Why Choose Carpets as Floor Coverings?
Carpet is one of the most practical, fashionable and versatile choices of flooring, and accounts for more than half of all flooring purchases that are made each and every year. The benefits derived from selecting good quality carpets in any type of application are many: what other type of floor covering will provide sound insulation, underfoot comfort, energy savings, a safe, non-slip floor, and be easy to clean and install, with good wear and non-allergenic properties, while still providing the consumer with the flexibility for individual creative design?
Surface
Adding carpet to a room can disguise any existing damage to the floor and also hide any other problems such as warped floors. The thicker density the carpet, the more problems it will be able to hide.
Sound Insulation
Noise pollution in houses can have a serious effect on the wellbeing of all its users and in this respect a fitted carpet plays an important role virtually eliminating impact noise through sound absorption. The benefits of noise reduction can be felt throughout the house. In particular, in flats and on first/second floors when noise of hard flooring can be heard most by people on lower floors.
Carpet works to dampen noise in three ways:
- Reduces surface noise from foot traffic.
- Absorbs airborne sound.
- Blocks transmission of sound.
The use of carpet enhances sound absorption, and the conduction of impact noise can be reduced by up to 30dB, as opposed to comparative values for smooth floorcoverings which lay between 5-15dB.
Comfort
Carpet is the best choice you can make for your bedroom, family room, and other areas where you need warmth and comfort underfoot. Unlike hard surfaces, carpet can keep you comfortable if you decide to sit or lay down on it.
Safety
Safety covers two aspects – reduced slippage, especially when wet, and a decrease in stress on joints. Carpet offers a slip resistant surface that will prevent accidents, along with a natural cushion in the event of someone falling. For young children and the elderly, this is very important. The soft resilient fibres of a carpet provide a cushioning effect and excellent orthopaedic properties.
Energy Saving
Both carpet and carpet padding will provide an extra layer of much needed insulation between the floors of your home. Carpets can make a measurable contribution to retaining the warmth in a room and therefore saving energy. Carpets have low heat conduction and are natural thermal insulators creating a heat barrier.
As a result, as much as 10% of the heat in a room which would be dissipated with smooth floorcovering is retained in the room by the carpet.
This, combined with the outstanding underfoot comfort of a carpet, can result in a considerable reduction in the use of heating in the transition from a warm to a cold season. It has been estimated that up to 30 days heating can be saved, resulting in an energy saving of around 4-6% and a consequent reduction in heating bills.
Health
Allergies due to carpeting are unknown. The myth that carpets promote dust-mite allergies is untrue, because these are attributable to the faeces of the house-dust mite - the actual allergen itself. Bedding and bed linen contain up to 70% more house-mites than carpets. Regular vacuuming and cleaning, together with adequately ventilated and dry rooms, means that it is virtually impossible for a carpet to contain, entrap or transmit allergens.
Research has proven that carpet can improve the quality of air by trapping allergy causing dust and allergens if it is properly cleaned and maintained. With their superb dust-trapping properties, carpets are conducive to a healthy living environment. Dust settles quickly and is then securely held by the pile fibres of the carpet until it is vacuumed again.
The dust is not disturbed by incoming air draughts, and this means that the dust content of the indoor air is kept low. This is particularly important since dust particles also act as carriers for germs, allergens and other air contaminants.
Flexibility
Carpet is the primary foundation in almost any room. Because it is available in a variety of different colours and textures, it helps to create an unlimited number of possibilities for decorating. From the rich solids to neutral tones, carpet is the first step you can take to make your home look better than ever.
Easy to Care For
The carpets of today are more stain resistant than they have ever been in the past, which makes cleaning even the worst spills easier than ever. No matter type of spill it may be, there is usually a way to clean it up.
Life Span
The carpets of today are very durable and can outlast most other types of flooring available on the market. All you have to do is select a type of carpet that has a life span of five - 30 years or more, which is very common nowadays.
Low Cost
Carpet doesn't have to cost a lot of money, as it offers an economical alternative to the other types of expensive flooring. Even with professional installation, you won't pay nearly as much as you would for hard surfaces.
