Making the decision between wooden flooring and carpet can be difficult. Both have their advantages and disadvantages and of course people have their personal preferences. Different environments call for different types of flooring but as a rule it’s down to your personal feeling.
Carpet
The main benefits of carpet is that it’s great for soundproofing – the sound of the kids running around upstairs will be muffled by a thick carpet and so you can have some peace downstairs. Similarly, it’s extremely comfortable and maintains heat in your home. It’s great for avoiding slips and trips too.
Unfortunately that’s where the good points end. Carpet goes out of fashion very quickly and you may find yourself needing to replace it regularly to keep up with the trends. New carpeting can also be considered a health hazard as the manufacturing involves synthetic materials. The chemicals used in making the carpets will leak out slowly over years and although you can opt for natural, eco-friendly alternatives – they are very expensive.
Another problem with carpets is the maintenance required. Conditions deteriorate quickly and can look ragged within as few as five years. Carpet is very hard to repair and it’s better to replace it in most instances – hiking up the cost once more. Your carpet will also need regular intensive cleaning utilising specialist equipment and chemicals. Even with the best intentions your carpet will begin to look worn.
Carpets are also a nightmare for anyone with allergies, pets or muddy children as the stains are near impossible to shift and dust particles can hide amongst the fibres.
Wooden Floors
The benefits of wooden floors often work in contradiction to those carpets offer, therefore making them the perfect option for many.
Wooden flooring is safe and clean. Harmful matter such as dust mites or other allergens can’t hide on wooden floors and are much easier to simply vacuum away. They provide a healthier environment for allergy sufferers. Hardwood will usually cost more than a carpet but it lasts longer and rather than needing replacing if damaged, it can be repaired.
Wooden flooring is much lower maintenance in terms of effort, time and the equipment required. You can mop and vacuum your wooden flooring without need for specialised cleaning machines and chemicals. It is also much better at handling spills and stains are very uncommon. Wooden floors will get scraped and scratched but in most instances you can just sand the damage away and refinish it.
If you’re concerned about the environment then you could consider wooden flooring as a sustainable as it is 100% natural and there are even options for sustainable bamboo and organic based flooring being introduced.
One of the main reasons people choose wooden flooring is because of its timeless, incomparable aesthetic quality. You can build a room of any style around a wooden floor and it can be bought in a huge range of patterns and styles from understated to quirky and original which gives you so many options.
Wooden floors may cost more initially but they prove their worth in the long term.
In my opinion, Choosing between carpet and wood flooring can be a challenging process. There seem to be benefits and drawbacks to both, and individual tastes vary. However, after browsing this site, I learned about the many key benefits of wooden floors over carpeting. Wooden floors last longer than carpets and don’t need replacing. Since carpets trap dust and allergens, wooden floors improve indoor air quality. Wooden floors outperform carpets for many reasons. Hardwood floors are great for interior design because they never go out of style. Due to their impermeability, wooden floors are easier to clean than carpets, making them ideal for busy households with children or pets.