Carpet or Wood Flooring?
Carpet or wood flooring? Whether you’re renovating or updating a room, choosing the flooring can often mean deciding on a soft or hard covering. The two options bring with them their own styles, warmths, textures and colours, and with that their own pros and cons.
When looking to purchase your floor covering it’s important to carefully consider what will suit your space and how you foresee its uses. Will it be used regularly? Do you want it to impress guests? Or perhaps, it’ll be a private, peaceful space just for you?
However your room is used, it’s important to make a choice that will suit you both now and in the future. Here’s some advice to help you carefully consider the positives and negatives of both materials:
Carpets
Warmth
Carpet is considered to be warmer than any other type of flooring. The fibres in carpet absorb and retain heat making it ideal for houses with poor heating systems. Traditional styles of wood can give the impression of a warm and cosy environment yet a carpet will provide added insulation too.
Comfort
Waking up and placing your feet on a fluffy carpet can certainly take the edge off your Monday morning. If you’re someone who likes to walk around barefoot or sit on the floor then you may prefer a comfy carpet. Of course, in a home with wood floors there’s the opportunity to add a stylish rug.
Sound absorbency
People may choose to use carpet upstairs in their homes to try and absorb sound between floors. Carpet can help to reduce the noise of heavy steps however, a quality underlay and/or rugs can act in the same way for a wood floor too.
Be bold
Carpet will make a big splash if you’re committed to making a statement. Its available in many colours, styles, patterns and textures. Although an eye-catching rug can make a safer, more easily changeable statement in a wood floored room, a carpet with a bright colour or pattern is a truly bold option.
Cost
If you’re not looking to invest in your current property or thinking of moving, carpet can be a quick, easy and cheap fix. Wood flooring may be more of a long-lasting investment whereas the affordability of carpet is ideal for a short-term solution.
Wood Floors
Style and Elegance
There’s nothing quite like a beautiful, real wood floor. Although carpets come in endless colours and styles, the natural character of wood is elegant and unique. It brings a feeling of quality and style to a room – perfect for making an impression.
Durability
The greatest positive for real wood flooring is its outstanding durability. An oak floor typically wears just 1mm over 100 years meaning it’ll last more than a lifetime. As it ages, it becomes even more characterful with small signs of use becoming part of its enduring beauty in the home. Even the finest quality carpet is likely to become worn more quickly over time, especially in frequently used areas such as hallways and living rooms.
Easy to clean
When it comes to our busy modern lifestyles, having a floor covering that is both easy to clean and hygienic is a big advantage. With just a simple sweep or occasional vacuum, wood flooring is easily cleaned – watch our video on how to care for wood flooring. Wood doesn’t harbour dust mites or allergens and there’s little need for harsh products such as carpet cleaners. Carpet on the other hand is more prone to catching dirt and staining. It may need frequent deep cleans to keep it in good condition.
Reparability
Small marks and dents from wear can often easily be repaired in wood flooring. Natural woods can also be sanded back and refinished for a total refresh and an even longer lasting floor. Individual boards can sometimes be replaced too. Although the initial investment in a wood floor may be higher than other floor coverings, it’s more difficult to spoil unlike a stained or torn carpet.
Neutral
It’s easy to decorate with a wood floor. Whether you choose a classic or contemporary colour, the shades and tones are naturally neutral. Carpet styles tend to dip in and out of fashion but wood floors have been loved for years and are still timeless today.
