It’s a heated controversy in many homes - carpet or hard surface flooring? With so many variables thanks to the variety of options and installation costs, it can be hard to find clarity.
What’s the Best Type of Flooring for Your Home?
Should you cozy up to carpet?
Carpeting PROS…
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Today’s carpet is far softer and greener than its predecessor, thanks to manufacturing techniques utilizing recycled nylon and polyester. It also sports looks from bold to subtle and sculpted to flat owing to new pile methods.
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Carpet selection is far more varied than hardwood, and installation and materials are typically less expensive.
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Carpet is great for walking around in bare feet. It’s tender on toes and gives a warmer feel to floors, especially in colder climates.
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Carpet offers a softer, safer, more inviting surface for families, especially those with babies and small children. It provides comfort for daily life’s floor-based activities: crawling, playing, board games, and more.
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Carpet helps mute noise levels throughout the home – individually in each room and in floors above and below.
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Clumsy? Carpet can save your stuff!
Carpeting CONS…
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Carpet can harbor dirt and allergens if not properly maintained, however scheduling a professional cleaning once or twice a year can reduce the presence of dirt, dust mites and other allergens.
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Carpet may eventually need to be replaced due to wear or damage.
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Carpet can stain, though factory and additional overspray protection can remedy this situation.
Or hunker down with hard surface flooring?
Hard surface PROS…
- Hardwood flooring, tile, laminate and vinyl offer a different “look” than carpet.
- Area rugs can be added to hard surfaces for ambiance and flexibility, but must be maintained in the same fashion as wall-to-wall carpet.
- Furniture can be easier to move on hard surfaces.
Hard surface CONS…
- Hard surface flooring requires frequent sweeping/vacuuming so debris doesn’t stick to your bare feet.
- Hard surfaces can be cold to the touch, especially in the morning and evening.
- Adding area rugs for the look/feel of carpet can be expensive.
- Like carpet, hard surfaces will eventually become worn or damaged and eventually need to be replaced over time. Laminate and vinyl can be especially susceptible.
- Wood/laminate can stain and bow, especially from moisture.
- While some hard surfaces, such as hardwood, can be refinished a minimal number of times, lifting and replacing vinyl and tile can be a difficult and time consuming task.
- Hard surface flooring amplifies noise in the room it is used in, and is a pitiful noise insulator for rooms below.
- Furniture may shift on hard surface flooring, and surfaces may become scratched.
- Clumsy? Sorry, if it hits the floor, you have a better chance of winning the lotto than of breakables surviving. And your floor may be damaged to boot.
Have cold feet? There’s no need to fear carpet commitment. Improve the look and feel of your home with the professional carpet cleaning of Rainbow Restoration® today.
