Carpets & vinyl, supplied & fitted
Gourley’s of Antrim — family carpet fitters since 1978.
Warmth and comfort against practicality and cleaning. An honest comparison of carpet and vinyl, room by room and pound for pound.
The short version
- Carpet wins on warmth, comfort and sound. Vinyl wins on water, mess and cleaning.
- Budget and premium ranges of both overlap on price.
- Cost per year matters more than cost per square metre.
- Most homes end up with both: vinyl where the water is, carpet where you sit and sleep.
Carpet vs vinyl is the question we are asked most often in the showroom. There is no single winner, because they are good at different things. What follows is an honest comparison across the things that actually matter once the floor is down.
Comfort and warmth
Carpet wins comfortably. It is warmer underfoot, softer to stand on, and it deadens sound in a way hard floors cannot. In a bedroom or living room, particularly in an older house, that difference is noticeable every day. Cushioned vinyl is warmer than tile, but it is not carpet.
Water and mess
Vinyl wins, and it is not close. Kitchens, bathrooms, utility rooms and back halls all point the same way. Modern carpets handle spills far better than they used to, but standing water is still the thing that finishes a carpet off.
Cleaning
Vinyl is mopped. Carpet is vacuumed and, every so often, properly cleaned. If somebody in the house has allergies, vinyl is often the easier option, though a well maintained carpet with a good underlay is not the villain it is sometimes made out to be.
Cost
The ranges overlap enormously. Budget carpet and budget sheet vinyl land in similar territory, and premium versions of both do too. The more useful question is cost per year rather than cost per square metre, and that depends almost entirely on putting the right floor in the right room.
The most expensive floor is the one that has to be replaced in three years because it went in the wrong room.
Lifespan
Both can last well over a decade if they suit the room and are fitted properly. Carpet on stairs wears fastest of anything in the house. Vinyl in a low-traffic room can look new for years. What shortens the life of either is poor subfloor preparation and thin underlay.
The usual answer
Most homes we fit in Antrim end up with both: vinyl in the kitchen, bathroom, utility and often the hall, with carpet on the stairs, landing, bedrooms and living room. That combination puts each material where it is strongest.
Still not sure?
Our free measuring service across Antrim, Ballymena, Randalstown, Ballyclare and Belfast includes a straight conversation about which rooms suit which. We have been supplying and fitting carpets and vinyl from Antrim for over 40 years, and we would rather tell you the truth about a room than sell you the wrong floor for it.
Frequently asked questions
Is carpet or vinyl better for a hallway?
Vinyl copes better with wet shoes and grit, and it is easier to clean. Carpet is warmer and quieter. A lot of homes use vinyl in the hall and carry carpet up the stairs and landing.
Is vinyl flooring cheaper than carpet?
Not necessarily. Budget carpet and budget sheet vinyl are similarly priced once fitting and preparation are included, and the same is true at the premium end. Compare fitted prices rather than material prices.
Is carpet or vinyl better for allergies?
Vinyl is easier to keep dust-free because it is mopped rather than vacuumed. That said, a regularly cleaned carpet on good underlay performs better than its reputation suggests.
Can I have carpet and vinyl in the same house?
Almost every house we fit does exactly that. The only thing to get right is the threshold where the two meet, which needs the correct trim, fitted flat and fixed properly.
Free measuring across Antrim & Northern Ireland
Over 200 rolls of carpet and vinyl in stock. Measured, supplied and fitted by our own team, serving Antrim, Ballymena, Randalstown, Ballyclare and Belfast.
Topics
