The floor is my other sofa. I lie down and stretch out my back, do a couple of crunches, or sit criss-crossed and focus in on a conversation. These are some reasons why I still like carpet yet like to mix it up with hardwood and tile for flooring choices. Carpet seems to be passe in many current home design catalogs, but keeping the bedrooms, office, or family room carpeted makes sense.
However, well maintained hardwood floors in an entry way, dining room, and living room can make a house look elegant. A dark wood stained floor contrasts nicely with cream-colored walls and neutral furniture. Whereas a lighter colored floor can open up a smaller space giving the illusion of more room.
Depending on whose point of view you take, hardwood floors can also be easier to clean and maintain. Throw a Roomba out in the living room to sweep up hair and dirt or use a Swifter to quickly tidy up. A damp mop and Murphy’s oil does a great job on sealed hardwood floors.
Many older homes originally had wood floors installed, but were later covered in carpet when the floors became scuffed or the trend changed to shag – I’m thinking the ’70’s. Lifting up a corner of the carpet may reveal wood floors that need sanding, staining, and a coat of polyeurethane to revive them.
But in the case that the old wood floors are beyond refinishing (due to being refinished too many times or deep scratches) or there aren’t wood floors throughout the house to begin with, installing hardwood floors isn’t as scary as it sounds. Pricing can range from $2.34 to over $4.00 per square foot compared to carpet which ranges from under $1.00 to over $6.00 per square foot. Price is determined by quality when it comes to material. Then there’s always the chance you can find wholesale hardwood flooring if you shop around. Start at your local home improvement center then branch out to your local mom and pop shops.
Installation costs is where most people find there’s a larger cost difference between hardwood flooring and carpet; carpet installation is often around $1 – $2 per square foot whereas hardwood flooring ranges from $2 – $4 per square foot. That can add up quickly depending on the size of your room. However, with hardwood floors, the upside is their life span. Hardwood floors can last decades with proper care – a factor that needs to be weighed when deciding which flooring option is more cost-efficient.
Do you have various flooring choices in your home or apartment? Which do you prefer?
4 Comments
We have hardwood and carpet in our house. We actually need to put new carpet in our living room, but we’ve been putting it off forever.
There was a night and day difference in how I feel when I went from a carpeted bedroom to one with hardwood floors. If you’re a person that suffers from allergies, too much carpet wreaks havoc on your body. I love oriental rugs and they best thing is you can bring them outside and shake all the dust out of them. It’s the best of both worlds. Soft and cozy, stylish, yet cleanable for the allergy prone.
@First Gen American – It’s true that hard wood is better for allergies. I’m constantly sniffling, so maybe my carpets have something to do with that. Rugs sound like a good alternative.
I much prefer carpet, but may decide to go with somekind of hard finish in my condo. It is at the lake at ground level and the living room leads right outside. The floor gets a lot of wear and tear. I’m thinking since everyone else in the world (except perhaps you and I) love wood flooring, that there might be some kind of laminate that looks like wood but would hold up better?