Compare carpet and linoleum | Determine the best coverage

Our experts in the field of construction and repair have analyzed the properties of two types of flooring materials — carpet and linoleum, evaluated their advantages and disadvantages in comparison, which will help you choose the most suitable one.

carpet

Floor covering that resembles a carpet. Manufacturers produce several types of carpet, differing in the material of manufacture and properties:

1. 
   woven carpet — made on the basis of natural jute mesh fabric, to which a pile is attached, consisting of wool fibers or polymer fibers. Has increased strength;

2. 
   needle stitch — made on the basis of jute, synthetic felt or rubber. With the help of a needle of a special machine, the threads that form a pile in the form of small loops are pulled through the base and fixed on it;

3. 
   needle-punched — manufacturing technology is the same as in the manufacture of needle-stitched carpet, the difference is that in this case, serrated needles are used that entangle the fibers of the pile;

4. 
   flocked — are made using equipment that generates a static electric discharge, as a result of which the fibers of the pile take a strictly vertical position, after which they are attached to the base.

Carpet can be divided into two groups: natural and artificial. For the production of natural carpet, wool, silk, cotton, jute, linen, coconut fibers are used, for artificial — fibers from polyester, polyamide and polyacryl. In addition, the carpet is divided according to the length of the pile: with a short pile — up to 5 mm long, medium length — up to 8 mm, long pile — over 8 mm.

Linoleum

Linoleum, like carpet, can be divided into two types — natural and artificial.

Natural linoleum is made exclusively from natural materials — with a jute or linen base, on which a mixture of wood flour, linseed oil, limestone and natural wood resin is applied.

Artificial is divided into subspecies depending on the material of manufacture:

1. 
   PVC — can be made on the basis of natural fabric (jute or felt) or on the basis of fiberglass and other synthetic materials. PVC linoleum based on foamed PVC is also produced. A material in which several different components are present is called heterogeneous, made exclusively from PVC varieties — homogeneous;

2. 
   alkyd or glyptal — it is made with a fabric base, on which a mixture of alkyd or glyptal synthetic resins is applied with the addition of fillers and dyes;

3. 
   nitrocellulose — made without a base of nitrocellulose with fillers — gypsum, plasticizer, coloring pigments;

4. 
   relin — made on the basis of rubber, covered with a layer of synthetic rubber. It can be used to cover the floors of technical rooms, garages, swimming pools, gyms, etc. It is not used for residential premises, as it is capable of releasing substances harmful to health.

The material is subdivided and marked by classes with a two-digit number, in which the first digit determines the purpose — for residential, office and commercial or industrial premises, and the second — the degree of load that the material can withstand — low, medium, high and very high.

Table of advantages and disadvantages

The main differences between materials

The main differences between the materials are as follows:

1. have a different surface texture: linoleum is smooth, carpet is fleecy;

2. carpet has a higher cost than linoleum;

3. linoleum has a wider scope of use, carpet is limited in use for rooms with high humidity and the possibility of significant temperature changes;

4. linoleum is easier to fit;

5. linoleum has a longer service life.

How are the materials similar?

The similarity of materials is as follows:

1. can be made from natural or artificial ingredients;

2. in some types of both materials, the same components are present, for example, natural jute fabric as a base;

3. can be used for flooring in rooms of the same purpose.

Conclusions: It is impossible to say unequivocally which is better — linoleum or carpet, since there are many varieties of both materials. It is necessary to select the appropriate one based on the following conditions: the functional purpose of the room and, accordingly, the patency — the load on the floors, the mode of operation of the room — the degree of humidity, the possibility of sudden temperature changes, the aesthetic component — the nature of the interior design of the room.