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Hard surface floor sales continue to climb. Everywhere you look, carpet is being removed and hard surface floors are being installed. How do you determine which is the best floor for you? Has carpet really gotten a fair shake? This article explores hoe to come to the right decision on whether you should replace your carpet with a hard surface floor or not. Also discover the most common reason people replace their carpets with hard surface floors.
This article is not to convince you that one flooring type is better than another. In fact, only you can make that decision, but would you be surprised to discover that the biggest reason that carpet is thrown out could be totally eliminated in the first place?
Home owners and building managers often replace carpet with hard surface floors because they find it hard to maintain. Spots won't come out, spots keep coming back, traffic areas look worn out... The sad fact is that these issues could be completely eliminated through regular carpet maintenance. If you have new carpet, or carpet that is not yet on it's "last let", considering investing a little bit more in maintenance to keep your carpet for a long time.
Follow these guidelines...
- Keep your carpet protected with a quality carpet protector.
- Remove spots immediately with a quality general spotter or solvent.
- Vacuum once or twice every week.
- Have your carpet cleaned on a regular schedule by your regular carpet cleaner.
Whether people replace carpet with hard surfaces due to maintenance issues or to have a great new look, they are often surprised how loud their home or office becomes. The noise level increases greatly with hard floors. In addition, you realize you now have increased slippage issues, especially in a commercial environment.
the quick fix action most consumers take is to go buy an area rug. But without proper planning, the rug wasn't in the budget, so they end up getting an inexpensive rug that detracts from that great floor. Ugh! Now you have two flooring surfaces to maintain instead of one: your new floor and your new rug. If you think about these things in advance you can get the result you want. But realizing you can actually maintain your carpet's appearance, you don't have to replace your carpet with hard floors.
If you are planning to purchase a hard surface floor, understand that you will most likely need rugs of some kind. Rugs help to absorb some of the sound, and in certain areas they are needed to reduce slip hazards.
Think about what kind of rugs you might want before purchasing the floor. Consider how the rugs will be cleaned and maintained. You may find that they are more costly and more difficult to maintain than carpet. This is a consideration if the reason you are replacing carpet is due to maintenance.
Even if your goal of purchasing a hard surface floor is solely based on the design and lifestyle, maintenance is still a huge issue. If you purchase ceramic tile, the grout will need to be cleaned from time to time. If you own marble or natural stone, it will need to be cleaned and possibly even honed or ground in the future. Wood floors need to be recoated and possibly sanded depending on hat type of floor you purchase.
The recommendation here is simply to consider maintenance costs and issues when you purchase a floor. Rather than being surprised, we want you to enjoy a clean, healthy long lasting floor regardless of what it is. |
