Some people misunderstand rugs and carpets to be interchangeable terms. While both are soft and comfortable flooring options and are definitely good ways to keep your home cozy, there are some important differences between the two.
One of the most important elements of having a clean home is the quality of the air you breathe. Did you know that 40% of the air your breath is from your attic & crawl space? Keeping your home clean with the proper attic & crawl space insulation is key to the health of your family. The second most important insulator in your home is the carpet. The question is, “should you choose rugs or carpet?”
Rugs, including area rugs, are large sections of floor coverings usually made of woven materials that do not extend over the entire floor space. Rugs are not attached to the floor. Carpet, on the other hand, refers to wall-to-wall floor covering made of thick woven fabric that extends over the full floor space and is secured to the floor with glue or tacking strips.
At Remnant King Carpets, we take the comfort of your home seriously. When is comes to making choices between rugs and carpeting, we’ve got you covered! If you’re considering obtaining flooring for your home, contact us for a free quote and information on our services and products.
As you’re making your choice between the two, you should be aware of the pros and cons of each option. Here’s our list of the positives and negatives for both rugs and carpets.
Rugs:
Nobody can deny the beauty of an ornate Asian-style rug or the coziness of a thick fluffy bamboo fiber area rug. Rugs have chameleon abilities to meld with any area of the home and blend into any rearrangement, and you can also pick them up and take them with you if you move. But what else makes rugs special?
Pros:
Rugs are some of the most popular and traditional ways to cover floors. They have been used for centuries, and can be incredible pieces of art that will add a charm and elegance incomparable to carpeting. Here are some of their other benefits…
- Deters mold and mildew growth by their ability to allow air flow underneath the fibers
- Easily washed and dried when dirty
- Helps to define a space
- Ability to easily switch the color scheme and style of a room
- A well-placed area rug can introduce structure to an open concept floor plan or link disparate furnishings
- Better choice for those with dust allergies because rugs are more easily cleaned. Polypropylene or washable area rugs will be the best choice for such individuals.
In a way, floor rugs allow you to experience the best of both worlds—beautiful hardwood flooring, coupled with the cozy feel of soft fibers beneath your feet. Area rugs being placed over hardwood floors should have a special pad placed beneath them to help protect the wood and to keep the rug from ‘crawling’.
Cons:
While area rugs can make a wonderful accent to a room, those considering their use should realize that rugs have some negative qualities as well.
- Rugs are more likely to allow people to slip or trip on their edges, even if they are slip resistant. This is a grave concern for the elderly who may be severely injured by a fall.
- Rugs cannot create the same unified look that a wall to wall carpet may provide.
- People who want to be able to walk about their whole home barefoot without experiencing the sudden flinching of treading upon cold hard floor should not choose an area rug.
- Neutral colors aren’t the best choice for area rugs, and instead are better suited to wall to wall carpeting that can provide a fully unified look.
Wall-to-wall Carpets:
Wall-to-wall carpeting has been the floor covering of choice in the Pacific Northwest for decades. In recent years, the resurgence of hardwood flooring called into question whether or not carpets would continue to be the most common form of floor covering, but it continues to remain vastly popular for its ability to provide a snug and warm home.
Pros:
Wall to wall carpeting is one of the most commonly chosen ways to keep a home cozy.
Carpeting has many benefits. Here are just a few:
- Carpeting is secured to the floor with glue, cement, or tacking, while also underlaid with cushion padding to increase the softness. Because of this, they are slip and trip resistant, making them a better choice in the homes of the elderly.
- Carpeting can create unity throughout the color scheme and design of the home. This can be especially useful in homes with multiple small rooms.
- Carpeting is usually found in neutral colors, allowing for a wide range of color schemes to be used in conjunction with it.
- Wall to wall carpeting keeps the floor entirely covered. No cold toes or need to worry about the baby crawling across the icy hardwood floors!
Cons:
Wall to wall carpets, while cozy, are not always the best choice. Here are some of the reasons that a family may opt for a different floor covering than wall to wall carpeting:
- Carpeting is known to have high levels of off-gassing (release of chemical by-products into the air following installation). It can sometimes take several months or more for the off-gassing to cease.
- Carpeting is difficult and costly to clean.
- Carpeting gets worn in areas with more traffic than others. When the carpeting is worn down in the hallway, homeowners will have to either install a new section of carpet in that area, or replace all the carpeting on that level of the home. This can create a ‘patched’ look to the carpeting.
- Carpets shouldn’t be used in high humidity areas, as the moisture can get trapped in the fibers, causing mold to form, which releases toxic mycotoxins into the air.
- Carpets are a poor choice for a family that has allergies, as dust and dust mites can accumulate in the fibers and padding, contributing to allergy symptoms.
- Carpeting can damage the hardwood floor beneath because of the cement or glue and tacking used to secure them.
- All investments made into wall-to-wall carpeting won’t be able to come with you if you move. You will have to leave your investment behind for another family to enjoy.
The choice between area rugs and carpeting can be a difficult one to make at times. If you have any questions, we can help you decide which option is the best for you and your household. At Remnant King Carpets, we strive to provide excellent and low-priced options for both carpeting and rugs. Check out some of our inventory and contact us for a quote or further information.