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I saw an article recently that said Millennials didn’t want any carpet in their homes. Seems like they are overreacting, but admittedly, I have done something similar. When we moved into our new office, we decided to only use LVP. It was a great low-maintenance finish – until we added people. The noise level within the office was unacceptable. We added “washable” rugs throughout the office. The rugs reduced the sound level, but they were too big to fit in any normal washer, and they didn’t play well with the office chairs.

So maybe carpet isn’t so bad after all. It just needs to be cleaned periodically. I think when it comes to flooring, not one flooring is best suited for every room. Let’s start with a list of rooms that should and should not have carpets.

Rooms that should have carpet

• Bedrooms
• Playrooms
• Media rooms
• Second floor hallways

Rooms that should NOT have carpet

• Entry foyers and back door entrances
• Kitchens
• Bathrooms
• Dining rooms (residential)

THE ADVANTAGES OF CARPET

Lower cost

Carpet is still the lowest cost flooring available. It is said you can replace carpet 5 times vs tile and 7 times vs hardwood flooring. Compare the cost of carpeting key rooms vs an entire house with hard flooring.

Warmth Underfoot

This makes it great for bedrooms. Think about your feet emerging from beneath your bed covers and landing on a soft, warm floor – vs on cold hard tile or wood.

 

Acoustics

Part of the reason rooms feel cozier with carpet is its sound absorbing qualities. . It reduces sound in two ways. Carpet absorbs sound rather than reflecting it. It has a Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) of .35. It is even better when you add a pad underneath to bring it up to .65. 

Compare this to a tile floor which has an NRC of .01 to .02. In other words, carpet is 15 to 50 times more sound absorbent.

In addition to absorbing airborne sounds, it can also reduce impact noise like footsteps or dropped objects. This is especially helpful for second floor rooms. A second-floor playroom or media room is a great place for carpet.

Perhaps you’ve noticed most hotels use carpets in their hallways. It can dampen the sound of rolling suitcases and late-night loud mouths. The same is true for high end restaurants who value ambiance over maintenance.

Carpet Adds Traction

Carpet is less slippery than a wood or tile floor. And because it is warmer on your feet, it’s suitable for bare feet. Wearing socks on a tile floor will keep your feet warm, but it can also be very slippery. Not a great combination for young children or older adults with balance issues.

Replaceable

It is said that carpets are easily replaceable. Well – except you must virtually move out to replace carpet. Maybe not a big deal in a sparsely furnished room. But imagine a collector with tons of things cluttering up a room. Not fun.

DISADVANTAGES OF CARPET

Shorter Lifespan

It is a good thing carpet is replaceable because it doesn’t last nearly as long as many hard surface flooring. This is especially the case in high traffic areas.

Stains & Spills

My two favorite beverages (coffee and red wine) are not carpet-friendly when spilled. Upgrading to a stain resistant carpet is a must in my world. And then there are our precious pets. They can do a number on carpet. More about that later.

Traps dust, allergens and odors

Carpet is a collector. And this is not the fun kind of collectables. But with regular vacuuming and occasional deep cleaning, these issues can be mitigated.

Problematic with Pets

This is most likely the reason millennials don’t want carpet. Pet ownership in this country has grown – especially since the pandemic and for millennials. Fortunately, major advancements have been made to address this concern. Shaw has introduced Pet Perfect Carpet that solves the 4 “P” problems with pets: Puddles, Piles, Paws and Puke.

We might be looking to upgrade the carpeted rooms in our house with this.

Not wheel friendly

Very thick carpet makes it very difficult for a wheelchair to move about. The same is true with rolling office chairs, rolling luggage and even the vacuum cleaner. Wheels roll easier on a slicker surface.

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

No single flooring type suits every room. Evaluate each room individually to choose the best option for livability and durability. Carpet adds warms and coziness. Hard surface flooring adds durability.

What do you think? Reply to me at Housing Design Matters.