The choice isn’t always the easiest; deciding what floor you want in your bedroom isn’t meant to be stressful. But as the bedroom is your own personal private retreat from the rest of the world, you know you want only the best for you and your feet. And when the choice comes down to carpet or hardwood, the team at CDC Distributors knows this isn’t always the easiest of choices. To help you alleviate the stress of such a decision, this blog post is dedicated to helping you make the decision that will make your bedroom into a haven.
Carpet
As far as comfort goes, carpeting is the cushiest for feet. And for indoor air quality. While it is true that carpet can trap allergens like dust and hair, having these components trapped in a carpet’s fibers prevents them from being released into the air, thus improving your indoor air quality. Do be cautious though; it isn’t all right to leave allergens in a floor covering forever. To keep that improved indoor air quality in your bedroom, regular care and cleaning of a carpet is required. But if you don’t want a plush floor for your feet, there are more firm varieties available. Besides the countless colors carpet comes in, it has the added bonus of being constructed in several different ways, all being made with different fibers. So, if you’re looking for a cushy spot to place your feet, carpets such as a nylon plush cut pile or a wool friezé cut pile, have a softer touch while still maintaining their respective shapes with highly twisted yarn. However, if you’re looking for one that is meant for substantial foot traffic, these aren’t the styles to choose. Loop pile, multi-loop pile and other constructions of cut pile, are carpets that all have a long durability. Nylon, polyester, polypropylene and wool are all common fibers used in carpet construction, and all of which have outstanding durability to feet.
Carpet acts as an insulator – in more ways than one. As we saw in February, the weather in Ohio is erratic; it can be below freezing one day and relatively warm the next. Keeping yourself (and your feet!) warm isn’t an issue with carpeting installed in a bedroom. This floor can help keep heating costs down in a home. But warmth isn’t the only thing carpet provides. Carpet also acts as a noise reducer. With TVs, computers, sound systems and stereo systems all being common in homes nowadays, many noises can fight for your attention. This flooring choice absorbs all of these sounds so your bedroom will be serene. Plus, in an area that has constant foot traffic, carpet will lower the amount of noise those constantly-stepping feet will make. And most importantly, carpet acts as an “insulator” for people. If you’re scratching your head at what could possibly be meant by that, read on. If you have little ones running or crawling about, or if you have an elderly family member living with you, you know that slips and falls may occur. Carpet helps reduce the possibility of falling, and, if someone does fall, a cushy carpet minimizes the risk of injury when slipping or falling. A softer padding and a textured surface make carpet an “insulator” for slips and falls.
Hardwood
As the name states, hardwood floors come from hard varieties of wood. There are varieties of softwood, such as pine, fur and cedar, but they aren’t always the best woods for floors. The harder the wood, the denser the floor is. If you’re worried about scratches (because let’s face it; sometimes Fido does get too excited and can use his nails on the floor), hardwood can handle them. The denser the wood is, the more it is resistant to scratches, dents and the other misgivings life can throw at a floor. A harder wood also has a longer life cycle than a softer wood does. Heavy foot traffic or an accident isn’t a problem for this enduring floor choice. If you aren’t 100 percent sure the floor you’re interested in will be able to stand up to the lifestyle you live, read up on the Janka Hardness Scale. The Janka Hardness Scale tests a wood species’ strength and it is given a number relative to that strength. The species is put through rigorous testing to determine its hardness rating and what it can stand up to.
Looking for a floor with environmental benefits? Hardwood is the way to go! Wood floors have been reported as using less water and energy to produce than other flooring options, according to the University of Wisconsin Wood Products Program Solid Wood Flooring Life Cycle Analysis. And not only is this the flooring option that helps improve indoor air quality, it is an optimum choice for people with extreme allergies. Wood floors don’t have grout lines or fibers that other floors have. How does this help with a runny nose? The lack of grout lines and fibers means hardwood won’t trap in pollen, dirt, animal hair and other possible allergens that could cause those with allergies to suffer; it is easily cleaned of these contaminants. However, like with all flooring options, cleaning and care are needed to prevent these components from staying on the floor. A naturally occurring resource, trees are constantly being newly planted while wood floors are in production.
There are numerous factors to consider when choosing a new floor for your bedroom. As everyone has different tastes, making a decision between carpet and hardwood can be a toss up based on personal preferences. With both types having countless selections, there is an existing variety that suits what you’re looking for. Whether you like a cut-loop pile carpet over a cut pile, or you prefer lighter-colored wood to the dark colors, there is one available for your private retreat. Each floor option has its benefits and its drawbacks, but regardless of which one you opt to have in your bedroom, they have one thing in common: your feet will be thanking you for the pleasing result.
