Carpet Vs. Hardwood What's Right For Your Home

Flooring materials cycle in and out of style regularly. If you have an older home, you might be able to find traces of several flooring styles. But the difference between an on-trend home and a home decor fashion victim is knowing what materials suit your house best. While our real estate agents have seen homes with newer materials such as vinyl or linoleum throughout the home, the classic contenders are carpet and hardwood. Both have their advantages, and a look at where each shines best will help you decide what to have under your feet. 

Both forms of flooring are best done by professionals in their usual form. Wall-to-wall carpeting requires an experienced hand to apply the proper tension and cut materials accurately. Hardwood flooring planks require equipment that few DIYers have around. There are exceptions, however; self-stick carpet tiles allow you to cover areas of almost any size and are as easy to apply as a sticker. 

If you're partial to a particular color, both carpet and hardwood come in a wider range of shades than ever before. However, carpet, being a textile-based flooring material, comes in a range of colors, patterns, and textures that hardwood simply cannot match. If you're keen on green, carpet might be the flooring for you. 

Hardwood is relatively simple to keep clean. Regular sweeping and light mopping with a wood cleaner will serve your floor well for most of the year. For carpets, you'll need to vacuum regularly and use a steam cleaner or carpet shampooer occasionally. This can get tricky to navigate on the stairs, which is why some Chattanooga homes for sale may have carpeted rooms that lead to hardwood stairwells. Since carpet has the potential to hold onto allergens, some allergy-prone homeowners might opt to remove carpeting in areas where they spend the most time. 

Homeowners with hardwood in their bedrooms know the chilly surprise of setting foot on a cold floor in the winter, giving carpet owners the advantage in the bedroom. If you prefer to go barefoot in the house, carpet is easier on your feet. But just as clothing can become threadbare, carpets wear away faster than hardwood floors do, requiring removal and new installation. If you want floors that will last decades, hardwood is your best choice. If you're considering carpet for your home, you can accessorize your floors with area rugs or runners. And neither choice is all or nothing-- many homes have sections with carpet and hardwood in the same space, which can help segment space in an open floor plan.

 

Our team can help your home reflect its distinctive character from floor to ceiling. Contact Us today for more information and personalized assistance.