Two of the top flooring choices are carpet and laminate. Both have different characteristics that may appeal to different people and situations. Understanding the usefulness and flexibility of having wood or laminate floors and utilizing area rugs will help you make a more informed decision.
Sense of Prestige
One of the virtues of hard floors is that it has a more prestigious appearance from a design standpoint. It can be paired with area rugs to add accents and to create different themes for different rooms.
Easy to Clean
Another appealing aspect of hard flooring is how easy it is to clean compared to carpet. Even if you put down an area rug or two, it will still be easier to clean than carpet. Stains and allergens tend to hide in carpet fibers, making it almost impossible to get fully clean, even with steaming and vacuuming. With hard flooring, all you have to do is wipe it clean. Dust and dirt has nowhere to hide on bare floors. You also do not typically have to get hard floors professionally cleaned like you do with carpet.
Reduces Allergies
Since allergens can’t hide on a laminate flooring surface, it will tend to reduce allergies in your living space. An area rug can easily be picked up and cleaned, but an entire carpeted room will cast millions of micro particles into the air every time you walk on it, or even when you vacuum. Hard flooring only requires you to wipe it clean or suck up visible dust with a hand vacuum. If you have pets, this becomes even more apparent as hair and dander works its way deep into carpet fibers.
Long Lasting
Properly maintained wood or laminate flooring can last for many years, and area rugs are easily replaced according to your design tastes. However, carpet wears down much quicker and if you decide you want a different color to match a new theme, pulling up rooms of carpet is much harder than simply replacing an area rug or two. You can expect laminate to last 30 years more, but carpet usually needs to be replaced every five to 10 years. Hard flooring also works much better in high traffic rooms than carpet. It won’t wear down visibly with years of use.
Versatility
Another attractive feature to hard flooring is its versatility. Hard flooring is sure to go with any room, but you can change your design theme as often as you want by putting down area rugs. You can even put down a seasonal area rug and use rugs that cover as much, or as little space as you need. You don’t have that option with installed carpet. If you decide to change your wall colors in different rooms, it typically won’t matter with hard flooring. You can simply swap out your area rug for one that matches better and be done.
Timeless Appeal
Hard flooring has been in use for many years and it never really goes out of style. It can also match many different design themes and colors. When you go to sell your house, you won’t have to worry about your floor being an unappealing color for the new buyers.
Christopher is an author and blogger who is passionate about home improvements projects. Making time to help family and friends while working with the Tulsa Rug Fashion Store.