The Benefits of Hardwood Flooring vs. Carpet
Are you looking to upgrade the floors in your home? The choice between hardwood flooring and carpet can be a difficult one. Both can be attractive, durable options for different parts of your home, but does one outperform the other? Each has its own unique advantages, so it is important to consider your specific needs before making a decision. From hardwood floor vs carpet cost to regular maintenance and a professional cleaning to longevity and health, there's a lot that goes into selecting the right kind of flooring—let's get started!
Are Carpet or Hardwood Floors Easier to Clean?
Hardwood floors are typically easier to clean than carpets, but they both have pros and cons. Hardwood floors, for example, are great for liquid spills because of easy clean up while spills on carpets can result in stains. But hardwood floors can be easy to scratch and if you accidentally drop a heavy object you risk denting your floor. However, dropping a heavy object would have little impact on your carpet. Both require regular maintenance to keep them clean and prevent needing replacement.
Sweeping and mopping are the best cleaning tools to use for daily or weekly maintenance of hardwood floors. They remove loose dirt, dust, and spills, and help prevent scratches and dulling of your floors. Once a month, you should use a cleaning solution for a more thorough cleaning. However, it’s important to be mindful of the type of cleaner you use since they are often filled with harmful chemicals that can damage your hardwood floors.
Our Hardwood Floor Cleaning Method:
Here, at the Carpet Cleaning Company, we use a three-step process. First, we provide a dry clean, primarily through vacuuming. Then we apply a urethane-safe cleaning agent that is both kid and pet-friendly to remove more stubborn, ground-in soil. Finally, we bluff the floors to restore their luster and gleam.
For carpets, frequent vacuuming helps prevent a build-up of dust, dirt, lint, and pet hairs from getting trapped inside your carpet floors. This debris can become embedded, damaging the fiber surface of your carpet. It’s also a good idea to shampoo or steam your carpet several times a year to thoroughly clean out any remaining allergens and debris.
Our Carpet Cleaning Method:
Our technician will start with a carpet pre-inspection, paying close attention to concerning areas such as stains or odors. Then we will vacuum, removing traces of dirt and dust so that when we apply our spot or spill treatment it is better able to reach areas of concern. Next, we provide a deep cleaning using our kid and pet-friendly CleaneR. We will likely move light furniture such as lamps and end tables so that we can better access your carpet. Finally, we apply a carpet protection that will increase your carpet’s life and beauty. It will also make spills easier to remove in the future.
Are Carpet or Hardwood Floors More Economical?
If you are looking at just the base price for hardwood floor vs carpet cost, carpet will be the more economical option. However, there is more you should consider than just the base price of installation such as longevity, the maintenance cost of professional cleaners, and resale value.
The price of carpets is usually anywhere between $6 to $12 per square foot, while hardwood floors cost anywhere from $12 to $20 dollars per square foot. These prices depend on a range of factors from materials, design, and the company you choose to work with. Also, if you go with hardwood floors, you’ll likely want to buy protective pads for the bottom of your furniture. This will add to the cost but it is worth it to prevent scratching your new floors.
When it comes to longevity, carpets usually last between ten to fifteen years depending on how well they are maintained, while quality hardwood floors can last a lifetime if they are properly taken care of. Carpets can easily become worn or stained, especially in areas of your house with heavy foot traffic. Hardwood floors can get worn down too, though they can usually be revived with an additional coat of finish.
When it comes to professional cleaning, prices vary depending on the type of service you need and the company you choose. At the Carpet Cleaning Company, we charge $0.35 per square foot for large rooms (over 256 square feet) and $1 per square foot for both area rugs and oriental rug cleaning. For hardwood floors, we charge $0.65 per square foot.
Hardwood floors have a great resale value. A study found that 54% of home buyers were willing to pay more for a home with hardwood flooring. That being said, carpet floors are known to keep your home warmer and better insulated, which means you won’t have to rely on your heat so much during cold months and can have a lower utility bill.
