Replacing carpet with hardwood flooring

It’s time to ditch the carpet! Before you take the big plunge, we invite you to take a peek into the carpet vs. hardwood experiences we’ve come across while discovering our “new normal” way of living. And that, we have come to discover, has no rule book.

looks/personal preference experience

Obviously, personal preference is, well, personal. However, most online polls and websites agree that hardwood is the preferred option. Not only is it attractive, wood flooring is durable and stable. For selling your home, hardwood has 54% more resale value. Hardwood, whether it is engineered or solid, is a beautiful addition to any space and has endless possibilities. With wall to wall carpet you can push the boundaries with colors and patterns, however, that can also be achieved with hardwood and an area rug. A dimension, possible with hardwood and an area rug or wall-to-wall is plush carpeting, adding a more tailored look. Bear in mind, hardwood is more versatile than carpet, apart from the patterns. It can be laid in different herringbone or chevron, continued up walls, on the ceiling, and comes in many prefinished colors and styles.

cleaning/allergy experience

When you welcome home your family and friends, having a clean space should be a priority but not something you want to go crazy about. Carpeting requires daily vacuuming and regularly scheduled cleanings to keep dust and bacteria at bay. Between the two, hardwood would be the much easier choice to keep up. With more time being spent at home now, your floors are going to be tasked with more use. Although carpet fibers will wear down with time, hardwood can be cleaned over and over without adverse effects, as long as you use the right products. Moreover, hardwood and some engineered wood can be refinished multiple times without actually replacing the boards. For those that suffer from allergies, carpet would not be a great choice as it can collect dust, pollen and mites. On the other hand, hardwood or engineered wood would serve perfectly for individuals with health considerations.

Hard vs soft/loud vs quiet experience

This one is hard to argue when it comes to pro hardwood as we all know carpeting is soft, quiet and sound-deadening. Let’s just say, in our experience, you can have hardwood with all the pros. Most engineered flooring can be installed with underfloor heating systems now, making your wood floor warm and cozy at all times. Adding area rugs makes hardwood look warmer and makes them quieter. There are underlayments and barriers that are designed especially for subfloors that provide sound and/or thermal insulation.

Pricing experience

Pricing for hardwood and carpet both vary considerably depending on the quality. Quite likely, carpeting will be a less expensive replacement than hardwood. However, it generally does not last as long and in the long run if your hardwoods outlive the carpet by double or can be refinished, think of them as a much better long term investment.

Environmental impact experience

Not only is hardwood more durable than carpet, it lasts much longer. Therefore, that means less waste for the environment. Not all carpet is eco-friendly and chemical emissions from carpet manufacturers make carpeting a difficult choice for green buyers. Of course, not all hardwood flooring is produced responsibly, either. At Woodpecker, our dedication starts in the forests. We only ever bring you responsibly sourced wood with full FSC or PEFC Certifications, selecting the trees we use before they are felled, paying close attention to how they are sawn, stacked and dried.

After taking a peek into today’s carpet and hardwood experiences we discovered the clearly superior product is wood. Whether it be solid, engineered or a hybrid product wood flooring has the edge over carpet in the real estate market, longevity and being exceptionally beautiful.

 If you have questions please reach out and contact us. We will be happy to help you. We offer complimentary samples so you can see and feel our exquisite product in real life before you make your final decision.