Among the two biggest flooring choices in homes, today are carpet and hardwood. Industry experts estimate that 51% of all homes in the U.S. have some carpeting. Just over half of homeowners have some hardwood in their homes, too. With a closer look at both flooring choices, it’s not hard to see why these are the top two options. Carpet tends to be soft, warm, quiet, and inexpensive, whereas hardwood is natural, beautiful, and adds value to your home.
Despite these differences, both carpet and hardwood have their specific role in a home; and in most cases, you will discover that you may need to use them both for flooring in different locations of your home. What are the real differences when it comes to the carpet vs hardwood debate, and which one should you use in the various spaces of your home? Take a closer look at the differences to help you make a better decision.
Appearance:
When it comes to aesthetics, hardwood is easily recognized by its natural wood tone colors and beauty. Hardwood flooring creates an immediate statement of boldness coupled with elegance. A luxurious carpet, though, can be just as appealing and inviting. Many choose hardwood in the public spaces of their home (like the entryway and the living room) and carpet in the more private spaces (like the bedrooms).
The Feel:
One of the biggest differences between hardwood flooring and carpet is the feeling when you walk on it. Carpet is a foot-friendly surface, soft and warm at every turn. Hardwood flooring feels firm and solid. For most, this makes the carpet or hardwood in the bedroom debate a moot point. You want your bedroom to be a soft place to land after a rough day, and carpeting is a clear winner in this space.
Durability:
Compared to carpet, hardwood flooring is more durable and has a much longer lifespan. Hardwood can easily last more than 3-5 decades if well maintained; carpet, on the other hand, may need replacement every 10-14 years.
Style:
Carpet is available in hundreds of colors, textures, patterns, and designs to match the decor of any home. Carpet comes in many tones to match your home’s personality, and you can select a carpet with a single color, or you can opt for a multicolored carpet that is great at hiding dust and dirt. Hardwood is also available in many different colors, tones, and grain patterns. There are many species of hardwood, and they all have one feature in common- elegance. While there aren’t quite as many choices in the world of hardwood, there are certainly enough to match any space.
Cost:
Overall, hardwood flooring has a higher initial cost compared to carpet. On average, the cost of hardwood flooring itself will vary from $6-$14 per sq ft, depending on the type of hardwood, quality, grain, and color. The cost of installation for hardwood flooring varies from $3 to $6 per sq ft.
On the other hand, the initial price of carpet and installation is much lower than hardwood flooring. Depending on the type of carpet, the cost per square ft will vary from $2 to $8.To have the carpet installed will cost anywhere from $800 to $3000. However, do remember that while the initial costs of carpet are lower than hardwood flooring, the latter will add to the resale value of your home.
Installation:
Overall, carpets are not only cheaper to install but can be installed far more quickly. Hardwood flooring installation requires precision and care to ensure that there are no gaps between the planks. In some cases, the hardwood planks may need to be acclimated to the local environment for 24 hours prior to installation. Where the two can be installed differs as well. Both carpet and hardwood are susceptible to damage by heat and water.
If there are fluid spills left uncleaned on the carpet or hardwood, it will eventually lead to damage, including mold formation and rotting of the flooring. This damage is easily visible on hardwood flooring, but with carpets, the damage may take a little longer to become obvious. Overall, hardwood flooring is not moisture resistant and should not be installed in the kitchen, bathroom, or any place where moisture collects. Prolonged water contact with hardwood can cause more damage to hardwood leading to warping, swelling, and cracking.
Maintenance:
Both floors require fairly regular maintenance, but they’re both easy to clean. Carpets need to be vacuumed every few days, and hardwood floors need to be swept on a regular schedule as well. When it comes to spills, carpet may require a deeper cleaning method – like steam cleaning – while spills on hardwood can be quickly addressed with a towel. Carpets will require a steam cleaning every four years, and hardwood floors may require additional long-term maintenance like oiling, depending on the type of flooring you choose.
A Few Other Points to Consider
Still not sure which flooring is right for the spaces in your home? You may want to consider these points as well. Carpets are generally more pet and child friendly. They can minimize the impact of a fall better than hardwood can, and they can’t be easily scratched by animal nails. That said, hardwood doesn’t get stained or dirty quite as quickly as carpets might, and hardwood tends to be more allergy and asthma friendly as carpets tend to collect dust, dirt, pet hair, dander, and many other allergens in their fibers and despite vacuuming not all of these allergens can be removed.
While carpets can minimize the impact of a fall better than hardwood, they can also get stained and dirty much more quickly. If you have hardwood and feel that the surface may be hard for your child or pet, place a small rug over it. On the other hand, hardwood can easily be scratched by animal nails- so you will have to regularly trim your dog’s nails.
Carpeting also tends to be quieter flooring, as it can muffle sounds far better than hardwood. That can be useful if you have small children in the house who go to bed early or need to nap regularly.
Maybe the biggest difference between the two types of flooring is the fact that hardwood flooring can increase the resale value of the home. Even though carpets have many great features, they usually do not affect the resale value of the home. In general, homes that have hardwood flooring tend to be sought more often by potential home buyers and real estate agents. Selling a home with hardwood flooring is relatively easy; not so with carpet, especially if it is old.
The Choice?
To many, it may be obvious that hardwood flooring is superior to carpet in many respects, including elegance, durability, ease of maintenance, and better resale value. But that does not mean carpet has no role as a flooring material in a home. If you desire warmth and comfort in some spaces in your home, carpeting is the way to go in those places. To learn more about hardwood flooring and carpets, speak to a professional from East Coast Flooring.