Beautiful flooring draws our eyes toward it, and it’s easy to admire. Outdated or worn-out flooring is noticeable as well—just for the wrong reasons. When it’s time to choose flooring for your home, we’ve got some helpful hints about how to choose between carpet or engineered hardwood flooring to help you along.
The Different Types of Carpets
Carpet isn’t just carpet. There are a few different types. They fall under two categories: loop or cut pile.
Loop Pile Carpeting
In a loop pile, the fibers of the carpeting bend into a series of loops to form the carpet. There are three types of loop pile carpeting:
- Berber is the most popular type of loop carpet. The loops are short and have a little variation among them, creating a smooth, dense carpet. Berber isn’t a cushiony carpet, but it’s highly durable, and that’s what makes it so popular.
- Level loop carpet uses precise short loops so that each one is the exact same size. This design creates a dense and smooth carpet. It’s best for high-traffic areas that need something tough.
- The last loop carpet is the multi-level loop. The loops all vary in size, making it aesthetically pleasing. The textures and variations of the pattern change with time and use.
Cut Pile Carpeting
Unlike loops, cut pile carpeting is created by cutting the ends of the yarn in different ways to create different styles of carpeting. Let’s look at the various cut pile options:
- Saxony style carpet is designed with tightly packed yarns and cut evenly, creating a dense, smooth appearance. It’s known for its luxurious feeling under foot. However, saxony style damages easily, so be careful.
- Twisted cut pile twists the yarns before cutting. When they’re released, the carpet is left with a soft, casual look. This creates an easy-to-clean texture.
- Frieze carpeting uses fibers that flip in many directions, giving it a curly type of look. It’s casual and soft, and it feels luxurious. Still, it wears out quickly with heavy foot traffic.
The last form of carpeting is patterned, which is a combo of both loop and cut, which creates beautiful, artistic designs.
The Different Types of Engineered Hardwood Flooring
Engineered hardwood flooring is wood flooring designed to withstand life’s daily demands better than solid hardwood flooring. It looks just as beautiful but is easier to maintain and handles spills, pets, and busy families well. It does so with a process of layers—including real wood.
There are many variations of engineered hardwood flooring, so we’ll cover just the basics to give you an idea. Here are the different variations to look for when choosing engineered hardwood:
- Wood species: maple, oak, walnut, hickory
- Width of planks
- Length of planks
- Thickness
- Color
- Surface finish
Engineered hardwood flooring offers plenty of options because of the many factors that come into play. Some choose a wide plank while others prefer something slimmer. Colors vary from a whitewash to a deep cherry. The beauty of wood is in its uniqueness and variety.
The Pros & Cons of Carpet
Carpet has its perks, and it also has its downside. Here’s a list of the pros of carpet to help when choosing between carpet or engineered hardwood flooring:
- Noise reducing
- Inexpensive
- Soft
- Plenty of styles
- Easy installation
- Hides dirt
And now let’s see the cons:
- Tough to maintain
- Wears out easily
- Needs replacing
- Stains easily
Weigh the good with the bad when considering carpet. Although it’s less expensive than engineered hardwood, it doesn’t hold up as well.
The Pros & Cons of Engineered Hardwood
Just like carpet, engineered hardwood flooring has its pros and cons. Let’s look at what those are—beginning with the pros:
- Cost effective
- Timeless and beautiful
- Easy installation
- Easy to maintain
- Durable
- No staining with normal spills
Now let’s see the cons of engineered hardwood flooring:
- Not waterproof
- Low-quality products will fade and scratch
- Prices vary greatly
As you can see, both carpet and engineered hardwood flooring have their advantages and disadvantages. In the end, everyone must choose what works best for their comfort level and lifestyle.
The Room Matters
The room for which you are choosing flooring plays a very important role in the decision-making process. Here are some things to consider about a room when deciding on flooring:
- Is it an area where water easily gets on the floor, such as a bathroom?
- Is it a high-traffic area, like a living room?
- Is sitting on the floor important?
- Are you hoping to reduce noise?
Lifestyle Matters
After understanding how flooring fits into a particular room, you then need to think about your lifestyle. Don’t convince yourself that carpet will be fine even though you have dogs and a toddler with a sippy cup. You can still have carpet, but you should expect it to gain a few stains quickly. Be honest and realistic about your home and how you live in it. Ask yourself these questions as you analyze your at-home lifestyle:
- Do you entertain often?
- What’s more important to you: style or function?
- Do you intend to live in the house for many years, or are you just preparing to sell?
- Do you have young children?
- Do you have pets?
- Are you okay with high maintenance, such as vacuuming?
After considering the room and your daily lifestyle, deciding between carpet or engineered hardwood flooring is an easy one.
Current Trends
Today, more people choose engineered hardwood rather than carpet. It’s easy to install as a DIY project, which will save you money. Most of all, it looks just like solid hardwood without the upkeep. Wood is timeless and never goes out of style, making it easy to live with. With so many shades, it’s easy to find the right floor.
If one does use carpet, it’s seen more often in bedrooms or finished basements where people want something warm under their feet.
Whether building or making home improvements, flooring is one of the most important decisions. The right floor lasts for years and handles the entire household’s flooring needs.
At From the Forest, we offer the finest USA-made engineered hardwood flooring options, such as grey engineered wood flooring, as well as many other shades and wood species. Contact From the Forest or browse our convenient online store for samples and more information.
