Must-have carpet guide for homes in Cuba. Find humidity-resistant fabrics, colonial style harmony, and professional care advice for tropical living.
Carpets Cuba: Selecting Floor Coverings That Flourish in Caribbean Climates
Cuba’s tropical savanna climate offers unique challenges to domestic home owners requiring stylish floor coverings. With temperatures fluctuating between 25.8°C in January and 31.6°C in August, with humidity levels shifting between 72% and 80% throughout the year, choosing suitable carpets involves knowledge of how materials react to endemic moisture and heat. From Havana’s 1,200mm yearly rainfall to Guantánamo’s arid 500mm conditions, climate extremes on the island necessitate considered material selection, weighing aesthetic need against functional performance.
Cuban architecture encompasses centuries of influence—Spanish colonial history with interior courts and high ceilings for breezeway ventilation, 1700s baroque grandeur, neoclassical 1800s refinement, and Art Deco elegance of the early 20th century. This historical richness provides a challenge to add beauty to historic buildings with floor coverings that respect tradition while fulfilling contemporary comfort requirements.
Cuban Climate Reality: What Your Carpets Must Endure
Humidity reaches its peak in October at 80%, falling to its yearly minimum of 72% in April—but even this “minimum” is a state where the management of moisture becomes essential. May-October rainy season provides three-quarters of Cuba’s yearly rain, resulting in prolonged stretches where carpets are subjected to perpetual atmospheric moisture.
Coastal sites are subject to northeastern trade winds introducing welcome breezes but also salt-contaminated air speeding material degradation. Buildings in general across Old Havana, along the Malecón, or in coastal towns from Varadero to Trinidad are confronted with this additional corrosive threat to both natural and man-made fibers.
Sumer delivers hot, oppressive, and cloudy conditions while winter is comfortable and humid—i.e., Cuban homes never see the dry cold that naturally discourages mold growth in temperate climates. Such year-round heat and humidity requires carpet materials specially designed for tropical performance and not the general-purpose items designed for four-season use.
Knowledge of these conditions illuminates why North American or European standard recommendations for carpet tend to flop spectacularly in Cuban situations. The very same soft polyester that works wonderfully in Toronto is a dampness trap harboring bacteria in Santiago de Cuba.
Material Science: What Actually Works in Island Conditions
Scalane International offers specialty expertise supplying Caribbean markets with our handwoven rug and carpet collections sourced from India. Our decades of experience working with tropical clients guide material choices that flourish in spite of Cuba’s harsh weather.
Wool: The Natural Caribbean Solution
Hand-knotted wool rugs are the best options for Cuban interiors since wool has natural moisture-wicking capabilities lacking in synthetic fibers. As opposed to materials that take up and hold ambient humidity, wool fibers tend to maintain moisture balance naturally with intricate prot