Did you know that carpet and hardwood floors comprise over 50% of the flooring industry market share? There’s a reason why these two-floor types dominate other types of material like laminate and tile – but which one is better?
If you can’t decide which flooring type fits your home’s needs better, then you came to the right place. In this article, we’ll decide the final winner in the carpet vs hardwood battles. Let’s get started!
Carpet vs Hardwood: Pros & Cons
It’s important to remember that there is no inherent winner in the carpet vs hardwood battle. At the end of the day, it all comes down to personal preference and home type.
However, both flooring materials come with some benefits and drawbacks. By listing all of them we hope to help homeowners figure out which type fits their specific home needs. Let’s start with the carpet.
Carpet Pros
1. Affordable Price
The biggest pro typically associated with carpet is the affordable price. You can get two to three times the amount of carpet material for the price of each square meter of the hardwood floor.
This affordable nature, when combined with a safe comfortable feel, makes it more ideal for new families or people on a budget.
2. Variety of Color Options
With hardwood floors, homeowners often need to match the wall color in the room with the floors, instead of the other way around.
Because carpets come in almost any color you can imagine, it’s much easier to match the pre-existing paint in a room. You can’t go wrong with the white carpet (it matches every wall color), but keep in mind that it does stain easier.
3. Comfortable, Quiet and Safe
Hardwood floors can be cold and uncomfortable for some individuals. The softness of the carpet makes it much more attractive for these types of people.
For one thing, it’s quieter than the hardwood floor, so you aren’t as likely to wake someone up in the middle of the night.
However, it’s less dangerous to fall on since the carpet dampens your fall. As such, we recommend it for families with young children.
Carpet Cons
1. Can Stain Easily
Unfortunately, carpets are by no means perfect. For one thing, they stain much easier than hardwood flooring.
While a wine spill is no big deal on wood, it will require a lot of work to get out of the carpet. Carpeting also accumulates everyday stains for dirt and grime tracked into the house.
2. Must Replace Sooner
Because carpet stains easier and falls apart more quickly, then you will likely need to replace it more quickly than hardwood flooring.
If you don’t mind dirty floors, then this flaw isn’t a big deal. But gross stains and spotty carpet can seriously decrease the value of your home when you’re trying to sell it.
3. Hard to Clean
As we mentioned the stains in carpets caused by food, drink and dirt are a nightmare to get out. This stain removal process requires chemical cleaners and lots of scrubbing.
Even everyday cleaning is more intensive with carpeting. While hardwood floors require a simple sweeping, carpet needs to be regularly vacuumed.
Hardwood Pros
1. Attractive Appearance
While carpet can look attractive in a room, it often doesn’t hold a candle to the hardwood floor. The wood material looks both rustic and luxurious.
It can completely change the vibe of a room while increasing the attractiveness of the home for potential buyers. This is because many people associate the material with upscale homes and styles.
2. Lasts Longer
If it’s properly maintained, then the hardwood floor can last exceptionally longer than carpet. Some types of hardwood floors are over one hundred years old and still look great. However, don’t think that the hardwood floor is invincible.
If spills aren’t cleaned, then the wood is susceptible to rotting damage. It is also easy for furniture and shoes to cause nicks and scratches. So, if you aren’t willing to maintain it, then you will need to replace it quickly.
3. Easy to Clean
Hardwood floor is easier to clean than carpet on both a weekly and daily basis. Everyday spills can be handled with a quick mopping or paper towel. Meanwhile weekly cleans only require a broom and dustpan. However, as we shall see, hardwood floors do require long term maintenance that may annoy some individuals.
Hardwood Cons
1. Expensive Price
Unfortunately, the attractive appearance of the hardwood floor doesn’t come cheap. As we mentioned earlier this type of material can cost two to three times as much as carpet.
This price is because wood is harder to source and treat than carpet. As such, we don’t recommend it for families on a budget.
2. Requires Maintenance
Hardwood floors also require quite a bit of maintenance if you want to keep them looking attractive. If you’re not willing to put in the effort, then you’re better off going with carpet and replacing it when it gets too dirty.
However, as long as you follow the proper steps for maintaining luxury floors, you can keep your hardwood looking beautiful for years to come.
3. Hard Surface Can Be Unsafe
Falling on hardwood floors hurts a lot more than falling on the carpet. The surface is also a lot more slippery than carpeted material.
Because of this, we don’t recommend this type of flooring for people with young children or dogs. Young children can fall easily and hurt themselves, while dogs have difficulty standing on the surface and scratch it over time.
Need More Real Estate and Home Advice? Keep on Reading the Pinnacle List
There’s no clear winner in the carpet vs hardwood battle – both come with a variety of benefits and drawbacks. But, hopefully, this article helped you figure out which floor type works best for your home, budget, and needs.
For more articles about home improvement – as well as things like home listings, design ideas, and real estate advice – make sure to continue exploring everything The Pinnacle List has to offer.
