When designing your space, it is important to know all the materials available to use during construction. A very frequent question that is asked is what kind of flooring should be used for the house.

Ideally, the kind of flooring that you should choose should not only fit your lifestyle but also the other people who will live in your house as well. The budget, style, and health concerns of the household members should be considered in the preparation and brainstorming of the appropriate materials to be used.

One of the most frequently pitted and compared materials for flooring are Berber carpets and wood flooring. Both kinds of flooring will leave the house with a quaint and elegant look. A quick run-through of the advantages and disadvantages of both kinds of flooring should be done so you can choose the right kind of flooring for you and your family members.

Berber carpet is named after the Berber tribe found in Northwestern Africa. The Berbers commonly used this type of fabric made of wool or camel hair to protect them from the cold. In the world of carpets, the Berber carpet is a type of weave with varying levels of loops, cutpile, and frieze. It is also distinctly referred to as a color which is most likely off-white to light camel in shade. The weave type of the berber carpet also represents the carpet having big and small tufts of fabric resulting to a denser and less consistent pattern than other types of carpet. Traditionally, berber carpets are made from wool and camel hair although you can also find berber carpets made from nylon and olefin today.

Advantages of Berber Carpets

• Soft, warm, and cushiony to walk on
• “Absorbs” traffic noise in the house
• Can tolerate regular vacuuming without being damaged in the process
• Tolerates household traffic pretty well
• Slightly stain resistant, greatly if stain-treated

Disadvantages of Berber Carpets

• There are other fibers of Berber carpeting that are difficult to clean and maintain
• Can be expensive, especially the 100% wool kind
• Non-hypoallergenic type may cause allergies to some
• Less expensive Berber carpets are not as long lasting as you thought
• May be unraveled or destroyed by animal scratching

Wood flooring is a popular feature in many houses. Wood flooring comes in a wide range of dimensions and styles. You can have hardwood, softwood, cork, or bamboo woods for your flooring. These various types of wood flooring each have their own pros and cons; here, we will give you the general advantages and disadvantages of these types of wood flooring.

Advantages of Wood Flooring

• Executive and classy appearance
• Easy to clean and maintain just by using a dust mop
• Less allergic to asthma sufferers
• Longer life compared to carpets

Disadvantages of Wood Flooring

• Has a cold, hard feeling especially during winter
• High-end types of wood are expensive
• Can be noisy especially in high traffic areas of the house