Choosing the right floor for your home doesn’t need to be a daunting task.

If you’ve narrowed your options down to a shortlist of carpets vs floorboards, rest easy knowing that you’re halfway there already. Now you just need to make sure that your final choice aligns with your family’s lifestyle, budget, and personal tastes.

If you’re a homeowner with whom this predicament resonates, then continue reading. In this article, we give you a swift rundown on the pros and cons of carpets vs floorboards, so you’ll be able to pick a winner when it comes to choosing the right floor for you.

Cleanliness

This is a no-brainer for most homeowners. Typically, floorboards win out over carpets in the cleanliness department simply due to the fact that they are highly resistant to stains and spills. If you’re a wine drinker, or have animals and kids that are likely to tromp mud through the house, you’re probably better off going with floorboards.

Carpet is much more absorbent than floorboards, meaning it is likely to soak up spills and stains (and potentially require professional cleaning in the future) whereas little accidents like these just wipe up off floorboards quicker than anything.

The same applies to the retention of dust and bacteria. Although a regular vacuum might visibly rid your carpet of dust and grime, it might secretly be harbouring dirt and a host of micro-bacteria that is invisible to the naked eye.

On the other hand, this is no problem for the mighty floorboard. A simple, steamy mop with an approved floor detergent will almost guarantee that your floors are no longer hiding fugitive microbes and microscopic nasties that can potentially make you and your children sick.

When it comes to cleanliness, floorboards score one up over carpet: 1-0.

Comfort

If you’ve ever gotten up in the middle of the night during winter and set your feet down on to floorboards, you’ll know that they can send a hypothermic chill up your legs.

While floorboards are definitely cleaner than carpet, carpet generally wins out in terms of comfort. There are supple floorboards out there that are friendly underfoot, but homes with carpets will help you keep warm in the colder months and they generally feel much softer and more welcoming to the foot than floorboards do.

When it comes to the comfort department, carpets level the score at 1-1 apiece.

Noise

Floorboards can generate a lot of noise, particularly in multistorey homes. If someone is walking around in the room above you in high-heel shoes, it can sound like there is a Shetland pony clopping around up there in the heavens.

Sure, a quality underlay might mitigate some of that sound, but overall carpets are naturally sound absorbent and therefore better suited when it comes to muffling or muting noise. 2-1 to carpet.

Style

There are some thick, rugged carpets out there that definitely look the part, but who can walk past the natural woodgrain effects of a natural hardwood floor?

While carpets feel good (and, admittedly, at times look great too), overall the supple sheen of a newly polished floor comes out in terms of aesthetic value every time.

Classic wooden floors beat carpets in the looks department, narrowing the score to a 2-2 tie.

Affordability

Typically, carpets are cheaper than floorboards, if not in terms of material costs, then in terms of the money required to have them installed.

Furthermore, it’s important to consider the fact that hardwood floors can outlast a generation if it is maintained and serviced on a regular basis. This means that the short-term cost of a hardwood floor translates into a long-term saving if it’s properly cared for. Carpets, on the other hand, will require replacing at some point in their lifetime.

This means that floorboards edge carpet out overall in a tight 3-2 win, but you should be aware there is a third alternative you may not have yet considered: laminate floors, such as the Swiss Krono Laminate Floor has the resemblance of a natural hardwood floor, as well as its water resistant properties, but is much more cost-effective in terms of pricing.

Regardless of where you choose to go…

Pick the floor that best suits your needs, but we personally think that hardwood floors (or laminate floors) are the better option when it comes to adding value, cleanliness and simplicity in the upkeep department to your home.

If you still can’t make your mind up, even after taking our advice into consideration, why not get the best of both worlds?

Don’t forget that you can always choose a combination of carpet — for the bedrooms — and floorboards (or laminate flooring) — for the living areas — when it comes to your home.

At the end of the day, if you’re going to make a choice, you should go with your gut and do what you think is best for your home!