Whether you live alone, with a partner or a whole house full of family, you probably don’t think of your home as a place of high traffic. Sure, the kids might march across the kitchen floors or the bathrooms might be used a lot each day, but most of us don’t think of “traffic”.
Unfortunately, that is a reality in any home, and places like hallways, stairways, and the main paths we follow through all of the rooms are heavily trafficked. This is something we must consider when we choose carpet for hallways and other high traffic zones.
Understanding Traffic
Let’s first be sure you understand what is meant by the word traffic when discussing carpets and floors in the home. It does not mean that a lot of people trudge over the floors every day. What it means is that there are always areas that we walk on in the home each day. For example, the path you take from your bed to the bathroom and back is an area of traffic. The path everyone uses to exit the home, such as out of the front hall from the living room is a “high traffic” area.
High Traffic and Carpets
Sadly, high traffic puts lots of wear and tear on flooring. Carpeting can become compressed, worn, stained, and even damaged by too much traffic. This is why your first factor when you choose carpet for hallways is the amount of traffic.
Of course, you also have to think about the kind of traffic you have as you choose carpet for hallways. For instance, if you live alone or with a partner, and the house is free of pets and kids, you can easily use a carpet with a thick pile. It won’t accumulate much soiling when it is only two people without pets or kids running around on it.
However, if you do have pets and kids living in the home, you need to choose carpet for hallways that is far more durable and resistant to staining. For example, a Berber style of carpet would be great because it is durable and resistant to all kinds of dirt and debris.
Properties to Consider
Naturally, it is not only traffic. There are also issues like:
- Durability
- Ease of cleaning
- Color
- Style
Some carpets are made to higher standards than others. The quality of a carpet goes hand in hand with its durability. If your budget can afford a rug made of more durable and more easily cleaned fibers, it is going to stand up well in the hall.
Don’t forget, though, that the right color can hide many “sins”. As an example, that white shag rug you might yearn to install may be a bad choice for the hallways of a home with lots of pets and kids. Instead, a darker color with flecks of pale or brighter hues, or even a print or pattern might look better over the long term.
It may take some time to find the ideal solution for your hallway, but if you consider the factors we’ve looked at here, you should be successful.
