Many have dismissed carpet flooring as a viable option with the rising popularity of wood and various types of engineered resilient types of flooring. Many make the case that carpet is difficult to maintain, stains easily, and actually stores harmful particles that can cause allergies. Some of these arguments are indeed valid but some are more myth today then they are reality. Below we will show you that taking care of your carpet is actually simple, as well as give you five reason why carpet is still a great choice in 2018!
Tackling the first obstacle or opposition many have against carpet: maintenance and upkeep. We covered this topic in a previous post: “How to keep your carpets looking new?” The key takeaway from the post was that if you pay attention and maintain your carpets you will have no problem keeping them looking fresh and beautiful. We recommended that you vacuum at least once a week, do a deep clean at least once a year (or as recommended by manufacturer), remove stains ASAP with proper stain removal tools (listed in post), monitor high use areas, and lastly simply pay attention to damaging factors and maintain. It isn’t rocket science, if your biggest case against carpet is the look of worn carpet; read the above mentioned post from before.
Health
One of the biggest cases against carpet is that the fibers harbor dust mites and other particles in the air, thus being a main instigator for asthma or allergies. The counter argument is that carpet actually helps keep the particles and dust mites out of the air, acting as a filter. The result depends on how often you clean. The more often you vacuum your carpets the less dust and particles the carpet will contain. Hardwood, tile, and resilient flooring do not catch dust allowing them to continue free floating in the air. With frequent vacuuming carpet is the better material for maintaining purer and cleaner air.
Ease of maintenance/cost effectiveness
Carpet is simple and cost effective to maintain. All that's required is weekly vacuuming and routine deep cleaning (once a year). Each of which requires little effort and resources. Looking over the course of a decade, carpet can even beat out the maintenance costs of other materials. A hardwood refinishing is an expensive task that can creep up on you, carpet on the other hand has no such expensive maintenance. Not only is carpet cost effective in maintenance, carpet is much less expensive to purchase than hardwood, and especially tile.
The cost of purchasing and installing new carpets can be as low as $3.50/sqft including material, pad, and installation. There isn't another flooring material that even comes close to this low in initial cost!
Comfort
In terms of comfort, carpet is the best possible option. No other material comes into close comparison with carpet. The soft plush texture of carpet gives off the comfortable feeling of a warm family home. No doubt why most parents choose carpet when raising young children. It has the classic feeling of coziness and provides the support and soft qualities for children to grow up sitting and playing on. Not only do children find it comfortable, you won’t find yourself sitting on your hardwood floors on a cold winter evening curled up in a blanket reading a book. You will find yourself doing the same on carpet though.
Safety
Safety is a primary concern for most homes with children or the elderly. The soft features of a carpeted floor help prevent injuries, and is much safer for children to run around and play on. Hard floor surfaces on the contrary do not cushion impacts and are more dangerous for both the elderly and children. Hard floor surfaces are also a major slip hazard, placing rug or mats doesn’t fix the problem but rather often make it worse. Mats and rugs can be just as much of a slip or trip hazard, which is why many people still opt for carpet.
Customization
In 2018 the options for carpet are much more various than 30 years ago. Today you can purchase carpet in a multitude of colors, material types, textures, and patterns. Carpet is no longer a neutral flooring choice as it once was used only as a filler, today it is an important design element that helps bring out the elegance and decor of any room. Many new looks have been created, high and low loops, layered textures, and patterns in certain shapes and sizes. All of which are picked out to compliment the wall colors, and furniture in a room.
If you are interested in seeing the large variety of carpet options available... feel free to stop by our showroom and take a look :)