- Prime Home Renovations
- April 2021
- Flooring
Did you ask yourself, is carpet better than laminate flooring when you decide to change your flooring? Depending on your specific needs and requirements, you could find the right solution to choose between Carpets vs. Laminate. Laminate becomes increasingly popular as it is available in a growing range of finishes and styles. Your choice may vary from room to room. For living rooms and bedrooms, carpet has long been a traditional choice. What are your most important criteria? A hard-wearing, low- maintenance option or comfort and style. We take you through the pros and cons.
Watch this video to choose the right flooring.
We are going to compare carpet vs. laminate to make a fair comparison
Whatever you need to know about carpet vs. laminate
Durability:
Usually, an average quality carpet lasts 3-5 years. It goes up to 10-15 years for top quality and luxury design carpet. Laminate can last up to 25-30 years. You may need to replace your laminate sooner if you use lower quality brands.
Please take a look at this article to know more about the durability of each product.
Maintenance:
Laminate is easy to clean and doesn’t hide dirt – It builds-up in any crevices. On the other hand, carpet is prone to stains and needs higher maintenance in high traffic areas. Carpets tend to absorb a lot of moisture, odors, dust, and other things. Laminate is often considered more hygienic and hypoallergenic than carpet.
You can read this blog post for more details.
Installation:
The carpet is suitable for installing on almost any floor. You get the best result when you ask a professional to do it; Laminate is quick and easy to lay, and if you have time and a bit of patience, it can be done by DIY. It is suitable for use on most floor surfaces.
Watch this video to learn more.
Style:
An ideal way to create a luxurious feel in the living room or bed bedroom is installing carpet, which is warm and comfortable underfoot. To make an impact in any room, using laminate in a wide range of effects, including tiles, hardwood, ceramic, and even marble.
See 8 stylish carpet trends of 2021 here.
Pets and children:
The best tests for any floor covering are pets and children. It is essential to know what your floor can handle: from dog nails and cat hair to kids’ spills and toys around the floor.
Apparently, with kids and pets, laminate has some advantages compared to carpet:
- Easy to clean off pet hairs
- Hard to scratch or chip
- Hard to stain from splash
- Doesn’t pluck like carpet
- Does not retain pet odors
The only advantages of carpet compared to laminate with kids and pets are:
- Softer
- Does not Chip or Scratch
Would you like to know the best laminate flooring for dogs? Click here.
Price:
When you come to choose between carpet and laminate, for sure, you asked yourself this question: “Is carpet cheaper than laminate?”
It is obvious that the answer depends on various factors, including the size of the room and the quality of the materials. Basically, the price difference between laminate and carpet is negligible. Both of them are affordable compared to natural hardwood, stone, or even tiled flooring. They are available in a wide range of choices.
Generally, a luxury high pile carpet will cost more per square meter than laminate flooring, and wool is the most expensive fiber used in carpet flooring. If Laminate floors aren’t very high quality, they can be significantly cheaper and only offer a 10-year warranty.
If you would like to know the price of wool carpet please click here.
Insulation and noise reduction:
Not many people think about insulation and noise reduction. But these two crucial factors that everyone should consider when you want to choose the type of your flooring. From foundation to roof and wall to wall, noise, hot air, and cold air all travel up and down your home. You can probably imagine that the carpet is a great absorber of noise and an excellent insulator. By absorbing the noise that travels through the rooms, carpet can make them quieter, so it is an ideal option for bedrooms and dry basements. Besides, it is a great choice to keep the room temperature more pleasant, especially during winter, when your home can have trouble maintaining heat.
On the contrary, laminate flooring doesn’t have any of this specification. It doesn’t have any absorption power on the noise front. Usually, it creates an echo effect in rooms. Simultaneously, its lack of absorption lets the heat escape from the rooms and your home and often makes it quite cold during the cold season.
To read more about carpet insulation please click here.
Water resistance:
Carpet is not suitable for the region which has a high annual rainfall. Carpets don’t like moisture and you shouldn’t use them in the bathroom and other high moisture areas. It is possible to use them in the halls with outside doors, but laminate is a better choice if people regularly come inside on a wet day with muddy shoes and dripping wet clothes, because it is more water and stain resistant. You could use the laminate with high water resistance grades for bathrooms.
Read about carpet and laminate construction here.
Room-by-room guide:
1. Living rooms
Which one do you prefer? Bright and modern or Traditional and cozy? Using laminate will inject contemporary look with parquet, marble or wood effect design. While carpet brings a traditional atmosphere. It is a choice for formal or cozy living rooms.
2. Bedrooms
When you step out of bed, you can’t beat the feel of a plush pile on bare feet – or give your bedroom a modern twist with laminate and add a rug for comfort.
3. Kitchen
Carpets will cozy up in a section for chilling for reading or watching TV. It won’t work in high- traffic areas that are prone to moisture and spills. Laminate is a hard-wearing option. You can have a variety of effects from traditional tiling to contemporary stone.
4. Hallway
Laminate is an easy-clean and practical choice for hallways. To create a great first impression, you can simply match it to any design scheme. You cannot ignore the softness and welcoming of the carpet.
5. Dining rooms
When it comes to spills and stains, carpet can be tricky. Choose laminate for lower maintenance.
You can see that there are advantages and disadvantages to laminate and carpet. It ultimately depends on you to choose which product. As a good rule, it would be better to select laminate for practicality and affordability, carpet for comfort and luxury.
You can talk to us for more information to help you make an informed choice. You may call us at +1800-001-658
Sources:
R, Will. (2018, December 10)Laminate vs Carpet Flooring: 2021 Comparison, Pros & Cons
https://floorcritics.com/laminate-vs-carpet-flooring/
Carpet vs. Laminate: The *Real* Pros & Cons
Greenberg, Samuel (2020, July 01)
https://www.flooringstores.com/blog/carpet-vs-laminate/
Carpet vs Laminate Flooring Comparison Guide: Tapi Carpets & Floors
https://www.tapi.co.uk/inspiration/carpet-vs-laminate
Carpet vs Laminate Flooring
https://www.diffen.com/difference/Carpet_vs_Laminate_Floor
Laminate Flooring vs Carpet
https://www.woodfloorwarehouse.co.uk/advice-inspiration/faqs/carpet-vs-laminate-flooring