Reinforcement and separation | Filtration and drainage | Structural reinforcement | Filtration and drainage |
| Material | Virgin polypropylene | Virgin polypropylene | High-modulus polyester | Virgin polyester |
| Key specification | 40 or 80 kN/m | 100, 200 or 400 g/m² | 320 g/m² high modulus | 100, 200 or 400 g/m² |
| Available color | Black | Black | White | White or black |
| Roll width | 5.2 m (17 ft) | 5.95 m (19.5 ft) | 5.2 m (17 ft) | 5.95 m (19.5 ft) |
| Roll length | 100 m (328 ft) | 100 m (328 ft) | 100 m (328 ft) | 100 m (328 ft) |
| Creep | Standard | Standard | Low — suitable for continuous loads | Low — suitable for continuous loads |
| Alkali resistance | High | High | Medium | Medium |
| Typical application | Roads, landscaping | Gardening, drainage | MSE walls, road bases | Drainage, geomembranes |
Use case → recommended product matrix
| If your case is… | Recommended product |
|---|---|
| Stabilizing a farm road or unpaved residential driveway | → Woven PP |
| Separating layers in a garden or landscaping with decorative gravel | → Nonwoven PP |
| Reinforcing a heavy road base or building an audited MSE wall | → Woven PET |
| Installing a French drain or long-lasting filter trench | → Nonwoven PET |
| Protecting a geomembrane in a reservoir or landfill | → Nonwoven PET 400 g/m² |
| Structural weed barrier in extensive agriculture | → Woven PP |
| Agricultural drainage in an orchard or extensive crop | → Nonwoven PP |
| Shallow foundation on soft soil with continuous load | → Woven PET |
Before buying the roll, measure three things: the useful width you need on site (rolls are 5.2 or 5.95 m, so the overlap between rolls consumes linear meters), the actual kN/m or g/m² rating your project demands (do not buy 100 g/m² for geomembrane protection, nor 80 kN/m for a low-traffic farm road) and the chemical compatibility with your soil (PP for alkaline soils or fresh cement; PET for decades of continuous loads).
Do not use nonwoven geotextile for structural reinforcement under load (heavy roads, MSE walls, embankments). Nonwoven is designed for filtration: under continuous load it elongates and allows progressive movements of the embankment that compromise the stability of the work. For reinforcement, always woven (40-80 kN/m PP or high-modulus PET).
All products compared
Frequently asked questions
What is the real difference between woven and nonwoven geotextile?
Woven geotextile has interlaced yarns in a regular weave and is specified by tensile strength (kN/m); its primary function is reinforcement and separation under load. Nonwoven is a needle-punched felt of randomly oriented fibers, specified by weight (g/m²); its primary function is filtration and drainage. Confusing them is the most common cause of failures on site.
When is it worth paying more for PET over PP?
PET justifies the extra cost when the geotextile must bear continuous loads for decades without deforming: MSE walls, heavy road bases, foundations on soft soil subject to structural audit. For farm roads, landscaping, gardening and residential drainage, PP does the job at a significantly lower cost.
Can I use woven PP geotextile as a weed barrier?
Yes. The 40 kN/m woven PP blocks light, withstands roots and herbicides, and adds a structural function where there is traffic (garden carts, maintenance foot traffic). It is a frequent choice in extensive agriculture, nurseries and large-scale landscaping projects.
