Step Into Comfort
Why Carpet is the Ultimate Flooring Solution
Carpet remains an unparalleled flooring solution, providing a unique combination of comfort, versatility, and durability. Its inviting warmth and soft texture elevate any space, providing an underfoot comfort that hard flooring options simply cannot replicate. Carpet’s adaptability in design allows it to fit seamlessly into a variety of interiors, offering both functional and aesthetic benefits that cater to diverse client needs.
As design standards evolve to place a greater emphasis on health, wellness, and environmental responsibility, flooring choices must now support broader goals of sustainability and indoor air quality. Modern building practices increasingly prioritise materials that contribute to a healthy indoor environment, reduce energy consumption, and meet rigorous sustainability criteria.
Carpet, as a versatile flooring option, aligns with these evolving expectations. Carpet offers natural insulation that helps regulate indoor temperatures and lowers energy demands for heating and cooling, while also providing excellent sound absorption properties. Sustainable manufacturing practices and recyclable materials further boost carpet’s appeal as a green building material. Moreover, its ability to trap airborne particles aids in managing allergens, promoting a healthier indoor environment for occupants.
In this whitepaper, we will outline carpet’s unique advantages, focusing on its ability to enhance comfort, health and safety. From providing warmth and underfoot comfort to contributing to acoustics and improved air quality, carpet meets the highest standards of modern design.
By offering natural insulation, carpet helps regulate indoor temperatures, contributing to lower energy demands for heating and cooling.
The soft texture of carpet brings a high level of comfort, making it especially well-suited for living spaces, hospitality settings, and work environments. Its warmth underfoot is perfect for colder climates, adding a cosy, inviting ambiance that enhances the overall feel of a room.
One of the key benefits of carpet is that it is an exceptionally good thermal insulator. Technical reports note that wool carpets act as highly effective thermal insulators, offering the potential to save between 8-13% on heating and cooling costs, with maximum insulation achieved using thick carpets with quality underlays.₁ The carpet’s thermal advantages arise from its low thermal conductivity and high crimp, which allow it to retain and regulate heat effectively.
The insulation value of carpet can be up to ten times higher than that of other floor coverings.₂ When installed over an underlay, the thermal performance of carpet improves further. Wall-to-wall carpet installation maximises these benefits, as the reduction in heat loss is directly proportional to the carpeted area.₃
Acoustic Benefits
Carpet offers significant acoustic benefits by reducing airborne, surface, and impact noise within spaces. Unlike hard surfaces that reflect sound, creating echoey environments, carpet absorbs sound waves through its fibres, pile, and underlay, preventing them from bouncing around the room.₄ This absorption quality is particularly effective in carpets with wool piles, which can absorb sound across a wide range of frequencies.₅ As a result, carpet enhances the clarity of speech and creates quieter, more comfortable environments.
In addition, carpet effectively controls surface noise from footsteps, dropped objects, and furniture movement, which can be up to 12 times louder on bare tile floors.₆ The cushioned nature of carpet converts high-frequency impact sounds, such as footsteps, into less intrusive low-frequency noises. This reduction of impact sound is crucial in multi-storey buildings and other busy spaces where noise transmission between floors is a concern.
Quiet, well-managed soundscapes can reduce stress and promote relaxation, contributing to both physical and mental health. They can improve cognitive function, especially in educational and work settings, by reducing distracting noise, which helps enhance focus and productivity. Well-designed acoustic environments also foster better communication, safety, and comfort, leading to an improved quality of life and greater satisfaction in both private and public spaces.₇
Safety Advantages
Carpet offers a number of safety advantages, beginning with its superior slip resistance. Unlike smooth flooring options like tile or hardwood, carpet provides a textured, non-slip surface that significantly lowers the risk of slipping, especially in high-traffic areas, senior living facilities, and on stairs, where slip hazards are common. A recent study by CSIRO, commissioned by the Carpet Institute, confirmed that carpet achieves a slip resistance classification of no less than P3, indicating a reliable level of safety in preventing slips.₈
In addition to reducing slip risks, the soft, padded nature of carpet provides a cushioning effect that helps absorb the impact of falls. This cushioning can be particularly beneficial for vulnerable groups such as infants, elderly individuals, or people with limited mobility, as it can reduce the likelihood of injury from accidental falls. The softer surface of carpet acts as a protective layer, offering a safer alternative to hard flooring.
Carpet also enhances overall stability and protects fragile items. Its textured surface adds friction underfoot, providing better grip and support for individuals who may require additional assistance, such as those using walking aids. Furthermore, the carpet’s soft surface provides a gentler landing for fragile items like phones, glasses, or dishes, reducing the risk of damage to both the item and the floor.
Maintenance and Cleanliness
Carpets have a unique fibre structure that traps dust, dirt, and pet hair, keeping these particles contained until they can be vacuumed. This helps prevent allergens and debris from becoming airborne and spreading throughout the room. Additionally, carpets often conceal minor stains and dirt, especially when using darker colours or patterns, so they look cleaner between cleanings compared to hard floors, which can quickly show dirt and smudges.
Modern carpets offer advancements in stain-resistant fibres and treatments, making them more resilient to spills and stains. Many stains can be easily spot cleaned before they have a chance to set in. Regular vacuuming is often sufficient to keep carpets looking fresh, as it effectively removes surface dust and dirt without the need for sweeping. Occasional deep cleaning helps maintain the carpet’s appearance over time. Unlike hard floors, carpets do not require daily cleaning, making them a lower maintenance option.
Health and Indoor Air Quality
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is crucial for the health and comfort of building occupants. Poor IAQ can result from several factors, including inadequate ventilation from ineffective HVAC systems, chemical contaminants such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released from building materials, and biological contaminants like bacteria, mould, dust and pollen. These pollutants can accumulate indoors, potentially leading to health issues such as allergies, respiratory problems, and general discomfort for occupants.
Carpet can positively impact IAQ when compared to other flooring materials for several reasons. First, studies have shown that it is not a significant contributor to VOC emissions, as approximately 90% of VOCs emitted from new carpet dissipate within just two days of installation.₉
Furthermore, carpets act as filters for airborne dust and allergens, effectively trapping these particles until they can be removed through regular cleaning. Research from the German Allergie and Asthma Bund found that dust levels in rooms with carpet were only half of those in spaces with hard flooring, backing up previous Australian research that concluded that removing carpet has not been demonstrated to reduce overall dust mite allergen exposure in the home₁₀.
To maximise the benefits of carpet on indoor air quality, frequent vacuuming and periodic deep cleaning are essential. Regular maintenance not only keeps the carpet looking fresh but also ensures that trapped dust and contaminants are effectively removed.
Pet Friendly
Carpet is a pet-friendly flooring choice, offering a soft and comfortable surface that pets can enjoy. The warmth and cushioning of carpet are gentle on pets’ bodies, reducing strain on their joints. Additionally, carpet provides better traction for paws, which helps prevent slips and falls that can occur on smoother surfaces like hardwood or tile. This added stability is especially beneficial for pets with mobility challenges, allowing them to move around the home with greater ease and confidence.
Pet-friendly carpets are designed to be durable and stain-resistant, making it easier to manage common pet messes like dirt, fur, and spills. Carpets trap pet dander and other allergens, preventing them from becoming airborne until they are eventually vacuumed. Additionally, carpet muffles the sounds of pets moving around, reducing noise levels and contributing to a peaceful atmosphere within the home.
Carpets have a unique fibre structure that traps
dust, dirt, and pet hair, keeping these particles contained until they can be vacuumed.
References
- McNeil, Steve. “The Thermal Properties of Wool Carpets.” AgResearch. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/298352974_The_Thermal_Properties_of_Wool_Carpets (accessed 11 November 2024).
- Carpet Institute. “Thermal Insulation Performance of Carpet.” Carpet Institute. https://www.carpetinstitute.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/factsh_thermal.pdf (accessed 11 November 2024).
- Ibid.
- McNeil, Steve. “Acoustic advantages of wool carpeting.” AgResearch. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Steve-Mcneil/publication/264195999_Acoustic_advantages_of_wool_carpeting/links/6019bb7145851589397a3e59/Acoustic-advantages-of-wool-carpeting.pdf (accessed 11 November 2024).
- Ibid.
- Ibid.
- Aletta, Francesco and Jiang Kang. “Promoting Healthy and Supportive Acoustic Environments: Going beyond the Quietness.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Vol. 16, No. 24 (2019): 4988.
- Carpet Institute. “Slip Resistance.” Carpet Institute. https://www.carpetinstitute.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Carpets136Version-3-0Carpet_Slip-2.pdf (accessed 11 November 2024).
- Carpet Institute. “Indoor Air Quality.” Carpet Institute. https://www.carpetinstitute.com.au/wp/content/uploads/2014/02/indoor_quality1.pdf (accessed 11 November 2024).
- Carpet Institute. “Health & Environment.” Carpet Institute. https://www.carpetinstitute.com.au/residential/health-and-environment (accessed 11 November 2024). See also Canadian Carpet. “Carpeting is Preferable.” Carpet Institute. https://www.carpetinstitute.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/DAABStudySummary.pdf (ac
cessed 11 November 2024).
