Hardwood floors are a popular and practical choice for many homeowners. There are several benefits when it comes to choosing hardwoods over carpets in your home. There are also a few negatives to having hardwoods but there are ways to diminish those negative aspects, especially with the use of a strategically placed area rug. The following information can help you understand the pros and cons of hardwood flooring.
Pros of Hardwood Flooring
Low Maintenance and Easy to Clean
Hardwood floors require little to no maintenance as long as you keep up with regular cleaning. You don’t have to worry about hiring technicians to come in and clean up your floors periodically like you do with carpets. Hardwoods can be kept clean with sweeping, using a dust mop, or cleaning with a vacuum that has a hard floor setting.
Works Well for Pets and Children
If you have pets or little ones in your home, you’ve likely dealt with messes on your floors. Spills and stains can set into carpet making it look dirty and grimy over time. With hardwood floors, you can simply wipe up any spills or accidents when they happen and your floors will continue to look good as new. There are even cleaning products designed specifically for cleaning hardwoods. If you have area rugs in your home, you can hire a rug cleaning specialist to keep them looking clean and smelling fresh.
Long-Lasting
Unlike carpet, hardwoods don’t suffer as much wear over time. You can expect to replace carpet every 5 to 15 years depending on wear and tear in your home. Hardwood floors can last double or triple that amount of time if you care for them properly. One way to keep your hardwood floors looking nice and new is to use strategically placed area rugs in places where there is a lot of foot traffic. Using rugs at the exterior doors of your home, as well as using long rugs in hallways, can help protect your floors from wear and tear during daily use.
Cons of Hardwood Floors
Cost
When you’re shopping for flooring, you may notice a significant price difference between hardwood and carpet. Hardwood flooring does cost more because the manufacturing process is more labor intensive and the materials are costlier than carpet. The installation of hardwood floors can also cost more than the installation of carpet.
Comfort and Warmth
Some people are resistant to installing hardwoods throughout the home, especially in bedrooms, because of lack of warmth in cold weather. The idea of stepping out of bed onto a soft carpet in the dead of winter seems more appealing that stepping onto a cold hard surface. This concern can be remedied by using an area rug. There are rugs in many different colors and patterns that can fit in with your home decor easily. An area rug still allows you to enjoy the comforts of carpet while also having the convenience of hardwood floors.
Sound
Hardwoods can act as a sound amplifier whereas carpets can actually reduce the sound in your home. This can be especially noticeable if you have small children running around or pets trampling around the house. An area rug can be placed in the spots in your home where people and pets spend the most time. Placing an area rug throughout helps to reduce the sound and prevent others in the home from being disturbed due to noise.
Christopher is an author and blogger who is passionate about home improvements projects. Making time to help family and friends while working with Brucke Flooring.
