Are you trying to decide whether to install carpet or hardwood flooring in your home? I would love to help make that decision easier for you! In this post, I will break down all the key differences in the carpet vs hardwood debate to help you make an informed decision.

This post is all about carpet vs hardwood

When you are renovating a home, there are no less than 1,000 decisions, and very few of them are easy. Selecting flooring for your home is no exception. To make a sound decision regarding carpet vs hardwood, it is essential to understand the key differences between the two in terms of cost, look and feel, performance, installation, maintenance, and value.

Cost

Because it is often the number one determining factor when deciding between flooring materials, I thought we should start with cost. Is carpet cheaper than hardwood? The answer is yes. The average cost of carpet flooring is unquestionably less than the cost of hardwood floors (engineered or solid), but let’s talk more about the actual costs.

Hardwood

Before we discuss hardwood floor costs, we must discuss the different hardwood flooring options. There are several types of hardwood flooring, but we will only discuss solid and engineered hardwood flooring. Solid hardwood flooring is exactly as it sounds. It is a solid piece of wood that can be sanded and refinished multiple times over the course of its lifetime.

Engineered hardwood flooring is similar to solid hardwood in appearance but not composition. Unlike solid hardwood flooring, engineered hardwood is comprised of layers of plywood and a thin layer (the veneer) of solid wood as the top layer. Engineered hardwood can also be sanded and refinished, but not as many times as solid wood, and the number of times it can be done depends on the thickness of the veneer.

As with carpet, the cost of engineered hardwood and solid hardwood depends on several factors. The price range varies based on the type of wood, grade, thickness, veneer thickness, width of plank, and type of finish. According to Angi, the average cost for engineered hardwood for materials and labor is between $4.50 and $16 and between $5 and $28 for solid hardwood (Cellucci, 2023).

Carpet

Carpet costs also depend on a few factors, including carpet fiber type, padding, and installation. The carpet fiber, the part of carpet you see, can be synthetic or natural. Synthetic fibers such as nylon, polyester, and olefin tend to be less expensive than the natural carpet fibers such as wool and sisal.

Carpet padding or underlayment is the material placed under the carpet that provides additional cushion, comfort, and insulation. While it is optional, it is certainly recommended and comes in varying levels of quality and thickness. For example, memory foam padding provides a higher value with a higher cost.

Installation is another contributing factor when it comes to the cost of carpet and will depend upon the size of the project, the local labor market conditions, and the difficulty of the project. I have seen polyester carpet for as little as $0.58 per square foot and very high-quality wool carpet for $33 per square foot. Obviously, those are the extreme ends of the price range. According to HomeGuide, the average cost per square foot for material and installation cost is between $2 and $8 (Noel, 2023).

The bottom line is that if cost is the most important factor for you, carpet is certainly the better option. If cost is just one of several factors you are weighing when it comes to deciding on hardwood floor vs carpet, I encourage you to keep reading!

Look and Feel

The hardwood or carpet debate comes down to personal preference when discussing the look and feel of each type of flooring. And you may decide that some rooms should have carpet while others should have hardwood. For example, the carpet or hardwood in bedrooms discussion is one that my husband and I debate in every home we renovate.

Hardwood

There is no doubt that hardwood flooring is timeless and beautiful. There is a reason why so many of us carefully peel up the corners of carpet in old homes, hoping to find long-forgotten hardwood flooring. Hardwood floors have been around for centuries, and it is for good reason!

In addition to the natural beauty of hardwood flooring, it works well with any design style, so you are not limited to a particular style. And if hard floors throughout your home do not appeal to you, add area rugs for a more cozy look and feel.

Carpet

If design versatility is what you are looking for, carpet may be the right choice for you. Your options with carpet are nearly limitless. Carpet comes in a wide range of colors, styles, and textures. If you have a particular pattern or color in mind, I am sure you can find a carpet to match it!

Carpet is also the clear winner when it comes to comfort and softness. There is no better flooring than carpet when spreading out with coloring books and crayons for quality time with the children. And if a more natural look and feel is what you want, a carpet made from natural fibers, like sisal, for example, might be the perfect fit.

Performance

Hardwood

If longevity is what you are after, hardwood flooring is definitely the best choice. Hardwood flooring, especially solid hardwood flooring, can last up to 100 years if properly maintained. Similarly, if well-maintained, engineered hardwood can last up to 30 years.

Hardwood flooring is susceptible to water damage, so it is not recommended for areas that see a lot of moisture or the potential to see moisture, such as a basement. It is imperative that any spills be wiped up as quickly as possible to avoid any damage to the wood.

Gouges and scratches will inevitably occur over time. The good news is that if you do not find them charming, they can be sanded and refinished, making them look new again!

Carpet

Let’s talk about the performance of carpet. The average lifespan of a carpet is 5 – 15 years. This lifespan depends on a few factors, including the type of carpet fibers, padding, and the amount of traffic. Each carpet fiber type comes with its own advantages and disadvantages, so you would need to evaluate them based on your lifestyle needs.   For example, carpets made from synthetic materials tend to be more stain resistant and less prone to water damage, but wool carpet (a natural fiber) is one of the most durable carpets available because of its resistance to wear.

The padding contributes to the lifespan of the carpet by protecting the top of the carpet from wear and tear as well as the underside of the carpet from the subfloor. And as you can imagine, the more traffic you have, the more wear and tear on the carpet and the less time it will last.

We can’t dismiss the other pros of carpet. In addition to the comfort carpet provides, it also has an inherent ability to absorb sound and reduce noise. You may decide that noise reduction is really important for you and your family!

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Installation

Hardwood

Installing hardwood flooring is a project that can be done as a DIY project, but it is not generally recommended. The process is not as straightforward as laying carpet. Solid and engineered hardwood requires, on average, around 5 – 10 days of acclimation to the environment of the home, then a day per 800 – 1,000 SF for installation.

If the flooring is finished on-site, an additional 3 – 5 days should be expected, with additional time before furniture can be placed in the room. Finishing is also a somewhat messy process. You will likely not be able to stay at home while the work is taking place.

​Carpet

Carpet installation is an undertaking and is one that is typically left to the professionals. The good news is that you can have new carpeting in a short period of time! On average, most carpet installations take about a day per room. Carpet is an excellent option if a quick turnaround on a space is what is needed.

Maintenance

How to keep your floors clean and looking lovely for years to come is certainly an important factor in the carpet vs hardwood debate. Let’s dive into it.

Hard surfaces, like hardwood flooring, are generally much easier to maintain than carpet. Daily sweeping or vacuuming, as well as monthly cleaning with a manufacturer-approved wood cleaner, will help keep your floors looking beautiful for decades. It is important that any spills be cleaned up immediately and not left to soak into the flooring, as wood tends to swell when exposed to moisture.

If you do find that your flooring is looking dull after a few years, simply adding a new coat of floor finish can make it look new again.

Carpet

While carpet has many pros, one of the cons of carpet is its ability to trap pet dander, dust mites, and pet hair. Weekly vacuuming and addressing spills immediately can help keep your carpet clean. Make sure to remove any surface stains as quickly as possible with a manufacturer-approved cleaning solution. A professional cleaning every 18 – 24 months will also help to keep your carpet in good shape. High-traffic areas may require even more frequent professional cleaning.

Value

Hardwood

If you want to get the most value and the best return on your investment, hardwood floors are the way to go. In fact, according to Realtor.com, wood floors can improve the price of a home by up to 2.5% (Evans, 2022). Home buyers prefer hardwood floors over carpet. So if money is not a limiting factor, hardwood floors are the best choice in the long run.

Carpet

Unfortunately, carpet has a low ROI and is not as appealing as other flooring types to home buyers. This makes it a poor choice when it is less appealing than value. The exception to this is carpet in bedrooms. According to HomeLight, people still appreciate having carpet in bedrooms.  They especially like carpeting in second-floor bedrooms (Burdis, 2023). If you want to learn more about carpet for bedrooms, I recommend you peek at my post, Best Carpet for Bedrooms: 5 Important Considerations.

 

Summary

The carpet vs hardwood floors debate is one that is discussed regularly and by many. My goal was to help you resolve this debate! In this post, I provided information on carpet to hardwood cost, look and feel, performance, installation, maintenance, and value of the two types of flooring. You should now be able to confidently make an informed decision on the best type of flooring for your new floors.

If hardwood vs laminate is another debate you are having regarding your future flooring, you might be interested in my post Engineered Hardwood vs Laminate: How to Decide!

References

Noel, S. (2023, April 5). 2023 carpet prices per square foot – types, materials & brands. HomeGuide. https://homeguide.com/costs/carpet-prices-per-square-foot

Cellucci, N. P. (2023, March 20). How much does hardwood flooring cost? [2023 data]. Angi. https://www.angi.com/articles/how-much-does-hardwood-flooring-cost.htm

Evans, J. R. (2022a, February 23). The best flooring for resale value: Wood, tile, carpet, and beyond. Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®. https://www.realtor.com/advice/home-improvement/what-type-of-flooring-should-i-install-for-best-resale-value/

Burdis, J. (2023, March 27). What kind of flooring increases home value? HomeLight Blog. https://www.homelight.com/blog/what-flooring-increases-home-valueeases-home-value/