New, good quality carpet is wonderful. It’s soft, thick, and looks great. However, carpet is also subject to wear and tear and you have to think about stains. Due to this, many people are making the switch to hard floors, whether they’re hardwood or laminate.
Pros and Cons of Carpet
Soft, thick carpet is wonderful. It feels nice on your bare feet, it’s nice to sit or lay on, and if it’s a darker color, it hides messes pretty well. Cleaning is easy, since all you have to do is pull out the vacuum.
However, carpet can also be a pain. Even if you have a darker carpet, stains are always a possibility, and nothing looks worse than a giant stain on your carpet. Carpets also retain smells more, so if you have kids that are prone to throwing up or pets that are prone to accidents, you may spend a lot of time trying to scrub those smells out and never quite succeeding. Carpet also looks best when it’s new. After a few years, carpets start to look worn, faded, and shabby. Typically, carpets with normal wear and tear need to be replaced when they’re 8-10 years old.
Pros and Cons of No Carpet
Having hardwood or laminate flooring throughout your house sounds great. You don’t have to worry about stains or spills, and cleanup is a breeze. It also doesn’t get damaged as easily, so you don’t have to worry about replacing it as soon as carpet. While laminate and hardwood flooring are more expensive, they also last longer. Laminate flooring can last up to 25-30 years, while hardwood floors can last 100 years.
But non-carpeted floors can have issues, too. For instance, they tend to be louder, which can be annoying if you have a large family or pets. Keeping them clean can be a pain since you have to vacuum them and mop them if you really want them gleaming. While you won’t have to worry about spills or stains, you will have to be careful of scratches and dents, especially with natural hardwood floors, which tend to be softer.
Which to Choose?
Honestly, it depends on personal preference and lifestyle. If you have indoor pets, you can decide between possible accident stains on carpet, or possible scratches in hardwood/laminate. If you spend a lot of time playing on the floor with your kids, you might prefer a soft, lush carpet. If you’re planning on selling your house and don’t want to have to worry about replacing worn out carpet, hardwood or laminate flooring will give you more years for the money you spend.
It’s important to remember that there’s always going to be a trade-off. However, there is an easy and simple solution. Why not do both? You can get laminate flooring, put a soft and cushiony area rug on top, and then you can have the best of both worlds. After all, an area rug is much easier and cheaper to replace when it’s worn out than actual carpet, and you’ll be protecting the hard floors beneath, giving them longer life as well.
