Carpet vs Wooden Floor

Wooden flooring has become the cornerstone of modern style for many homebuyers; they’re an extremely sought after commodity. It’s not surprising; they look great, they’re easy to maintain, and they have the potential to make an ordinary room standout with a bit of contemporary style. For those reasons buyers do favour wooden flooring over carpet (at the moment).

Will Wooden Flooring add value?

While they look great and provide convenience, it wouldn’t be worth going through the trouble of installing them into a development project if they won’t add value. There are many different types of wood flooring you can install and it can be done to suit all price ranges, but it’s only the quality wood and quality finish that will add the real value in price and consumer appeal. But I guess the same principle applies to any fixture these days.

There is no substitute for real wood

There is a wide range of wooden flooring available, and each type of wood has its own individual pros and cons. But the general rule is that quality does count, so going for the cheaper option can cost you- the thicker and wider the wood the better.

It’s important not to confuse laminate flooring with real wooden floors, as laminate flooring is unlikely to add any value to a property. Real wood floors, also known as solid hardwood flooring, is what will make your property ooze with style. If money is no object then hardwood flooring is a no-brainer. The main thing to remember is real wood flooring reacts badly to moisture, so you should never lay it in any areas where a lot of humidity is present.

Laminate flooring has become increasing popular in recent years because it’s a cost affective alternative, and at a glance, can deceive the naked eye into thinking it’s the real deal. But more often than not, they can look shiny and fake.

Difference between real wood flooring and laminate

Laminate flooring looks just like traditional wood flooring but is, in fact, a thin layer of decor paper placed under a tough-as-nails protective film. Decor paper is actually a photographic image of a certain type of wood. This picture is then glued and pressed to a high-density backing board. Despite appearances there is no real wood in a laminate board at all.

Carpet is better than laminate flooring

If there’s a toss up between laminate flooring and carpet, carpet should win every time, providing that it’s tasteful and in mint condition. Real wood flooring is a bonus, carpet is expected and laminate flooring is a downer, especially if it looks laminate.

Where to apply wooden flooring?

It’s important not to get carried away with wooden flooring for two specific reasons. Firstly, not everyone will want wooden flooring to infest an entire property, they can become overbearing, so you could be cornering your market with such a bold move. Wood flooring may look the business, but it certainly isn’t as comfortable as carpet on the feet, so choosing carefully where you want to lay wood and carpet would be advisable. You can never guarantee who is going to view your home therefore I would suggest playing it safe and catering for the middle ground. For example, apply wooden flooring on the ground floor, where it will make the most impact and apply carpets in the bedrooms and tiled flooring in the kitchen and bathrooms. But hey, you can pick and choose, just don’t over do it.

Gold under the carpet

Before splashing out on wooden floors to replace your tired carpets, it might be worth checking underneath the existing rags. You might be surprised, there could already be quality flooring sleeping, untouched. Nothing can beat authentic, solid, hard wood flooring. If lady luck is on your side, you’ll have a lush, traditional array of wooden flooring that only needs a bit of TLC with sand paper and a lick of varnish to add a bit of vitality.

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10 Comments - join the conversation...

karen fraleigh2009-04-08 20:38:13 Thank you. We are building a new home and having a tough time deciding carpet or wooden floors. I want wooden floors and my husband wants carpeting. Maybe we will have to go half and half.
Thank you,
Karen J. Fraleigh 1

Jools2009-04-09 11:24:21 Hi karen,

My thoughts - if you are renting the property I would go for laminate in th epublic areas as its easy to clean and you wont get smelly orrible carpets that need to be replaced/cleand at changeover. Get a decent underlay but get it from a flooring trade company. You will pay about £30 for a large roll and will usually have to pay a bit extra for fitting but you will save loads. Carpet fitters normally charge £30 or so extra for stairs and anywhere from £2.50 upward a square metre. Dont go to Carpet world etc - find yourself a descent independent - their fitters will normally have some underlay left over from the 'Carpet world' (other carpet suppliers are available) jobs so you may get it cheaper, and you can negotiate a reasonable deal. I use a basic £5.99 sq m bleach cleanable carpet for my rentals.

As for laminate I use a plastic laminate in my properties that is 100% waterproof, heel resistant, fag resistant etc. If you drop water on it you can just mop it up and it does not expand or 'blow' as is usual with wood laminate. £ for £ a bit more expensive than wood but far less issues with looking after it. Comes in a variety of styles and look great when down. Will dig out the name of the product and post here.

Jools 2

Krystal2010-08-01 18:29:00 My grandparents own their own hardwood business, so I had hardwood Floors in my home growing up. Now that I am an adult, I've only lived in apartments with carpet. I HAVE LEARNED TO HATE CARPET!!! If you have allergies, pets, children, or as clumsy as I am, carpet is not your friend. Hardwood floors can be put through things you wouldn't believe. On average people have to replace carpet every few years, hardwood floors lasts decades. They add value to your home and look beautiful when you have guest. I choose hardwood floors over carpet anyday. 3

Sean2010-08-24 15:00:55 There is no doubt that laminate flooring is one of the best options for rented property.

I have a couple of properties rented out and I used to fit them out with carpet as I own a local store.

But every few years, tenants seem to destroy the carpet.

Now I lay laminate flooring in all areas apart from the bathroom, kitchen and of course stairs. As indeed do most of my landlord customers.

However I have real wood at home, but use Karndean Flooring in some areas.

Sean

http://www.carpettradecentre.co.uk 4

jason2011-01-31 00:10:03 Jools, Sean very useful info.

For a rental house you think carpet best for bedrooms or would laminate be ok with rugs. What about the landing (nice to walk to the bathroom if carpet) and what about the bathroom 5

Carpets for Less2011-04-20 03:45:06 It all depends on your own personal preference and go with what you think will look nice in the room be most practical. Laminate is obviously easier to clean, so if it's a room with a lot of foot traffic rather choose this. Laminate is still a warm choice for living rooms and even bedrooms, and it's easy to put a nice throw rug down. But if you're looking for a really warm, soft, inviting feel to the room, choose carpet. 6

Best timber flooring2011-09-12 07:55:43 The old debate about whether it is better to have a carpet or use wood flooring is still around, but quite often the need for a “wow” factor in any room more often than not can be the major factor when it comes to decided, rather than if it can save you any money on your monthly heating bill. These days carpet are become increasingly out dated with more and more home owners choosing solid wood flooring, this is due to the increasing variety on the market to choose from. Wood flooring can also be bought in a variety of colours, this can add warmth and texture to your room, with the flooring quality getting better over time it also adds character and value to your home.
Best timber flooring 7

carpet cleaners dublin2011-12-30 18:06:05 Excellent. It was indeed really worth the read. 8

Jeremy2011-12-30 18:43:22 Just so you guys can get a random sample from one landlord.

In victorian properties, I tend to stip back to a wooden floor for most accommodation rooms. Reclaimation yards are great if you've got a couple of spoiled boards. I put in rugs with good quality underlay, if the tenants don't have their own rugs to bring. Kitchen will be tiles or vinyl. Bathroom vinyl.

In newer properties I tend to go for carpets with good underlay except in bathroom and kitchen where it's something hard like vinyl or tiles. 9

carpet cleaning dublin2011-12-30 19:29:03 Thanks !. It was indeed definitely worth the read. 10

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