Consideration
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Carpet
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Hardwood Floors
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Attributes
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Carpet is known for being soft, warm and noise absorbing. Carpet can also help protect against slips, falls and drops. With its extra padding, carpet is loved for the foot comfort it provides in high traffic areas.
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Hardwood floors are known for being durable, long lasting and versatile. Current trends show a preference for hardwood floors. Hardwood floors help add value and beauty to your home’s overall worth.
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Cost
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Carpet installation is considered cheaper and faster compared to hardwood floor installation.
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While hardwood floor installation does have a higher up-front cost, the longevity of the flooring evens out the investment price. Concerns of long installation times have been reduced with more time saving installation practices.
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Durability
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Eventually, all carpets will have to be replaced. Even with premium carpeting, carpets have a general lifespan of 10-15 years. Patterned carpets are even more susceptible to damage.
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Hardwood floors can last a lifetime. Damage to a hardwood floor can be repaired without having to replace the entire floor.
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Maintenance
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Carpets require high levels of maintenance and chemicals over its life. Spills and other accidents are more difficult to clean. Even with the strictest of cleaning routines, all carpets will have to be replaced in the future.
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Hardwood floors have a minimal maintenance schedule compared to carpet. Hardwood flooring is naturally spill and stain resistant. It is much easier to identify messes, making cleaning even more effective.
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Cleanliness
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Carpets absorb all airborne particles and debris in your living space. Even with routine cleanings, carpets will absorb allergens into its deepest layers, making it very hard to remove.
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Since it’s hard to hide dust and debris on a hardwood floor, having a clean and sanitary environment is easier to achieve than with carpet.
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Sustainability
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Carpets are predominantly constructed out of synthetic materials. Added durability of a carpet usually means some sort of chemical treatment that can hurt the environment. New techniques can make a carpet more environmentally friendly, but that adds to the overall cost.
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By its nature, hardwood floors are sustainable. Since they come from natural materials, the woods used to make the floors can be replanted for future use and enjoyment.
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Style
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Carpets come in lots of colors, styles and patterns. However, once you commit, you’ll have to make sure that your current style choices can endure trends and your changing tastes.
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Hardwood floors come in styles and colors that are considered timeless. Accessorizing your floors to your style and taste is as simple as changing an area rug.
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The biggest consideration when choosing the right floor type is going to be your lifestyle. Foot traffic, children and pets all will have their impact on your decision. Whatever your choice, make sure that your floor type fits your needs of price, longevity and maintenance routine. Also, remember that the choice between carpet and hardwood floors isn’t an all or nothing decision. Many homeowners prefer to mix and match, finding a good balance with the benefits of both floor types.
Need Help Installing Floors in Your Home? Ask the Experts at Factory Flooring
What type of underlayment should you use? How many inches thick? How do you install it? And how do you avoid damaging your floors in the process?
When you work with Factory Flooring, you don’t have to worry about these questions. Our team of professional flooring installers will handle all the heavy lifting for you — literally. All you have to do is relax and enjoy the savings on your energy bill.
Need to get more flooring ideas first? Our design blog has dozens of articles to help you get started. Whenever you’re ready to tackle your insulation project, we’ll be here to help. Contact us online to get started, or call Factory Flooring at 469-583-7053 .