Carpet and hardwood are two of the most common flooring materials. But when you compare these two, you will find one is a completely synthetic, soft, silent, low-cost flooring option with a short lifespan, while the other is a natural, hard, and expensive one that will give a unique appearance to your home.
Carpet Vs Hardwood Floors materials have different functions to perform and are used in different areas of your home. Each has a unique set of qualities that makes them suitable for various situations and requirements. Understanding the properties of the materials will help you make the right decisions about how to use them in different situations.
Today, we will give you the best comparison of both flooring types so that you can make the perfect decision while choosing either of them.
Carpet Vs Hardwood Floors | Let’s Start The Battle
The majority of modern carpets are manufactured with synthetic fiber loops through enormous sheets of backing material. Some carpets are made of natural fibers like cotton or wool. But the vast majority are made of synthetic materials like nylon or polyester.
There are two types of modern hardwood flooring available. One is solid hardwood flooring that comprises solid wood boards manufactured from rough lumber harvested from felled hardwood trees. The top surface of these boards is sanded smooth, but the bottom surface is left slightly rough.
Tongue-and-grooves are used on the edges to allow the boards to interlock when they are installed. While the other one is engineered hardwood flooring. These boards are made by sandwiching a thin layer of real hardwood on top of a thicker core layer of high-quality plywood.
This structure not only lowers the cost of the flooring but also protects the boards from expanding and contracting because of the changes occurring in the environment. Most types of engineered wood flooring have the same tongue-and-groove construction as solid hardwood flooring and are installed in the same way. Let’s look at the battle of Carpet Vs Hardwood Floors.
1. Look & Style
Both hardwood and carpet come in hundreds of types to fit any interior design requirement. Carpet has greater color, texture, and design pattern options. Carpet is not only comfortable to the touch but also soothing for the eyes. It offers a gentle/soft aspect when installed in an interior design.
Hardwood also comes in different shades and beautiful patterns, which vary depending on the type of wood. The most appealing feature of hardwood flooring is that it makes a firm statement and feels solid under the feet.
Our Verdict!
Selecting between Carpet Vs Hardwood floors depends on opinion, as most individuals prefer hardwood floors over carpets.
2. Cleaning Methods
Carpet cleaning is quite easy but needs frequent vacuuming. It is easy to keep it clean regularly. However, some people believe it is hard to clean a carpet completely because stains soak in and remain permanent, while dust and microbes are easily caught in the fibers.
Carpet flooring is thought to be an unsuitable flooring option for allergy sufferers. Hardwood is by far the easiest flooring to keep clean. Sweeping or vacuuming helps to remove debris, while damp-mopping with a wood cleaner regularly removes deeper dirt and stains.
Our Verdict!
In the carpet vs hardwood floors comparison of cleaning methods, hardwood is said to be the easiest flooring to clean and maintain since it is less prone to discoloration and does not hold dust and allergic substances as the carpet does.
3. Cost
Most carpet is significantly less expensive than hardwood materials. Also, carpeting needs to be replaced every few years. It is possible to find perfectly fine carpeting for less than $1 per square foot. Wall to wall carpets of the highest quality can cost as much as $20 per square foot.
The price of solid hardwood flooring starts from $4 per square foot and so on. Installing a hardwood floor costs around $8 per square foot on average.
Our Verdict!
Carpet is a less expensive option, but keep in mind that you’ll have to replace it every 10 years.
4. Water and Heat Resistance
Most current carpets are made of synthetic fibers, which make them highly resistant to water damage. However, water should not soak through the backing layer or into the wood subfloor beneath the carpet, as mold can grow beneath them.
As a result, carpet should never be used in moist areas such as bathrooms or in locations where spills are likely, such as kitchens. The heat produced by burning cigarettes or hot pots can also cause carpet damage. If a significant home fire breaks out, some carpet types might release harmful chemicals.
Wood flooring is not advised in any area where water or moisture is present regularly, while it is acceptable in a kitchen where spills can be cleaned up quickly. Wood flooring is not advised for installation below grade against a concrete slab as ground moisture may seep up through the slab.
Engineered wood flooring may be stable enough to utilize in these situations. Intense heat can harm hardwood badly. Minor scorch marks can be sanded away or restored easily.
5. Durability and Maintenance
For carpet Vs hardwood floors maintenance, it is recommended that carpets be vacuumed regularly to remove stains as soon as possible. A skilled cleaning service may extend the life of your carpet, but it’s rare for a carpet to endure more than a decade.
Hardwood flooring can last for decades if properly cared for, and some of the high-end materials can survive for generations. When serious wear occurs, solid hardwood can be totally sanded and refinished. The surface varnish should be refreshed every few years.
Our Verdict!
For longevity and maintenance, hardwood flooring has a significant edge over the carpet.
6. Sizes
Carpet is often sold in 12- or 15-foot rolls that can be trimmed to any length the buyer desires. Hardwood flooring is usually sold in 48-inch-long planks with a width ranging from 1 to 4 inches. Solid hardwood flooring boards are normally 3/4 inch thick. Engineered hardwood has an even wider range, with planks up to 7 inches wide.
7. Installation
The installation of Carpet Vs Hardwood floors requires professional help. Installers begin by stapling an underlayment pad to the floor and nailing tack strips around the room’s perimeter.
The carpet is then rolled out across the floor, stretched, and hooked onto the tack strips all around the perimeter. Heat-activated tape is used to join seams between carpet pieces. This is a difficult process, which is why few DIYers attempt it.
Individual rows of hardwood flooring are typically laid one at a time, beginning at the widest, most visible surface. The edge grooves of subsequent boards are pushed into the tongues of the preceding boards, and the boards are then nailed to the joists with nails or staples driven at an angle down through the tongues.
The floor is sanded, stained, and top-coated with multiple coats of polyurethane varnish if the flooring boards are unfinished. Professionals are frequently hired to install hardwood flooring.
Our Verdict!
Hardwood flooring has significantly higher installation expenses as compared to carpeting.
8. Comfort and Sound
Carpet has several advantages over hardwood, the most important of which is its comfort. It offers the softness and is comfortable to walk on. This is especially relaxing in bedrooms, children’s rooms, and some family and living room sections where you wish to create a relaxing ambiance.
On a frigid winter morning, the carpet is substantially warmer than the wooden floors. The carpet’s warm softness offers a surface with outstanding qualities for preventing noise from easily passing up or down.
One of the most common complaints about hardwood flooring is that it is noisy. When put on higher levels, individuals on lower levels frequently claim that they can hear every step.
Our Verdict!
Carpet has a distinct advantage over hardwood in terms of initial comfort and soundproofing qualities.
9. Lifespan
Carpets typically last 10 years or fewer, then need to be replaced. While hardwood flooring can easily survive for many decades, there have been many cases when a floor has lasted two or more generations for homeowners.
Our Verdict!
A hardwood floor’s expected life is superior to carpet; it may even be the least expensive flooring throughout the course of a home’s existence.
10. Resale Value
Carpeting is thought of as a low-cost, short-lived flooring option, so it does not add much to the value of a home.
As a design choice in residential applications, hardwood flooring commands more respect than carpeting. It is high-end and elegant because it is made of natural materials and lasts much longer than the carpet. Hardwood can have an undeniable reputation as a flooring material, depending on the type of wood used and how it is manufactured.
Our Verdict!
Hardwood flooring is preferred by real estate professionals and potential home buyers over carpets.
Conclusion
In the comparison of Carpet Vs Hardwood Floors, We at SPC Flooring Dubai drive the results that Hardwood flooring is definitely superior to carpet in most comparisons, with a longer life, a more elegant appearance, and a higher resale value. Carpets can be an excellent choice if comfort is your priority or your budget is low. It is now up to you to decide which one you want.
