If you are looking to replace the flooring in your home, you may be weighing up the options between carpet and laminate wood flooring and wanting to assess the differences between them. With numerous choices available in both types of flooring, it is worth considering practicalities such as cost, maintenance, durability and the aesthetics.
For quite some time now carpet has often been considered the most luxurious option for interior design, especially to increase a feeling of warmth to spaces. However, it also has a lot of drawbacks and laminate has become increasingly popular as the flooring material of choice in both residential and commercial settings.
As with everything, there are pros and cons of both options and here we summarise them for you to help you decide which is the best solution for your specific needs.
Which one is easiest to maintain?
If you are looking for hassle free maintenance, laminate is by far the best solution. Oak laminate flooring is super easy to keep clean and mop up spills or muddy footprints. The surface is wipe clean and scratch resistant and is without doubt the recommended flooring material if there are children or pets in the house. Carpets maybe easy to vacuum, but they can be susceptible to staining, especially in areas of high footfall.
Which one is more durable and lasts longer?
On average, a standard specification of carpet will last for 4 to 6 years, with more premium quality carpets lasting for a little over 10 years. However, laminate flooring can last easily up to 15 years. Although if you choose a low-grade laminate or pick the lowest cost product, then you will need to replace it earlier.
Which is easiest to install?
Laminate flooring can be laid pretty much anywhere but carpets are best to avoid wet areas such as bathrooms, or those prone to have heavy soilage or footfall such as kitchens or hallways. Laminate flooring is also quick and easy to install, even by DIY enthusiasts. You should always engage the services of a professional fitter however for carpets, which may increase the overall cost and time needed to complete a project.
Which is better aesthetically?
If you want to create a luxurious ambience and enjoy that cosy feel under your feet then carpet is a classic choice and there are thousands of types, styles and colours to really create a design statement. Likewise, though, modern laminate flooring UK offers a very wide breadth of sizes and finishes and can give the appearance of wood or tile – they even come in herringbone.
Where can they be installed?
Which rooms you are choosing flooring for may have an impact on the type of material you choose.
Bedrooms
For a really contemporary look to your bedroom, we would always recommend laminate with the addition of rugs for that cosy feeling when you step out of bed. Carpet can also be a great addition to a bedroom – although for children’s rooms or nurseries we would always suggest using laminate to help with cleaning up any mess they may create!
Living Rooms
Really, for the living rooms, it depends on what feel you are trying to create and the size of the space. Carpet traditionally creates a warmer, cosy feel and modern ranges give you lots of scope to create design statements. However, laminate is normally a much more contemporary solution and also works particularly well in larger or more open plan spaces.
Hallways
The hallway is the area of the house with the greatest amount of footfall and the flooring needs to be easy to maintain and robust. For this reason, laminates are best for this area as cleaning is easy. Also, you can install attention grabbing styles to instantly impress visitors. Carpet can create a welcoming ambience but is easily stained – although to help minimise this risk make sure to add doormat and rugs so that everyone can wipe their feet before entering.
Dining Areas & Kitchens
Dining and kitchen areas is where spills and stains are much more likely to occur. So laminate is always the best option here due to the practical, easy maintenance surface.
Are you looking for laminate styles to create that wow factor? Check out our extensive flooring range. There are many designs, styles and textures as well as matching accessories, making it easy to shop for your complete project. To find out more please call 020 3697 6812 , or email info@onestepbeyondflooring.co.uk.
