High pile carpets and area rugs add a feeling of comfort the minute you walk into a room with their soft and cushioning appearance. The cushy feel of a shag or frieze carpeting is lush under your feet while you walk, and they’re perfect if you have kids that like to sit on the floor while watching tv or playing video games.
But high pile carpets also work as a conduit to trap allergens, dust mites, and are easily damaged. High pile carpets have been known to trap more allergens and pollutants than low pile carpets, likely due to them being harder to clean. If you have furniture that uses wheels like an office chair, you’ll need a furniture mat or slides below them so you don’t tear the fibers out and can move around.
But don’t let that scare you from going with a luxurious high pile, all carpeting can increase risks to some health issues when they trap dirt and debris, or by resuspending particles compared to hardwood and hard surface flooring which you can learn about here, and here. That doesn’t mean you should avoid carpeting, you just need to keep your carpets clean.
If you’re trying to decide between a high pile carpet or low pile, we’re ready to help. Below you’ll find examples of the advantages of a high pile carpet whether it is wall-to-wall or area rugs, and how to overcome obstacles when compared to low pile carpet so you can enjoy the plush feeling while you walk through your rooms.
- Better insulation to reduce heating costs
- Cushioning and shock absorption
- Furniture damage and preventing it
- Reduced sound and noises
Better Insulation
While wool carpets have been known to help save between 8% to 13% of heating costs, all carpeting helps to trap heat and insulate a room. The thicker the fibers and tighter the weave, the more potential heat can be retained helping to lower heating costs and keep rooms feeling warmer. This can be especially true for thick and tightly woven high pile carpeting.
Cushioning and Shock Absorption
The thicker fibers and carpet padding underneath the carpets may help with shock absorption whether it is walking across the room or dropping something. If you take a thick frieze, loop, or shag carpet and drop a glass on it, chances are it is less likely to shatter than if you dropped it on a hardwood or concrete floor.
The same goes for accidentally falling. If you have kids running around and playing, they may be less likely to get hurt if they trip and land on a high pile carpet compared to a low pile or concrete floor. This makes it a perfect choice for game rooms and sometimes a kid’s bedroom.
Choosing the Right Furniture and Accessories to Prevent Damage
One of the downsides to high pile carpeting is that it can get compacted easily and torn as well. Heavy furniture, especially with thinner legs like a chair, coffee tables with heavy decor items, or a sofa can cause these unsightly dents. Even non-heavy furniture can compact the fibers from constant use including people sitting on the couch.
When you move furniture, the legs can get stuck and rip the fibers out of the carpet causing tears and holes. The same goes with regularly pushing furniture like sectional couches aside to vacuum and clean. These are some of the main reasons people go with hard flooring instead. But you don’t have to sacrifice your soft and comfy high pile carpeting.
Here are some of the ways you can protect your high pile carpeting from damage:
- Place a low pile area rug on top of it and set furniture legs on the area rug.
- Use slides under each leg so the area touching the high pile carpet is wider and the pressure is reduced. Furniture slides have flat and smooth surfaces letting them slide across the high pile carpet reducing the friction and helping to prevent snags.
- Furniture cups are much more visible than slides, but they can be just as protective for your carpeting.
Sound Reduction
A high pile carpet can help to reduce sounds and noises from escaping and getting into the room. Studies have shown that the pile height and thickness, including area rugs like Persian, all have some form of sound absorption, especially for high pile carpets. This makes high pile carpet perfect for rooms where people will play instruments, watch movies or tv, play video games, or for work and study.
Less sound will escape in rooms where noise is being made, and the rug helps to reduce noise from getting in allowing people to focus on their tasks.
When to Avoid High Pile Carpets
While high pile carpets are luxurious, they are not a good choice in situations like:
- High traffic areas as they are more likely to get torn and matted.
- Near entryways to buildings or homes, and outside of bathrooms as they collect dirt, debris, and can trap bacteria and fungus since they’re harder to clean.
- Basements and rooms that are more prone to humidity can turn a high pile carpet into a breeding ground for dirt and bacteria.
- Homes that need dusted and to reduce allergies will benefit by going with hard flooring or low pile carpet which are easier to vacuum dust from and clean.
- Rooms with furniture on wheels like offices, and you do not want to have plastic mats or use furniture slides.
High pile carpeting is a perfect way to make a home look warm and cozy, and even trap heat in through its ability to help with insulation making it feel warm and cozy too. Your feet will love walking across the plush carpet, and you may reduce a break or two with glasses or tableware and accidental drops. Just make sure to buy a low pile area rug or use furniture slides to help prolong its life, and clean it a bit more often than a low pile carpet through washing and vacuuming.
