Laminate and carpet flooring are good options for the bedroom. Each option has its distinct advantages and disadvantages, which can make the decision-making process challenging for homeowners. Now, you’re wondering if laminate or carpet is good for your bedroom. We researched for you, and here’s what we found.
There’s no end-all reason that carpet is better than laminate flooring in every aspect when installed in a bedroom. The same idea goes when comparing laminate with carpets. Both flooring options offer unique benefits and shortcomings. For example, carpets are comfier than laminate floors. But laminate is usually easier to clean than carpet flooring.
It’s important to know about the pros and cons of laminate and carpet for you to make the right decision for your bedroom’s flooring. Keep reading as we talk about these advantages and drawbacks. We'll also discuss other ideal flooring options for your bedroom.
What Are The Pros And Cons Of Carpets?
Carpets enhance the personality of the bedroom without relying on costly renovations. In many cases, you only need to lay the carpet on the floor. Plus, it can serve as extra padding to protect the surface underneath from issues like scratches and dings.
Aside from being a reasonably inexpensive option to decorate a bedroom, carpets also provide other benefits. But take note that this flooring also comes with some shortcomings.
Continue reading this section to learn more about the pros and cons of carpet flooring for bedrooms.
Pros of Carpet Flooring
Soft to Touch
Carpets often use materials like wool, nylon, and polyester. These substances are typically soft for the skin, reducing the pressure felt when stepping on the flooring.
Generally, carpets have 20 to 24 deniers, which is a measurement for filament size. However, you can purchase and install a carpet for your bedroom with a denier of as low as 3. These significantly soft options are like cushions for your feet, enhancing the overall coziness of the resting space.
Enhance Warmth
A carpet flooring can improve the warmth in the bedroom, which can be great for the cold season. Wall-to-wall options can also provide excellent insulation to help retain heat in the space. This factor can also reduce heat loss by about 10% to 20%, reducing energy costs.
Carpets also act as a heat barriers. They prevent cold from seeping into the subfloor, particularly those made from concrete or plywood.
Sound Dampener
Carpets often reduce noise by about 35% in a room. If installed in the bedroom, this flooring option enhances the room’s privacy. Some options, such as wool carpets, may reduce over 40% of the space’s sounds. Aim to use a wool carpet with an underlay made with the same material for optimal sound dampening properties.
Quality carpets can reduce both verbal and surface noise, such as footsteps and furniture movement. In comparison, flooring like bare tiles enhances sounds produced by 7 to 12 times.
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Cons of Carpet Flooring
Short Lifespan
The average lifespan of a carpet is approximately 5 to 15 years. In comparison, quality laminate flooring often lasts 15 to 25 years.
Homeowners may extend the life of their carpets in their bedrooms by choosing high-quality models instead of opting for fairly fragile choices. Regular vacuuming may also help extend a carpet’s serviceable life, albeit at the cost of extra effort during routine cleaning sessions.
High Maintenance Costs
Property owners that opt to use professional carpet cleaning services should expect to pay between $0.18 and $0.36 per square foot. Therefore, a typical 132-square foot bedroom with a wall-to-wall carpet may require $23.76 to $47.52 in cleaning expenses for the flooring alone. The expenses can skyrocket to regularly clean the premises.
Another option is to purchase a high-powered vacuum cleaner to reduce expenses from using professional cleaners. However, quality models may possess expensive price tags, which might not be ideal for tight budgets homeowners.
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Health Issues
Carpet fibers are generally akin to dust magnets. The flooring can also attract other unclean substances, like mold, pet dander, and old skin.
These particulates can become airborne upon stepping on the carpet, leading to risks of potential health issues to the people resting in the bedroom. These health hazards may include skin irritation, weakened immune system, and allergic reactions.
Using a blacklight flashlight can help detect the existence of unclean particulates in bedroom carpets. Learn more about the things you can see when using a blacklight on a carpet by reading our post on that topic.
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What Are The Advantages Of Laminate Flooring?
Laminate flooring possesses distinct properties to deliver unique advantages for the bedroom. Some of these benefits are listed below.
DIY-Friendly Installation
Laminate flooring installation is a reasonably straightforward project. DIY beginners may not encounter significant challenges with this task, and they can complete it within a day.
Opting to DIY the entire install procedure can help property owners save money from using professional assistance.
You can watch the video below to check the procedures to install laminate flooring:
Fairly Inexpensive
Installing laminate flooring approximately costs between $6 to $14 per square foot. It's also possible to gain discounts when setting up this material for large spaces.
For example, a 100-square foot bedroom may require $1,400 for the installation of the laminate flooring. On the other hand, a 200-square foot space may only require $1,200 in installation costs.
Take note that the expenses related to placing the laminate in a bedroom depend on different factors, such as the flooring material's thickness. Despite this relatively expensive overhead, the overall costs to install and maintain this type of flooring are usually less than the expenses associated with setting up and caring for carpets.
Easy To Clean
As mentioned in the previous section, maintaining laminate flooring doesn’t usually require expert services. Routine mopping and sweeping might be sufficient to keep the luster and spotlessness of this material.
What Are The Disadvantages Of Laminate Flooring?
Laminate flooring can also possess certain traits that may not be advantageous to bedrooms. Some of these shortcomings are discussed below.
Reduced Comfort
Laminate’s durable nature comes at the cost of reduced comfort. Walking on this hard surface can be quite difficult for individuals with issues in their lower extremities. Laminate is also susceptible to cold, which can make it more challenging to walk on during the cold season.
Tough to Refinish
Unlike real wood, refinishing laminate flooring can be quite difficult. The procedure might require steps like stripping the laminate using special products and applying the correct floor sealer.
On the other hand, minimal damage to wooden floors may only need some sanding and staining to complete touch-ups. Some scenarios entail laminate board replacements rather than repairs as the former might require reduced overhead and effort.
Which Flooring Is Good For Bedroom?
Laminate and carpet are good flooring choices for the bedroom. Aside from these options, some property owners may also want to look at other excellent selections, such as:
- Hardwood: Generally expensive but will usually last for decades with proper care.
- Bamboo: An eco-friendly choice with different color and grain variants available.
- Rubber: Durable and long-lasting flooring with an easy-to-clean surface.
- Ceramic tiles: Despite having minimal sound reduction traits, design options for this type of flooring are plenty.
You might also be looking into choosing flooring for your basement. If so, read our post about the comparison of carpet and laminate in the basement to help you make a sound decision.
Final Words
Homeowners need to understand the differences between laminate and carpet flooring for their bedrooms. Knowing the different advantages and disadvantages of these flooring choices can lead to correct decisions. A reduction in risks of encountering costly mishaps is also possible by being perceptive about these benefits and shortcomings.