Hardwood flooring or carpet – which is better?

When fitting out the interior of an apartment or house, but also during renovation work, the question of the right floor covering always arises.

The decision is usually made between hardwood flooring and carpeting, especially when it comes to living room, bedroom and children’s room.

Both floor coverings have specific advantages, but the respective disadvantages must also be taken into account.

In addition, the choice of soil will be permanent for years to come. It is therefore important to choose a floor covering with which one is still satisfied even after a long time.

Basic questions as to whether parquet or carpet is the better choice

Personal taste is usually paramount. Other considerations also play a role:

  • What budget is available? parquet prices are often higher than the price of a carpet.
  • How durable is the flooring?
  • How easy to maintain is the floor, can it be thoroughly cleaned or even renovated if necessary?
  • Is it possible to lay parquet by yourself or do you need professional help?
  • Is parquet or carpet more practical?
  • Is the floor warm and comfortable, what is the footfall sound insulation?
  • What is the condition of the substrate, is there possibly a underfloor heating? Sometimes an old floor covering must be removed before you can lay planks.

The main advantages of parquet over carpet

Wood is a natural material that has a positive effect on the living climate. In addition, floorboards and parquet are available in countless variations. This allows you to create a room design as you wish.

A noble, exclusive and elegant floor covering is just as possible as a more rustic look. Depending on which type of wood you choose when buying parquet, the floor is very durable and robust.

The following advantages can be seen in detail if the choice between parquet or carpet is to be made:

The optical effect of parquet is usually more noble than that of a carpet.

There are indeed very high-quality carpets, but a parquet floor convinces already at first sight.

Depending on the type of wood or parquet type chosen and the surface treatment, parquet is suitable as a complement to classic or modern furnishings.

Parquet is flexible in design: such a floor fits the Scandinavian style as well as an ambience in a rural look.

Parquet has an extremely good influence on the room climate.

The material can absorb odours and neutralise them over time. A wooden floor feels moderately warm, but is naturally harder than a carpet.

The cleaning is simple and problem-free. Depending on the surface treatment, parquet can be cleaned with the brush attachment of the vacuum cleaner.

When cleaning the wet, care must be taken to ensure that the floor cloth is only fog-moist. Afterwards, however, the floor is spotlessly clean again.

In comparison between parquet or carpet, parquet performs better in terms of cleaning results. For allergy sufferers, a parquet floor covering good is suitable.

The maintenance effort is relatively low. Surface treatment plays a role here again: Oiled and waxed parquet needs good surface care every now and then.

In the case of a sealed or lacquered parquet , the lacquer only needs to be renewed when renovating.

If a fundamental renovation of the floor covering is necessary, this is much more successful with a parquet floor.

Parquet can be sanded down several times and resealed. Even if the appearance no longer appeals to you, the parquet can be coloured during renovation. In this way, the visual effect can be adapted to the furnishings as desired.

Both coverings should be protected with a floor protection mat in stressed areas, e.g. under desks.

The main advantages of carpet over parquet

An important criterion in the decision between parquet or carpet is the measures taken during installation.

A carpet floor has a lower installation height than a parquet floor. This means: When renovating or new laying with parquet adhesive, neither doors nor door frames need to be shortened. A thicker parquet floor, on the other hand, requires that doors and frames be adapted must.

The foot feeling is very pleasant with a carpeted floor. The floor covering feels comfortable and soft.

If you still prefer parquet, you can choose a good solution: The flooring consists of parquet, on top of which lies a decorative carpet.

Carpets also have a positive influence on the indoor climate. However, this is only the case if they are genuine natural fibres such as sisal or goat hair (Tredford) carpets, wool or coconut. Synthetic fibres at best cause unpleasant odours over the years, for example when house dust mites and the like settle in the carpet.

Cleaning a carpet is relatively easy. Dust, lint or animal hair can be easily removed with the vacuum cleaner.

The stain removal is more problematic, here it depends on the material. Deep cleaning is possible, but after a few passes the carpet will no longer have its original purity and colour intensity. The more often intensive cleaning is carried out, the faster the carpet becomes dirty.

When a renovation is due, carpet is easier to remove than parquet . For the removal of glued parquet, the use of heavy machinery is necessary.

A carpet that is only fixed with double tape can be removed very easily. A fully glued carpet can be cut into strips and torn off by hand. Adhesive residues can be sanded off with a single disc machine.

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