You and your spouse are looking for a house and you prefer carpeting while your spouse would like to see hardwood floors lining the rooms. There are pros and cons to both types of floors and you really can't go wrong with either one of them. The only thing that you may want to take into account with carpeting is the allergy factor if there is anyone in the home that has respiratory problems. In that scenario, a hardwood floor would be your best choice.

Pros and cons of carpeting

As stated above, a lot of people have an allergic reaction to the dust particles and allergens that can get trapped in the fibers of the carpet. In fact, some people are just allergic to the carpet fibers alone! With hardwood floors, these types of allergens can be easily swept and mopped up on a daily basis if necessary. With carpeting, vacuuming just doesn't do the job and you'll need to call in professional carpet cleaners on a regular basis if there is anyone that is prone to carpet allergies in the home.

On the bright side, there's nothing better than snuggling your toes into a lush carpet especially on a cold morning. It's nice to be able to walk around in your bare feet without having to worry about putting on slippers as soon as you step out of bed. Unless you have heated subflooring, hardwood floors can get very cold.

Pros and cons of hardwood floors

If you have kids and pets, hardwood floors can be a lifesaver. It can get beyond difficult to keep a carpet clean when you have little ones running around the home. If you don't have a lot of time on your hands for maintaining a home, hardwood flooring is definitely the way to go.

Hardwood floors also have a beautiful look to them and add a touch of nature to the home. The appeal of wood is something that a lot of people would never give up for carpeting. A carpet, in comparison, is a manufactured product that is made of synthetic material coming from a factory. There is no back-to-nature type of feeling with wall-to-wall carpeting at all.

Hardwood floors also have some drawbacks to them. While they are easier to keep clean when you have children and pets around, they don't tend to absorb falls as well. When your youngster trips and falls on the carpet he usually just tends to bounce back up. Falling down on a hardwood floor is a lot harder and you may end up with some extra tears in the house as a result.

When all is said and done, carpeting and hardwood floors are a personal choice. If you're torn about which one to get, take a look at all of your options first. Do you plan to raise a family in your new home? Do you have the time to care for a carpet? Which look do you like the best? One other thing that you can keep in mind is that nothing has to be permanent in life. Whether you decide to get a home with a carpet or with a hardwood floor, you can make changes in the future and remodel your flooring completely!