Hardwood Floors vs. Carpet

When building a home you get to decide what flooring you want. Often when it comes to the main living areas the question is posed, whether to yourself or verbally, hardwood or carpet? Here we have outlined the pros and cons of each, so we can try to help you with your one of many decisions.

Hardwood Floors

Pros

• Long Lasting


• Hardwood floors has an extremely longer life than carpet and can be refinished many times to freshen the look of the floors. If the wood becomes damaged it can easily be sanded and refinished instead of replaces.
• Lasting Value
• Hardwood Floors add a lasting value to your home.
• Allergies
• Hardwood floors can help alleviate allergies as it doesn't hold allergens like carpet fiber can.
• Its Green
• Wood is a sustainable, renewable, and natural material.
• Messes
• Its easier to spot and clean spills, pet hair, crumbs, and other debris off of hardwood floors and it doesn't stain.
• Timeless
• Hardwood floors have been used for hundreds of years.

Cons

• More expensive 
• Upfront the cost of hardwood floors over carpet is more usually.
• Cleaning
• Hardwood floors need to be swept/vacuumed and moped more often.
• Comfort
• Hardwood floors require additions like rugs to make standing, laying, playing on them comfortable.
• Scratches
• Hardwood floors can sometimes become easily scratched by furniture or accidents.

Hardwood Floors Tips

1. Hardwood floors that have been hand scraped with deeper groves can hide dents and wear that can come from an active family and pets.
2.  Its usually best to sweep it at least every other day.
3. You can change your hardwoods look with different rugs.

Carpet

Pros

• Cost Effective
• Carpet is easier, faster, and less expensive than hardwood. 
•  Eco-Friendly
• You can find carpets that are made out of recycled materials and intern be recycled once they are worn out.
• Cleaning
• Carpet hides dirt, so it doesn't need to be cleaned as often.
• Silence is Golden
• Carpet is much quieter than hardwood floors.
• Safety
• Because carpet is soft, when someone trips or falls on carpet it can act as a type of cushion, making damage from an accident less likey.
• Warmer
• Being a natural insulator carpet is warmer in the winter.
• Comfort
• Carpet is soft and comfortable, especially in bare feet. 
• Allergies
• With todays technology carpet doesn't aggravate asthma or allergies, it traps dust particles in the spaces between the tufts waiting to be vacuumed.
• Choices
• With Carpet there are countless choices from quality, thickness, height, and color.

Cons 

• Stains
• Carpet can become soiled and stained more easily.
• Limited lifespan
• Carpet after many years can begin to be worn out including the pad which can make is less comfortable, requiring replacement.
• Extra cost
• Owning carpet may require an extra cost of getting it professionally cleaned yearly to keep it well maintained.

Carpet Tips

1. A carpets life can be extended with frequent vacuuming and steam cleaning once a year.
2. Patterned carpets can create a design impact
3. It is recommended to vacuum carpet at least once a week.

Through all the pros and cons the choice is yours, you know your family best and what will fit you the best whether its hardwood, carpet, or even a combination. If you want to start talking about the home you want to build give us a call at 801-613-0095.

Thanks for reading.