With so many floors covering options available today, choosing between carpet and hardwood can be difficult. Some may wonder if the carpet has many advantages over other hard surface flooring options. While each type of floor covering has distinct advantages and disadvantages, carpet has several significant advantages over hard surfaces. This also makes people ask – does carpet need underlay?
Even though hard surfaces have dominated interior design magazines in recent years, carpet has its distinct style. A rug can transform a space from luxurious and elegant to casual and comfortable simply by changing the type of carpet. For example, consider a short-pile, patterned rug for a more formal space or a long frieze for a more casual setting.
Do you feel tired more quickly after walking on ceramic tiles or concrete? This is because abrasive surfaces are just that: abrasive. They lack flexibility underfoot, which means they are incapable of acting as shock absorbers for your footsteps. What does this imply? Essentially, this means that as you stroll across a firm surface floor, your body receives a slight shock each time you take another step because your body can absorb the pressure of the activity.
The debate over whether carpet agitates or relieves health problems such as asthma and allergies has raged for decades. For years, individuals with such respiratory worries were advised to replace all carpeting in their homes with hard surface flooring. However, research in recent years has consistently demonstrated that carpet is more beneficial to those with breathing difficulties than hard surface floors.
No carpeting also means that sound travels much further. You’ve probably been in a room devoid of carpet at some point and noticed how sound tends to bounce off the walls, creating an echo in the room.
This is because hard surfaces – such as concrete – are incapable of absorbing sound in the same way that soft surfaces – such as carpet – can. As a result, carpet contributes significantly to the quietness of the space.
Apart from being comfortable walking, sitting, and lying on, the carpet absorbs shocks due to its flexibility and cushioning. This effect is amplified significantly if an underlay is used beneath the rug.
Thus, the carpet is more comfortable to the touch and more forgiving on the body when walking for an extended period.
However, not everyone likes adding an underlay.
Unique Loom Sofia Collection Area Rug
This Sofia Collection area rug seems to be a quick choice for areas of the home that need carpeting – fast. For example, let’s say your living room has faded flooring due to heavy traffic; you can use area rugs like this one to cover the faded areas and provide added support to anyone sitting or standing in the area. Also, as previously mentioned, one of the health benefits of having carpeting is the material absorbs some of the shocks whenever you walk, so it’s good for your legs and spine in the long term.
This area rug measures 122 cm x 183 cm and has a pile height of 1/3″. You can choose from three colors: dark gray, ivory white, and gray. These are neutral colors that will certainly not clash with your interior décor, so these rugs are a good fit whether your home has a modern feel or a more rustic feel to it. These rugs are also made in the USA, so if you prefer buying something local, this would be a good pick.
nuLOOM Moroccan Blythe Accent Rug
This nuLOOM accent rug indeed has its work cut out for it once placed in high traffic areas in the house. We especially love the tight and solid pile and the innovative designs we have observed in the series. nuLOOM rugs and carpets are made in India, which has a long weaving history, much like other parts of the Middle East. This particular accent rug comes in ten variations/colors, from pink to blue, so if you want to be inconsistent with what color you will be accenting a room with, then nuLOOM pretty much takes the medal for providing variety to customers.
Note that, like other rugs that don’t require an underlay before installation, this accent rug has a polypropylene backing that will help maintain the pile and protect the overall structure of the accent rug. This is a Moroccan-inspired rug which, according to the manufacturer, is also a joy to clean and will also not be stylish. No harm in buying an accent rug or two – these rugs are pretty helpful in the kitchen, too.
Artistic Weavers Chester Boho Moroccan Area Rug
We take one look at Artistic Weavers’ Chester Boho Moroccan area rug, and all we can say is wow – it certainly has that personality and wow factor that would fit almost any home. While the weaving pattern isn’t exactly super classic – and we understand why – it still has enough of that traditional grace to be helpful in most homes.
Like the two other rugs, this Moroccan-inspired area rug is also backed by a thick polypropylene layer, allowing homeowners to install it minus the carpet underlay. The manufacturer also says they have opted for a medium pile on this one because they don’t want it to obstruct doorways.
You can place this rug underneath heavy or light furniture, though carpeting wisdom tells us that it is never a brilliant move to put too heavy items on lightweight area rugs for apparent reasons. On the other hand, this rug is a good choice for high-traffic areas and happens to be kid-friendly and pet-friendly, as well. In addition, this rug can be washed, unlike the nuLOOM carpet, which can only be dry-cleaned.
The main picture is from Amazon – Artistic Weavers Store. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
