How to Know if Hardwood or Carpet is Right for Your Home

How do you choose between the two most popular flooring options? Do you want shiny, wooden floors or soft homey carpet? For the kitchen and bathrooms, of course, most people will choose tile. But for the main living areas and bedrooms, carpet and hardwood are the choices that people struggle between. Here are some questions to help you decide.

Do you or family members have allergies?

If someone in the household has allergies, especially to dust, the carpet might irritate their allergies more than the hardwood. Carpet can trap allergens and take regular, intense carpeting to keep it free of dust. If you want to keep your home dust free more easily, maybe skip the carpet.

Do you have pets?

Pet hair can get caught in carpet. Carpet is also difficult to clean of urine and other animal accidents. Carpet is capable of collecting pet scents over time and becoming dirtier. If you have cats or dogs, then you may want to reconsider carpet except for areas the animals won’t spend much time in.

Do you have children?

Some parents feel more comfortable having soft furniture and floors to reduce the chances their child will badly hurt themselves, especially when they are infants just learning to stand on their own. Carpeting is a soft flooring that will cushion falls and bumps. If you have children or plan on starting a family in the future, carpet can be an excellent option for keeping your home as cozy as possible for the little ones.

Where do you live?

Carpet is a nice material to have throughout the house if you live in colder areas. It’s a cozy material that can help retain warmth. It makes snowy days trapped inside just a little easier. If you live on the beach, it makes it easy to track the outdoors in. Carpet can get sand and dirt stuck in it and make it hard to clean. Hardwood is really sensitive to moisture, so it’s not a good idea to put it in a home in a flood-prone area, especially on the ground and basement levels.