For any homeowner choosing the right kind of flooring is one of the biggest decisions they’ll need to make. It’s easy to think that it is a decision dictated purely by cost but that would be over simplifying it. Carpet vs Timber Flooring! They are two of the most common types of floors available and one shouldn’t choose either of them purely for monetary reasons. There are a lot of other factors to consider. To make it easier for you, we have prepared a short list of items comparing these two beasts of the flooring world.
Cost
It is one of the biggest factors that has the power to change, mould and impact any decision that we make. The initial set up cost is a huge decisive factor. With the cost of construction and renovation, and going to and fro with all the other overheads involved, people tend to go for the cheaper option to give themselves a little break; carpet. Now, at that very moment, it might seem like a viable option but is it the best solution? The initial cost of wooden flooring is higher than that of carpet but if you bring other factors into the picture, you might want to rethink your decision.
Smell
Love the smell of new carpet? With all the adhesive agents new carpet can be hazardous to your health. Not only when first laid, these carpets keep leaking hazardous odours for a lot longer, exposing those that live in the house to toxic fumes. For someone suffering from breathing issues, it’s certainly something to consider. Long-term exposure to these chemicals can cause sinus and breathing issues.
Maintenance
Ever faced the dilemma of spilling something on the carpet and then cleaning it off? It is difficult! There is a different method for every thing you stain your carpet with. Gum? Use ice. Paint? Use special cleaners based on the kind of paint you had the misfortune of ruining your carpet with. With wooden flooring, this is not the case. It requires low maintenance and high results, unlike carpet, where even after taking care of it really well, the flooring just seems to fade out after a few years.
Cleaning
Where carpets are a hub of dirt, dust, and grime, timber floors are really easy to clean. With minimal effort, you can have your wooden flooring shining like new. This is not quite as easy with carpets. They require regular cleaning and even if you clean like Mary Poppins there is no guarantee that they would last a long time. After a couple of years they’ll start looking tatty, especially carpets at the cheaper end of the spectrum.
Cleaning the carpets:
- Regularly with the help of equipment and other chemicals.
- Regular cleaning with carpet cleaners causes dampness that can further ruin the carpets.
- After a while, carpets get rough and matt out. Making it even more difficult to clean them.
Wooden Floor
- Easy to clean with a normal brush.
- In case of stains, clean off the floor with a damp cloth.
Allergies
Now carpets may protect your kids from a nasty fall but they certainly can’t protect them from the allergens that get trapped in the fabric of the carpets. For people suffering from allergies or highly sensitive skin, carpets can cause significant problems. Carpet fabric traps dust and allergens. No matter how much you clean, it’s close to impossible to clean the carpet thoroughly inside-out. With wooden flooring you do not need to worry about this. Timber floors don’t trap dirt or germs in any way and are safe for families with kids.
Durability
What happens when your carpet grows old and gets that ancient faded look? Spend money again, go out buy new carpet and have it reinstalled only to go through the same cycle again. Timber and hard wood flooring, on the other hand, is more durable and tends to last for far longer period of time. In cases where the timber fades, you simply have them sanded and smoothed out. Not only does it fill up the cracks in your floorings, if there are any, but it will also give it a whole new look. In terms of sustainability and durability, there is nothing that comes close to beating timber flooring.
Noise
It pains us to say it but for the sake of transparency and honesty this is one factor where the carpet gets the upper hand over wooden floors. Carpets are all about quiet and a noiseless, dampened environment. On the other hand, wooden floorings make a sound with most movement. Unless you’re wearing socks or slippers expect there to be some noise when you move around. Carpets are good insulators of sound and heat making them a good option for people living in cold places.
In conclusion, whilst timber flooring costs more initially, with proper maintenance they can last the life of a house. Not only do they add to the aesthetic sense of the house but they are also easy to maintain and clean. Timber and hard wood floors cause less cleaning problems and do not wear out as quickly as carpets do.
These are just some of the few benefits that you will have if you choose to install timber flooring. In case you still have doubts about the kind of flooring you should use, please feel free to call into our Perth showroom to view our stock. We’re the leaders in timber flooring Perth and would welcome the opportunity to show you why.