Does Carpet Make A Room Cooler Or Warmer? (Warmer, Why?)

Nowadays, carpeted flooring is pretty standard as it is considered comfortable for almost every room. The reasons for the popularity of carpets may be their beautiful colors, designs, and soft feel. However, some people also like carpets because they tend to keep a room warmer. 

This article will discuss how a carpet makes a room warmer and some other benefits of carpeted flooring, as well as the way you can choose the right carpet for your room. Let’s get started! 

Does a Carpet make a room cooler or warmer? 

Carpets have the ability to make any room or space warmer. If you install a carpet in a room, you will feel that the temperature of a carpeted room is higher than the temperature to the temperature outside of it. If you live in a colder area, you should install carpets for better insulation.

Carpets are great insulators, and this is why they tend to make any room feel warmer. You can feel the difference in the temperature of the flooring with and without a carpet. A wooden floor or a floor with marble tiles will be much colder than a carpeted one. We totally understand the beautifying factor of carpets as they come in different colors and designs, but how do they even make a room warmer? Let me explain how!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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How does a carpet keep the room warm? 

Carpets are insulators, meaning they cannot conduct heat and are not some heat sources. But the warming effect a carpet produces has a lot more to do with heat retention in the area, which is directly proportional to the insulating properties of any material. 

Materials like marble and metal are conductors of heat – they allow the heat to flow through them. However, carpets function oppositely

Let’s take an example when you put your feet on a cold marble floor; the floor will conduct your body’s natural heat. As a result of this conduction, your body is left to freeze because your body’s heat keeps flowing through the marble floor. 

On the other hand, a carpet as an insulator wouldn’t be able to conduct your body heat. This means the heat remains in your body, keeping it warm just like a coat or sweater would. 

This is the same way how a carpet makes the room feel warmer. It wouldn’t conduct the coldness of the flooring under it, nor will it conduct heat from your body. In easier words, It works as a barrier between the floor and the room’s temperature, as well as your body temperature and the floor’s temperature. This ability to not absorb the heat and maintain the temperature is what we call heat retention. The higher the heat retention, the more the from stays warm.

While working as an insulating barrier, a carpet balances out the temperature; the room with a carpet starts feeling warmer than the rest of the house. 

Why are carpets such good insulators?

A carpet works as an excellent insulator because of the millions of tightly woven fibers that lower the conduction rate and trap air as well. These fibers allow the carpet to work as a barrier between the bare floor and the room, so the floor doesn’t conduct/absorb the heat, leaving the room cold. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Now that you know that a carpet makes a room warmer because of being an insulator. Now you should also know why are they such good insulators? 

According to a report, a bare floor can cut off the temperature of any house by 10 to 20%; moreover, they feel very cold to bare feet. At the same time, a good quality thick carpet provides the necessary heat retention. 

The ability of the carpets to trap air is also a significant factor that allows them to trap heat. For example, if you have a heater in your room, the hot air that the heater gives out will be trapped by the carpet fibers. This way, the hot air stays inside the room, which doesn’t allow the cold air to enter the space either. 

According to a study, carpets provide ten times better insulation than uncovered flooring. You should be sure that you wouldn’t need too much heating or cooling to bring the room to a comfortable temperature with excellent insulation. This way, the reduced use of energy lowers the number of bucks you pay in bills. 

What’s the best carpet material for keeping the house insulated?

If you want to insulate your house properly, you should go for wool carpets. Woolen carpets have the tendency to maintain both hot and cold temperatures, i.e., they’ll keep the room warm in winters and cool in summers. Moreover, they are soft and comfortable to feet! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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If you install a carpet over a thermal underlay, it will give even better insulation and longer life of the carpet. 

Does the thickness of the carpet affect the insulation it provides? 

The R-value (the scale to measure a material’s heat resistance) of a carpet is higher than any other material, and the heat resistance of a carpet is directly proportional to its thickness. The thicker the carpet, the more the R-value, meaning it’ll provide better heat resistance than a thinner carpet.

Material (1 cm thick) Thermal insulation (R-value)
Fiberglass 0.22
Carpet 0.18
Plywood 0.08
Concrete 0.07

 If you look at this table, you’ll see that the only material that has a higher R-value is fiberglass insulation, but if you increase the thickness of the carpet, the R-value, i.e., the heat resistance property of it will also increase.

So, if you want your room to stay even warmer, you may want to increase the thickness of the carpet. The best thickness of a carpet should be anywhere between 7 to 16 inches, and you wouldn’t want to go for a carpet thinner than 4 inches because a carpet lighter than that would be of no use when it comes to insulation. 

How to choose the right carpet?

When choosing a carpet for the insulation of your house, you may want to keep an eye on some fundamental factors, such as the carpet’s durability, stain resistance properties, type of carpet, its softness, and its price.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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1. The durability of the carpet 

First of all, you need to check for durability because that’s what matters the most. The durability of a carpet doesn’t only mean how long it will last, but also its thickness, the type of fiber used in it, and how it is constructed. 

If you want better insulation, you may want to get a carpet that’s thicker than the normal ones; you may also want to add 6 to 7 inches thick padding to it. This will add up to the insulation of your space. Not just that, if the sole purpose of you getting a carpet is to provide better insulation to your room, then go for a woolen or polyester fiber carpet. You can also opt for Nylon and Triexta, but these shouldn’t be the priority for the purpose of insulation. 

2. See if the carpet is stain-resistant or not 

Yes, it would be best if you looked into this factor as well. Once you have carpets installed, you will have kids and adults walking all over them, sometimes even spilling drinks or food on them. This is the reason why it’s crucial to see whether the carpet you are getting has stain-resistant properties or not. Well, you have two options to get the stain-resistant feature. 

The first one is to get the “Inherent Stain Resistance Carpet.” So, what is an inherent stain resistance carpet? These carpets are made out of a particular type of fiber that absorbs either too little or doesn’t absorb foreign liquids at all. The most popular among these types of carpets are the “Solution Dyed Polyester Carpet” and “Continous Filament Polyester Carpet. These carpets come with an already done stain treatment that helps prevent stains by minimizing the carpet’s absorbing capability. 

On the other hand, you also have the option of “stain treatment.” If you like a carpet very much, but it isn’t inherently stain-resistant, then you can go for the stain treatment. All carpets have fibers, after all, and threads can be treated with stain treatment, no matter the kind of fiber it is. With the stain-resistant treatment done, the carpet will repel stains and wouldn’t get dirty! There are two types of stain treatments that can be done: 

  • Whole fiber system stain treatment 
  • Topical stain treatment 

The whole fiber system stain treatment is done on the entire fiber and doesn’t wear off quickly, meaning it will last longer. However, the topical stain treatment only covers the tips of the thread and wears off very quickly. If your carpet isn’t stain treated, you can also use some home remedies to remove stains from the carpet. 

3. The type of carpet you are getting 

There are several different types of carpets available in the market, and all of them have their own purpose. You will have to look through the classes to get one of the right kind, which not only provides insulation but also makes your space beautiful.

4. Softness and the feel of the carpet 

Softness and the feel of the carpet are as crucial as any other factor because that’s what you’ll be feeling under your feet for a long time. You need to choose a carpet that feels good to feet, i.e., the insulation shouldn’t be the only priority, but the softness of the carpet should also be prioritized. 

We cannot describe the feeling of a carpet through an article; you’ll have to go to the shop and touch the carpets in-person to know the right softness for you. 

5. Price of the carpet and your budget 

Last but not least, you will also need to check your budget and the prices of the type of carpet you need. The quality of a carpet is generally directly related to its price. The higher the price, the better the quality, but let’s be honest, it’s not always the case. You can get a good quality carpet at a reasonable price as well, let us tell you how. 

Carpets are measured per square yard and are priced in the same manner. Once you have crossed the benchmark of price per square, you start spending more on style than quality. So, if you want to stay on a budget and want to buy a high-quality carpet, focus on those “less stylish” carpets more than those lavishly designed ones. But at the same time, remember that the best price isn’t always the best carpet! You might want to increase your budget a little and get a better carpet that lasts long and saves you money in the long run. 

Conclusion 

Carpets have become necessary for almost every household, especially if you live in a cold area. Their ability to keep the heat inside the space allows you to have a cozy and pretty room. This space isn’t only warm and comfortable but also allows you to save that extra money you are forced to pay in bills. A beautiful carpet that insulates your house correctly is just like a blessing, and the way you choose the right carpet also matters a lot. 

So, if you are thinking of insulating your house with a carpet, do it right away because that would work just fine, and your home will get that unique luxurious feel as well. Oh, and if you can, do get in contact with an interior designer, who could tell you the right colors of the carpet that will fit perfectly with the interior of your house. I hope this article will be of great help to you. 

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