During the cold winter months, they serve another important function: Rugs add a layer of insulation to the floor, trapping cool air underneath and keep it from seeping up and cooling the room. The warmth of the rug will keep your feet toasty, too.
In regions where winters are extreme and/or last for a long time, rugs are one of the most trusted ways to keep the room warm, besides beautifying the space. In fact, you can place an area rug for home if your floor always feels cold or even if you simply want to feel extra warmth under your feet all the time.
Why carpet is a good insulator
Research by Wools of New Zealand found that carpet provides around 10 times more insulation than hard floor coverings. Excellent insulation means less heating (or cooling) is needed to maintain a comfortable temperature in the room.
A floor rug adds an extra layer of insulation to your home and just like the insulation in your walls and ceiling, it works two-fold. In the winter time a rug will help to keep your room warm and toasty, and in summer it will work to hold the hot air out while helping to retain the cool air-conditioned air inside.
Carpet flooring is actually an effective insulating material that can help maintain the heat in a room. While it won't create any warmth, it will help to retain warmer temperatures. Even if the air in a room is cool, carpets will also prevent the floor from feeling cold to bare feet.
If you're worried about hardwood floors being cold on the feet, don't be; they're actually better for keeping your home warm. Hardwood floors help heat move through your home. The bottom line is that wood is a conductor, and the carpet is an insulator.
You can warm up cold floors with insulation. The simplest way to insulate the floor is by placing area rugs on it. The insulation under the floor can get old and thin over time due to damage by critters or natural home settling. Replacing it with thicker insulation will help make the floor warmer.
Why Are My Floors So Cold? The foundation in your home can leak a substantial amount of air since it's just off the ground. Having cold floors in the winter is likely caused by poor insulation in your home's rim joist or crawl space - areas connected to the foundation.
Warm wool rugs are the best choice during winter
The added soft texture on your ground also has a much more pleasant feeling for your feet than a cold tile. A durable warm wool rug can be a necessity for your house if you have hard floors. Wool rugs are great insulators and give that soft cosy feeling under your feet.
If there is a cold room in your house, the problem has likely been caused by dirty vents, cracked ductwork, worn insulation or faint drafts.
Short version: To heat a room, you need 20 candles. According to research, the heating power of one candle is 80W. Therefore 20 candles are about the equivalent of one 1600W space heater. A candle heat source of 1600W combined is able to heat a room thoroughly.
Natural gas: $1,024
Of the four main fuels used to heat US homes, natural gas is the most popular and now the cheapest, as well.
Carpet is an excellent source of insulation, which can save you money on your energy bill by increasing your home's ability to retain warm and cool air.
While wood floors may make your house warmer and your utility bills smaller, what about cold feet? It's true wood is warmer than carpet, but carpet often feels warmer to your bare feet.
Carpet vs Hardwood: The Final Verdict
According to the above, hardwood and carpet flooring are equally healthy. However, carpets are harder to clean properly, making them less ideal for people with allergies or asthma.
Cork is a porous, springy material that serves as a wonderful insulator. Insulating floors like cork help to preserve your home's internal temperature, rather than letting heat or air-conditioning escape through the subfloor. Cork does this by trapping the room temperature in its porous, airy structure.
Although vinyl flooring is cooler on bare feet than carpet, it provides a warmer, more comfortable surface than natural stone or ceramic flooring. It's worth noting that the thicker your vinyl flooring is, the softer and warmer it will feel underfoot.