Residential carpeting is known for many things, but its warmth is one of its most popular features. Here’s how carpet can help enhance the warmth of your home this winter.
The Insulating Properties of Carpeting
Did you know that homes with uninsulated floors lose 10-20% of their heat through their flooring? That’s a huge amount of heat loss, especially when you factor in how much it costs to heat a home during a stubborn Nashville cold snap. Since carpeting naturally retains warmth, you can use carpet for insulation in your home. You shouldn’t forgo traditional insulation, as 80-90% of heat loss occurs through the walls, windows, and doors of the home. But if you want to save on heating and cooling bills, carpeting can help keep your home’s temperature more regulated.
To learn why carpeting makes a good insulator, you may need a little science lesson. Carpet doesn’t magically soak up heat; instead, it acts as a barrier for heat loss. So while your feet may feel warmer on carpeting than hardwood or tile, it’s not because the carpet fibers are generating heat. Carpet acts as insulation because it’s a poor conductor of heat energy. Carpet fibers don’t draw heat from your feet the same way other materials like hardwood or tile do, meaning that even if your carpet were the same temperature as a concrete floor, the carpet would feel warmer.
With all that said, does carpet keep your house warmer in the winter? Absolutely. Beyond tricking your body into thinking it’s warmer than the surrounding floors, carpet is a proven insulator that is excellent for keeping the heat in your home and improving your home’s energy efficiency.
Do Certain Types of Carpeting Work Better for Warmth?
The thickness of your carpet does help determine how insulating it really is for your home. Thicker, denser carpet fibers provide greater levels of insulation, making thin carpet tiles much less effective at holding in heat. Additionally, the underlayment and padding used can also greatly impact a carpet’s warmth retention. Some carpet pads are even designed to provide enhanced insulation, so it’s important to consider the materials you use for your Nashville carpet installation.
The type of carpet fiber used can help or hurt heat transfer as well. Natural fibers like wool are the densest, making them the best at insulation. Fortunately, even synthetic fibers like nylon or polyester are still much better at insulating your floors than hardwood, rubber, or tiles. If you’re looking for carpet for your Nashville home, look no further than Ozburn-Hessey. Installation and materials matter for getting the most from your carpet in terms of insulation, so it’s best to leave it to the experts. At Ozburn-Hessey, we have decades of experience installing floors that can keep your home warm and cozy even during the coldest winters.
Keep the Chill Out With Carpet
Carpeting is a great insulator that you can easily add to your home, making it a much simpler and more affordable way to enhance your home’s energy efficiency when compared to spray foam insulation or other services. Ready for your custom estimate for carpeting installation this winter? Call Ozburn-Hessey now.
