Whether you have a family household or think ahead, it’s important to consider every aspect of your home and how practical they are for a family. What about carpets? Are they practical for families or alternatives?
Should We Go with Carpet?
First and foremost, carpets are generally a good option for families. While they are not the only family-friendly type of flooring, they offer many advantages to families.
These benefits include:
- Soften slips, trips and falls.
- Will enhance indoor air quality (e.g., releases a low level of volatile organic compounds or VOCs).
- It offers a warm and comfortable underfoot
- Noise reduction.
If creating a safe and cozy environment is your main concern, you can see why you may want to opt for carpet. I personally like having carpet to cushion my step, especially when I don’t wear shoes with insoles for flat feet in the house.
However, one notable downside of carpets is that they are trickier to clean than many other flooring options. However, within the carpet family, nylon is the easiest to clean and is among the most durable. If cleaning is your top priority, skip to the final section to see what other family-friendly options are available.
Best Family-Friendly Carpet Materials
You may be interested in going with a type of carpet that is more kid-friendly than most.
Please note that the cost of carpet laying will vary depending not only on the type of carpet you opt for (if you decide to go with carpet) but also factors such as where you live and the complexity of the installation. But without further ado, let’s look at some of the most child-friendly carpets available.
Nylon
As already mentioned, nylon is the best type of carpet for cleaning and is one of the longest-lasting options. If your durability is your prime concern, we recommend nylon carpet.
Besides being relatively easy to clean, it is stain- and abrasion-resistant. It also offers solid resistance to mold, mildew, rot, and general wear and tear. Moreover, nylon carpet is fairly easy to dye (if this interests you) and will maintain color quite well.
With all the points raised above, it likely won’t surprise you that nylon is one of the most popular types of carpet out there.
Triexta
Also known as SmartStrand, Triexta is another family-friendly carpeting worth considering. This will be a great choice if you are equally concerned about stain resistance, durability and comfort.
Triexta is a unique form of polyester, which is a carpet fiber comprising 37% corn. Triexta is a less common option than nylon, limiting your choices in color and design. Moreover, it can be vulnerable to oily stains.
Polyester
If your main objective is to create a soft, cozy room, then you may want to use polyethylene Terephthalate or PET. This is among the most popular forms of polyester carpeting available. It offers a superb level of stain resistance, and it is less susceptible to static and fading than many other forms of carpet. Moreover, in some cases, PET carpets include recycled plastics.
However, PET is generally not as long-lasting as nylon. Also, like Triexta, it is susceptible to oily stains. It can also experience crush damage in high foot traffic areas. So, whether or not PET would be a good solution?
What Other Family-Friendly Floors Should I Consider?
While we suggest putting plenty of time into considering carpet, there are other solutions that you may prefer.
Some of the most family-friendly floors, aside from carpet, are:
- Wood flooring.
- Vinyl flooring.
- Laminate flooring.
- Rubber flooring.
- Area rugs.
Each of these options comes with its pros and cons, and some may be more suitable for your needs than others. Either way, it’s worth spending time weighing up your choices with your priorities being considered front and center. This way, you can make an informed and intelligent decision before purchasing new flooring for the whole family to enjoy!