How Carpet Tiles Square Off Against Other Flooring Options

Waking up and putting your feet on a soft, warm, fluffy floor is a sensation like no other, which is why carpeting is one of the most beloved flooring options out there. Carpet tiles with padding offer the same comfort as your traditional carpets, but with the bonus of being more compact and easier to install.

As their name suggests they are squares of carpeting that come together to create flooring that is not only soft for the feet but also pleasant to look at. Carpet tiles can create a comfier atmosphere. Thanks to limitless design possibilities they also give a room some extra bit of pizzazz and character.

What Is Carpet Tiling?

Carpet Tiling Could Be a Solution to Creatives Unimpressed by Large Carpets

While you may be used to carpets being one huge piece of fabric that extends from wall to wall, carpet tiles offer a more modular option. This gives you the ability to put the carpet together yourself. Plus, you get to choose from your preferred tiles of carpeting as opposed to having to unroll one that is already pre-designed. Think of it as purchasing a jigsaw puzzle that you get to assemble on your floor; the difference is that you choose where each piece goes and what patterns or forms they create.

Benefits

Carpet Tiles Are Easier to Install Than Carpets

One problem with carpet installation is that it’s quite hard. Ideally, you want to have one solid piece of carpeting without any seams or crevices sticking out. To do this you need to be either laser-accurate or get the help of a professional installer. Moving a giant roll of carpeting around is not easy, especially when you have to adjust it to fit perfectly inside a given space. 

Rug tiles make it much easier to install the carpet because all the pieces of it are separated. This means you won’t need to drag around a heavy carpet roll or spin it around until you find the exact place to start rolling it out from. All you have to do is put the pieces together like a puzzle and watch the carpet slowly come together. 

Another benefit that expressive homeowners will enjoy is how carpet tiles allow greater freedom for personalization. Since you can pick from many different colors and styles your carpet can look completely unique to match the vision you have for that particular space. Another benefit of carpet tiles is how easily they can fit anywhere. As there is very little cutting involved, you can fit the tiles onto surfaces of different sizes. Whether used on a smooth floor, a staircase, or even as outdoor carpet tiles, this flooring option works great, looks stylish and is very easy to install.

Cost

Carpet Tiles Are Relatively Affordable

Another major advantage of carpet tiles is how affordable they are. Good quality carpeting is not cheap; you’ll find yourself paying thousands of dollars to install carpeting in one room alone. If any part of a high-end carpet were to get damaged you could be in a spot of bother. Significant damage might require you to replace a big portion of your carpeting, and you may even need to replace it entirely.

Carpet squares are much more affordable by comparison. Installing carpet flooring in a 200 square foot room is going to cost around $2,000 with the more expensive option pushing up to $2,500. The average carpet tile price is around the same as normal carpeting does but the money you save does not come from the initial purchase but rather its maintenance.

If one carpet tile gets damaged you can simply replace it without having to replace a big section of the carpet. This saves you money and time, making carpet tiles a great option for homeowners that are expecting a lot of foot traffic.

Fundamentals of Installing Carpet Tiles

Installing Carpet Tiles Are Easier Than Installing Ordinary Carpets

Laying down your own floor, be it vinyl, natural wood, or carpet is a satisfying DIY project to undertake. Installing carpet tiling is surprisingly easy and self-explanatory. As if the concept of putting squares together was not easy enough, modern carpet tiles have been designed to be as easy to install as possible.

Before you stick the carpet tiles to your underfloor, you should place them carpet-side down on the floor to see how they are going to fit in the space. Doing this allows you to visualize patterns, grid lines, and other important nuances of carpet flooring before you permanently stick your tiles to the floor. Measure everything out, make sure that the flooring is all even, and you should have a perfectly spaced-out pattern of square carpet tiles.

The commercial carpet tiles you purchase will likely have a peel and stick function that takes the jigsaw puzzle ease-of-use to a whole new level. There are other variants too such as interlocking carpet tiles or interface carpet tiles, but the peel-and-stick tiles are by far the easiest to install. All you need to do is peel the plastic covering off the bottom of each tile and stick it to the underflooring. Before you do this, ensure that the floor is cleaned. Any debris, dust, or dirt caught under the carpet tile will stay there until you replace the tiles. To ensure that there is no nasty dirt, grime, or mold hiding under your new carpet be sure to clean the floor thoroughly before installation.

Designs and Ideas

Not All Carpet Tiles Are Square-Cut Standards

There is more to floor carpet tiles than a few squares. There are several design factors you need to take into consideration to create a gorgeous carpet with eye-popping patterns and shapes. It is all just a matter of envisioning what you want the space to look like and taking the following design factors into account.

Cube Effect

Square and Cube Carpet Tiles Offer Simplicity and Flexibility

Squares make for a very attractive floor pattern. They are just complex enough to make the entire surface a little more interesting but are also orderly enough to not be distracting and tiring on the eyes. To introduce some extra bit of complexity while still keeping with the pattern try a three-dimensional approach with cubes. Adding a dash of extra color, angles, and a more complex shape makes this tiled carpet sleek and attractive. 

A Little Chaos

Get Creative With Your Carpet Tiling for Extra Uniqueness

We are used to seeing differences and variations in all the things around us. This is especially true when it comes to flooring. Flooring takes up a lot of surface area, so why not introduce a bit of chaos with all that flooring by installing tiles with mismatching shapes and patterns.

Just because carpet tiling tends to be square does not mean all the shapes and patterns need to be identical. Find the designs that go well with the rest of the room’s vibe and speak to your own preferences. Ask your interior designer to give you some suggestions as to what patterns would work best in that particular space. Before you know it you’ll have yourself a room with some gorgeous floor patterns.

Some Uniformity

Uniformity of Carpet Tiles Often Offer Comfort to the Eyes

It is good to have some amount of chaos in your interior. That’s what one could say gives it a distinct flavor and personality. But there should be some amount of uniformity that ties everything together. If your carpet tiles have various patterns and shapes, a good way to ensure you do not overcrowd the room with complex visuals is by keeping a common theme.

A similar color with a variety of shades, for example, is a great way of accomplishing this. While it does offer some amount of variety it also has just enough uniformity to bring the room together. This can also help bring wholesome energy into the room. Creating a unique design is all about finding a balance between chaos and order.