When it is time to update the look of your home, the first option for many people is to paint their walls. If your flooring is more than ten years old, that choice might be a better investment to consider.
Although hardwood floors have an exceptionally long life, the same isn’t true about most carpets and rugs. Some products have an expected lifespan of five to seven years!
That’s why carpet, wood, and flooring installation makes sense. You’ll contribute more value to the home while taking advantage of today’s updated technologies and material refinement methods.
Carpet vs. Hardwood Floors in the Modern Home
The two most popular choices for home flooring today are carpeting and hardwoods. One item is typically soft, quiet, and entirely synthetic. The other is hard, natural, and a lot more expensive.
Your question to answer is this: how much do you want to invest in the future today?
Each flooring choice has several characteristics to consider that make them a favorable option in several specific environments. When you understand the nature of each investment, it’s easier to select the most appropriate item.
Here are the various comparison points to consider.
Cost of the Flooring
Hardwood averages about $8 per square foot, but it can be significantly more if you choose something exotic. You can also find something cheaper, although the quality might not meet your expectations.
Carpeting averages about $3 per square foot. That means you can invest in higher product quality while staying below the median cost of hardwood.
Durability of the Flooring
Hardwood floors have a rating of up to 50 years for some products. It adds real estate value because of its durability attributes.
When you invest in a carpet, most products have an expected lifespan of approximately ten years. There is almost no real estate advantage to this product, even if you’ve recently installed it.
Comfort of the Flooring
The primary advantage that carpeting offers is that it can dampen the sound that happens on top of it. If you have a multi-story home, there won’t be as much noise experienced from down below. You also get something that feels comfortable and warm underneath the feet.
Hardwood floors feel hard underneath the feet. Since there isn’t as much insulation, the home tends to be a bit louder. You’ll have less heat retention because of these attributes, which means it helps to have some slippers available in the morning.
Appropriateness of the Flooring
Carpets and hardwood floors do not belong in the bathroom. You’ll find both choices installed in some homes. If you purchase a property with this issue, the flooring materials should get changed immediately.
Hardwood floors work well for any room except those that have high moisture levels. That means you’d want to avoid placing it in the basement, even if you’ve finished the area.
Carpeting works well in recreational spaces, bedrooms, dens, and hallways.
Health Considerations of the Flooring
The issue with hardwood flooring is that you can see the dirt and dust all the time. You’ll be sweeping every day to ensure things stay clean. You’ll also mop or steam the floors occasionally to ensure that they remain on sanitary surfaces.
Carpeting can trap pollen and dust, making it a challenging product to use when you have issues with asthma or allergies at home. A high-quality vacuum can solve most of those issues, but you’ll need to have the floors professionally cleaned at least once per year.
What Should I Install at Home?
When a hardwood floor is correctly maintained, it can last for several decades. If you install a high-end material with this investment today, the product can last for generations.
Even if you don’t plan to hand the house down to your kids or family, the investment allows you to build more equity into the property.
Most hardwood floors can be sanded and resurfaced three to four times over the lifespan of the product. If you use a surface varnish every few years to renew it, you’ll end up with a beautiful floor that everyone will love.
Carpeting works well when there isn’t much insulation between each floor. It’ll keep the house quieter while offering some comfortable walking areas. The product gets trimmed to be a precise fit while stretched with special tools.
Both flooring options typically require a professional installation since most homeowners don’t have the tools available to complete the work. If you have any questions about getting this update done at your home, be sure to give our team a call today!
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