Choosing the right flooring for your home is, indeed, a very important decision and you cannot make this decision impulsively. At the end of the day, you want to invest your money in a floor that is beautiful, durable and lasting, hard-wearing and functional, comfortable and easy to maintain all at the same time. For many homeowners, this choice is often narrowed down to either choosing a parquet floor or a carpet as two of the most popular options offered on the market. So if you are planning to purchase a new floor for your home improvement project, you are probably considering these two options and you want to know more about their advantages and disadvantages to make the best decision for your needs. Therefore, this article is dedicated to exploring the main differences between parquet flooring and carpets, stay tuned to learn more.
Cleaning
The first factor that may influence your choice when you are choosing between parquet flooring and carpet is which type of flooring is easier to clean and keep in good condition. Daily, cleaning your carpet is easier. Cleaning a carpet requires vacuuming, how often you would vacuum your carpet depends on your lifestyle, however, once a week is the minimum recommended. Occasional deep cleaning of the carpet is required for removing all the deeply trapped between the fibres of the carpet dirt and dust particles. When it comes to cleaning a parquet floor, your cleaning routine does not have to be time-consuming, complex, or expensive.
However, it should be the proper one and regular. Vacuuming your wooden floor is enough to remove the everyday build-up of dust and dirt on the surface. However, if there is more stubborn dirt, you need to use a cleaning product that is designed for hardwood only and has a neutral pH that won’t damage the finish of the floor. Having all that said, parquet floors are still the more hygienic and easy-to-maintain option between these two. Let’s find out more below.
Allergy Triggers
If your household is suffering from allergies or other respiratory conditions, choosing a carpet is not your best option. Germs, bacteria, and allergens get easily trapped deep down between the fibres of the carpet and they will trigger allergies all the time. Therefore, professional deep cleaning is recommended way too often, which leads to quicker wear and tear of the carpet and is overall an expensive upkeep routine. Unlike carpets, parquet floors do not accumulate dust, dirt, and allergens. All dirt and dust particles remain on the surface of the floor and they are easy to remove by vacuuming or dry mopping with a microfiber material. There are no places and nooks where allergens and germs may hide, which pretty much means that parquet floors are a very hygienic option for every household.
Durability
When it comes to durability, wooden floors are known for how strong, solid, hard-wearing, and lasting they are. If you maintain your parquet floor properly, it is most probably designed to survive up to a whole century. Something that cannot be said for carpets, unfortunately. The lifespan of a carpeted floor is significantly shorter when compared to parquet flooring. If you are lucky and you take care of your carpet, it can last up to a whole decade. On the contrary, parquet floors last for many decades and even if you start noticing wear and tear on your parquet, it can be easily renovated with the help of re-sanding and refinishing.
Restoration
When it comes to the opportunities for renovations every of the flooring options offers, parquet flooring is, indeed, the best option. There is no way to renovate a carpet – you simply lift it and replace it with a new one once it is too worn and torn, stained and damaged. On the contrary, parquet floors can be repaired, renovated, re-sanded, refinished, and pretty much brought back to their initial glory, beauty, and durability. Even parquet floors that look too worn and damaged can be perfectly renovated and serve many more decades. It happens very rarely that a parquet floor is beyond repair and cannot be fully restored, which means the floorboards need to be fully replaced with new ones. However, in most cases, a professional team will do their magic and fully restore the floor.
Style
Style is the last main factor that can impact your choice when you are deciding between a parquet floor and a carpet. In terms of style, it is very individual and depends on what you prefer and what best fits the interior and overall atmosphere of your home. In general, both flooring option offers a great variety of designs, colours, and textures, which means there is the right style you are looking for.
Carpets can be made from different materials and are available in different textures, colours, and designs. Parquet floors are the most stunning type of real wood flooring in terms of appearance. Parquet floors are offered in different patterns, some of them very outstanding and engaging, others very simple and easy to blend with the rest of the interior. In addition, parquet floors are also available in different wood species that come with their unique natural aesthetics, different colours, textures, and grades. Parquet floors can be additionally treated and stained to look a certain way if you prefer.
