The flooring you choose for your house is important for myriad reasons. For starters, flooring helps set the mood of your home. A dull grey floor can maybe work for an establishment like a warehouse, but in a house, it’d look unpleasant. There are plenty of options available in all kinds of budgets, which can get a little overwhelming with so many designs and materials. We already have detailed guides on different types of flooring options such as cork flooring, terrazzo flooring and different types of marble flooring but a comparison between them gets tough and that is where we come in. Our guides on comparison between carpet vs vinyl flooring and ceramic vs carpet flooring have proven to be quite useful to our readers and this particular guide too shall help them in making an informed decision. Let’s see which one is better for you between carpet vs hardwood flooring.
Comparison Of Carpet Vs Hardwood Flooring
Each homeowner has their own set of expectations from the kind of floor they install and the budget they can spend on it. When it comes to making a choice, there are questions that pop into everyone’s minds such as which one do I choose? Which is the smart choice? Is there any drawback or something I need to be concerned about? This guide will help you understand the individual characteristics of carpet and hardwood and help in choosing the perfect option.
A carpet is a flooring material in which a layer of thread or fibres is attached to a support material. Traditionally, the upper layer of carpets was made with wool but modern carpets are made up of synthetic fibres which are soft as well as less costly. Huge rolls of carpets are made and there are hundreds of designs and colours that you can choose from to get the desired look.
Hardwood for flooring is procured from lumber of hardwood trees which are cut into desired shapes and sanded to make the surface smooth. Another material used in hardwood flooring is engineered hardwood which is a combination of a thin hardwood layer and a thicker layer of plywood. The thick layer of plywood not only gives it the required strength but also provides it better resistance against moisture and humidity and costs less than the original hardwood.
The characteristics that we will be comparing in this guide are:
- Design and appearance
- Maintenance
- Comfort
- Cost
- Lifespan
Design Appearance: Carpet Vs Hardwood Flooring
When it comes to design and appearance, there is a wide variety of colours, patterns and quality that a carpet has to offer. You will also find carpets made of different materials which will obviously be in different budgets but will definitely match your needs. Some will be plushy while others will be hard. But appearance-wise, carpet flooring gives more gentleness and softness to the overall design of the room.
Hardwood floors on the other hand are more natural, firm and make a bold statement about the room. There are plenty of options in colours and designs that will suit the needs of almost every interior design but it is most appealing in its natural patterns and wood-tone colours. Hardwood floor has an aesthetic edge over carpets because it feels more formal, luxurious and timeless based upon its finishing.
Maintenance: Carpet Vs Hardwood Flooring
Maintenance of carpets includes vacuuming them daily and removing stains immediately before they leave a permanent mark. You will have to be extra conscious about stains and marks because these will ruin the design theme altogether. You will also need professional deep cleaning at least once a year which will not only increase the life of the carpet but also remove any bad odours, the dust settled in the base or any dust mites.
Hardwood floors are easy to clean on a regular basis because they can be mopped even if there are any pet accidents or a liquid spill. However, varnishing hardwood floors will make them look just as new. If there are any severe and deep damages on the hardwood floor, these can be sanded and refinished to restore their original look.
Comfort: Carpet Vs Hardwood Flooring
Comfort is important to everyone and when it comes to walking on hard floors and damping the sound, carpet takes the lead. You will usually find carpet flooring in children’s bedrooms because it easily dampens the shock if they fall and prevents any injury. Carpet flooring also gives a feeling of comfort and relaxation in a room and it even feels soft barefoot. While the cushioning effect of carpets remains, it also absorbs sounds and acts as insulation.
Hardwood floors are loud and this is a complaint that you will often hear from the users. You can easily hear the footsteps of someone walking in a room and often on the lower portions too. If you are looking for flooring that will also absorb sounds in the room, maybe hardwood is not the right choice for you.
Cost: Carpet Vs Hardwood Flooring
As far as the cost is concerned, the price of a carpet per square foot is lower as compared to hardwood. The cost of carpet is dependent on the design, material and quality but it ranges between PKR 35 to PKR 400 per square foot.
Hardwood flooring is now known as a luxury flooring option because of its design and utility. However, it is not as expensive as one would imagine. Hardwood planks are more costly than carpet and range between PKR 585 to PKR 680.
Lifespan: Carpet Vs Hardwood Flooring
While both options are design-centric and fit right into any kind of interior, the difference in the life of both flooring options is huge. A carpet requires more maintenance and can even cause dust allergies in people if not maintained on a daily basis. It is also not the best choice if there is someone with respiratory disease in the house. On average, the life of a carpet is only up to a decade after which you will have to change it.
Hardwood flooring doesn’t need to be replaced for decades. It is not uncommon for a hardwood floor to last up to 100 years. The quality of hardwood floors matters a lot in this case because when it comes to damages and repairing them, it always boils down to the thickness of the plank. Even the engineered hardwood can last up to a few decades before it needs changing.
Both types of materials have their own pros and cons but you need to decide which provides you value for money and fulfils your requirements. Some may choose comfort over maintenance while others prefer design and appearance. So, identify your needs and make a decision based on those.
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