Deciding between hardwood and carpet floors is sometimes daunting. Both materials are beneficial as they help eliminate the stressing task of tile and grout cleaning. However, choosing between the two materials is difficult. Several factors must be brought into considerations when choosing the materials. Cost, durability, allergies, and cost of maintenance should be considered. One should consider the following tips when choosing between carpet and hardwood floors.
Cost Difference
This question is always the first one to come into your brain when choosing carpet or hardwood floors. The simple answer is that carpets are cheap to install compared to hardwoods. For instance, the average cost of carpet per square foot is $3 to $5. On the other hand, the cost of hardwood per square foot is $9 to $14. Carpets might be cheaper than wood in the short run, but expensive in the long term.
Value of Your Home
Hardwood floors increase the saleability of your home as potential buyers can see value for their money. Informed consumers are aware of the cost of maintaining carpets and will get attracted to hardwood floored home. Additionally, homebuyers who intend to keep pets in the home will shy away from carpeted homes as they trap dander, stray hair and dust, which are difficult to clean.
Expected Wear And Tear
Although carpets may offer some aesthetic features that cannot be offered by hardwoods, the durability of the two materials is significantly different. Mostly, hardwoods appear in a shade of tan or brown color while carpets come in a rainbow of colors. These features sometimes pull many consumers towards carpeting. This group of people forgets about a critical factor, the durability of the materials.
Carpets are likely to tear and wear out within a shorter time compared to hardwoods. In high traffic homes, hardwoods can last longer while carpets will have a short life span. There are homes as old as 300 years and have their original hardwood floors. It is arguably true that even the highest quality carpet cannot last more than a decade. Another advantage of having hardwood floor is that you can add a carpet to soften the appearance as well as adding some color to the floor.
Maintenance
Although both materials are not perfect in maintenance, carpets are way difficult to maintain. Carpets need to be vacuumed regularly and steam cleaned on a regular basis. On the other hand, hardwood floors require just mopping and regular waxing. As mentioned above, carpets last only ten years while hardwoods can last for over a century. Hardwoods will just require refinishing and sanding every ten to 20 years to keep them smart and appealing. Wood floors can withstand more than ten refinishes depending on its thickness.
Allergy considerations
Are hardwoods better for people with allergies? Although a lot of people don’t put this topic into consideration, it is an important question to ask. You may have allergies to several things, but you cannot imagine carpets being one of them. Carpets can trap a lot of allergens such as dust, pet dander, pollen, and dirt. With these allergens at your home sneezing might be the order of the day.
Hardwood floors don’t hold much of dirt. Moreover, they are easy to clean doing away with the allergens. If one of your household members has asthma or allergy, carpets are a no go zone. Although some people opt for hypoallergenic carpets, in most cases they end up frustrated as the carpets don't give them value for their money.
Make the Right Decision
Although the initial cost of purchasing and installing carpets may seem cheap, hardwoods are better. Hardwood floors can last indefinitely with proper maintenance as opposed to carpets, which wear out easily. Hardwoods may fail to match the existing room décor. However, you should consider other factors such as durability, allergy considerations, and maintenance of the flooring material. Moreover, hardwoods don’t produce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as they are not treated with chemicals like most carpets.
