Carpet vs Hardwood Flooring

Looking for stunning, stylish surfaces to uplift your home? It can be tough to choose between plush carpeting and natural hardwood - but each has unique benefits that make them popular choices.

Let's start with carpet, a beloved option that outsells all other flooring options in the US. Families adore cozy carpeted rooms for making memories, and the best carpet for your home depends on several factors. Nylon carpet is an excellent option for active households thanks to its reliable stain resistance and durability. Polyester carpet fibers combine style, value, and even sustainability for an eco-friendly choice. Triexta fiber is a game-changing carpet option that creates incredibly stain-resistant and durable carpets. And if you're looking for indoor-outdoor carpeting, Olefin fiber boasts exceptional moisture and stain resistance.

For those seeking timeless style and durability, hardwood flooring is a popular investment that can even boost a home's resale value. With a range of gorgeous stains, finishes, species, lengths, and widths, hardwood planks can capture any aesthetic from coastal to country, rustic to modern. Natural beauty and visible grain make hardwood floors a cherished choice, providing strength and timeless design to any home. And with the advent of engineered hardwood flooring, homeowners have even more options to choose from - bringing the possibility of wood floors to areas that were once considered less than ideal for hardwood. As designers and homeowners alike demand wider, longer plank formats, manufacturers are finding new inspiration to develop fresh, new hardwood styles.

Pros & Cons of Hardwood vs. Carpet

When it comes to whether carpet or hardwood will be most appropriate for your home, the answer will depend on factors such as kids, pets, the rooms in question, budget, and installation requirements. Without further ado, let’s dive into both flooring options and examine how they can best serve your household. Below are the pros and cons of each flooring type:

Cost & Long Term Value:

• Carpet fibers vary in price, but all will ultimately diminish in long term value over time.
• Nylon carpet is a good option for an average homeowner who wants stylish, stain-resistant carpet without overspending.
• Polyester fiber is suitable for new families on a budget who need durable, stain-resistant, and fade-resistant carpet.
• Triexta is more expensive, but it will stay newer-looking for longer.
• Hardwood floors offer excellent resale value, but they come with a higher price tag depending on the type and quality of wood. Softer woods like pine will run $3 to $6 per square foot, harder domestic species like oak will run $5 to $8 per square foot, and exotic species will fetch $8 to $14 per square foot. Engineered hardwood options can be a little less per square foot, but will still represent a significant sum for most homeowners. The trade-off is that hardwood floors will not need to be replaced within 35-40 years and can raise the overall value of your property.

Appearance & Color Options:

• Hardwood styles make a splash every year with new textures and finishes that add warmth and flair to our favorite rooms. Within this timeless category, some of the latest looks are bold and memorable.
• Carpet is virtually unmatched in the wide-range of different colors, patterns, and styles that you can choose from.

Ease of Installation:

• Both carpet and hardwood installation will require the average homeowner to hire professionals.
• The cost of installing solid hardwood floors will be based on the species, size of the planks, size of your home, and where your home is located. Generally, you should add another $4 to $8 (or more) per square foot for installation.
• Carpet installation will take considerably less time than hardwood but requires enough attention to detail that it is best left to professionals to ensure proper stretching and prevent exposed seams.

Sound Insulation:

• Combining soft carpet with a quality carpet pad will offer greater sound insulation and reduce noise from foot traffic better than hardwood floors.
• Wood is not an inherently good sound absorption material, and if used in the installation, nails will transmit sound to the subfloor.

Durability & Cleanliness:

• Nylon fiber provides excellent stain resistance and resiliency, whereas polyester carpet wears faster under similar conditions.
• Triexta fiber achieves superior stain protection through the actual shape of the carpet fiber, not a topical coating, making it a great fit for active families.
• High-quality solid wood floors can be refinished multiple times and last for decades. Engineered wood flooring can provide comparable durability.

Choosing Carpet or Hardwood for your Room:

• For bedrooms, cloudlike cut pile carpets are softer, thicker, and a dream to touch underfoot.
• For living rooms, family rooms, and dining rooms, hardwood floors can elevate the look of the space.
• For high traffic areas, entryways, and playrooms, carpet can be a practical and comfortable option.

Replacing Carpet with Hardwood: What to Know

When you do switch to hardwood flooring, you will have the ability to refinish planks when needed, keeping them shining radiantly while also protecting the floor against damage. Home Advisor lists the average cost of refinishing a 15x15 room in the range of $340 to $900, costing anywhere from $1.50 to $4.00 per square foot. With proper love and care over the years, refinishing your hardwood floors can erase damage from scratches and fading.

If you live in a warm climate, it is important to consider how humidity can affect your wood floors when switching from carpet. As the temperature outside increases, the amount of water vapor in the air increases and inevitably comes inside our homes. Air conditioning and dehumidifiers can help evaporate the humidity of the air indoors, but if unaccounted for, swelling, expanding and contracting, warping, cupping, and cracking of your planks can occur. High degrees of seasonal change may mean that engineered hardwood would be a better fit to resist humidity and the presence of moisture.
When your hardwood floors are finally installed, you can add the pops of warmth, softness, and cushion that you had with carpet by using throw rugs, area rugs, and runners.

When you are ready to receive a carpet or hardwood cost estimate, you can submit a Free Estimate Request Form to your local Carpet One Floor & Home store and begin creating your new favorite rooms!